comprehensive review of video walls

Video walls are a high-tech alternative to traditional signage, allowing you to stream video or a rotation of messages across a vibrant wall of digital displays.

Digital display walls have numerous uses in industries such as retail, education, hospitality, entertainment, real estate, security, and many others. But since every project is unique, it’s important to know the differences between the technologies available (and the manufacturers who design them).

At AVDG, we partner with the best technology brands to create stunning video displays for commercial and residential properties around the world. So you can have peace of mind knowing that your video wall project will be professionally designed and installed and will offer dependable quality no matter what the application.

With that being said, let’s evaluate some of the key features and advantages of the video wall technologies we deploy for our clients.

Planar

Planar is a leader in developing high-quality LCD video walls, available in an extensive range of sizes, configurations, and resolutions. In addition to installations in offices and homes around the world, Planar’s video wall technologies can be found at a wide range of prominent destinations, including Seattle’s Space Needle, the Chinese Cultural Museum in Beijing, and the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas.

What we like:

• Very narrow bezels (the visible edge of a digital display) on LCD displays allow Planar to produce more seamless walls. While narrow bezels are not unique to Planar, this is one feature that adds to the overall exceptional quality of the video walls.
• Planar’s newer LED solutions eliminate bezels completely, allowing for seamless displays of any scale or shape. In particular, the Planar® LED MultiTouchwas the industry’s first completely seamless interactive LED video wall, great for boardrooms and meeting spaces because it offers touchscreen capabilities.
• If you’re looking for something more unique than conventional, rectangular video walls, Planar Mosaic is an “architectural video wall” that allows for more striking configurations. While not as mind-bending as some of the custom LED shapes we highlight below, Mosaic is unique in that its video display tiles can be mounted in any position relative to each other, and individually at nearly any angle.
• As LED technology continues to evolve, the term “video walls” no longer accurately describes the creative possibilities of visual displays. Planar’s Creative LED Solutions allow for endless customization, using flexible LED module options to create jaw-dropping visual architecture.

SNA Displays (Sansi)

Like other video wall manufacturers, SNA may not be a household name to consumers, but it is a widely respected industry leader, having designed and built some of the largest and most recognizable digital displays around the globe. In 2019, the company won the contract to build the highest-resolution video wall in NYC’s Times Square, a 9-story screen known as the MEGA-SPECTACULAR that wraps around a skyscraper at the corner of 7th Ave. and 47th St.

What we like:

• SNA is a leading innovator of LED video wall technology, which has allowed for more vibrant walls that are thinner, lighter, and easier to install. For example, when comparing a single 120″ x 67″ LCD vs. LED display, SNA says its LED version is 3.5″ inches thinner and half the weight.
• SNA has recently introduced a new line of all-in-one, plug-and-play LED display systems, which allow for easier, faster installations in spaces such as conference rooms, tradeshow booths, and other “on the go” environments.
• SNA’s innovations extend beyond the display technology itself. The company’s envision LED Display Visualizer is a great online tool that allows you to design your video wall with 3D rendering to envision what it will look like in a real environment.

Sony

Widely known for its consumer electronics and televisions, Sony is also a worldwide leader in digital display walls. Its video wall technologies are available in a wide range of sizes and configurations for endless application potential. Sony’s large-scale visual presentations can be found in visitor attractions, corporate environments, automotive design workspaces, and other spaces.

What we like:

• Like SNA and other manufacturers, Sony is also moving swiftly to LED technology. Its Crystal LED displays are known for their spectacular brightness and vivid colors, in both indoor and outdoor environments.
• Sony’s displays are particularly impressive for their contrast. As Sony explains, “each micro-LED occupies a tiny fraction of the mounting area that’s black,” resulting in an exceptional contrast ratio of more than 1,000,000:1. This exceeds the performance of conventional LED array systems.
• “Bezels” are essentially nonexistent for some of Sony’s Crystal LED solutions. They feature a borderless design that enables multiple displays to be tiled together seamlessly (in any size or shape), without any visible edges or gaps.

Barco

Barco’s portfolio of video wall solutions includes a range of technologies, including LCD, LED rear-projection, and RGB laser rear-projection. This allows for a wide range of applications to fit the specific needs of each environment and client vision. Like the other brands above, Barco’s innovations expand beyond the displays to include an extensive range of control-room devices and accessories.

What we like:

• Barco’s rear-projection technology is a go-to solution for many indoor environments. Its laser video walls are laser-lit rear-projection solutions that are 2x brighter than conventional rear-projection video walls, allowing them to be used even in daylight.
• Pixel pitch as tiny as 0.9mm on Barco’s Direct-View LED displays allow for exceptional image quality, resolution, and brightness. It also eliminates bezels and gaps, so that images are never interrupted. This is especially important in environments where alphanumeric messages are displayed, such as retail, office spaces, and outdoor advertising media.
• Barco’s innovative control-room technologies make its video walls easier to use, while also adding functionality to spaces where the displays need to be actively controlled. One great example is Barco’s SecureStream solution, which allows you to share content beyond the control room and stream it to other devices or the web.

discover your video wall solution

AVDG can help you incorporate brilliant video walls and digital display solutions into any space. Request a free consultation to explore your options and bring your vision to life.