Are You Considering Updating Your Video Wall?
We understand – the idea of updating a video wall can be daunting. Selecting the right technology, evaluating costs, and figuring out the right time to do it can all add up to one exhausting process. But if it’s been a while since you last updated your technology, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
In mission critical settings like control rooms, especially, it is vital to keep technology up-to-date to ensure reliable operations. AV technology changes at a rapid pace, and it’s important that critical environments use the most reliable equipment possible.
There are many reasons to consider updating your video wall, but here are the top 5.
1. Power and Energy
As a general rule, the older the technology, the more power it uses to run. As energy costs creep up, updating your video wall with newer, more energy-efficient technology will help you cut costs in the long run. Additionally, if your organization has set goals for green initiatives, newer video wall technology will allow you to reach those goals much more readily. Especially in operations centers where most video walls run 24/7, having updated and energy-efficient technology is a necessity to save on power usage.
2. Connectivity
The analog sunset has already happened – many older inputs such as VGA, composite, or component are relics of the past. If your display walls only support these kinds of outdated inputs, they won’t allow for higher definition sources without the hassle of adding hardware that can scale and convert digital to analog. When you frequently need to find workarounds for older inputs, it’s time to update your display technology. In addition, an older system won’t support streaming inputs or outputs. If current trends are any indication, streaming technologies can only be expected to become more and more prevalent as important sources for AV systems.
3. Resolution
The resolution and pixel pitch of video walls is better than ever before. Older display technologies not only won’t display at high resolution, they may not even support higher resolution sources. Many operators are moving to desktop monitors with 4K resolution; if the visualization technology is incompatible with higher display resolutions, those systems have to then be reduced in order to display on the video wall. While stunning visualization is a goal for every application, the clarity of displayed data is especially paramount in mission critical applications. The video wall in a command center is used to share and display vital, real-time data. The visual quality of the display you choose plays a clear role in the success of your operations. If the resolution and display technology of your video wall is out of date, your operations would benefit from a new video wall to improve your visualization.
4. Brightness
Today’s video walls are leagues brighter than they used to be. Command centers with outdated video technology still need dim overhead lighting in order to properly view the display wall, which means operators will need task lights at their individual stations. Now, video walls are bright enough that they will not compete with the ambient lighting of your room. If you find that you still need to dim the lighting in your operations center in order to have legible information on your video wall, it is time to update the technology in your operations center.
5. Time
Your displays should not only be high definition, but also robust. In mission critical settings such as control rooms and command centers, the durability of your large-format video wall is vital.
Heather Conover, Senior Account Manager at Constant Technologies, says, “The average refresh rate of the technology in a 24/7 command center is about 5-7 years.” If your technology is older than that, it is best to start planning a refresh to ensure that systems not only remain operational, but also best serve the vital functions you need them to perform. In fact, it is never too early to begin planning a video wall update. Says Conover, “it’s a good idea to start looking at options for a refresh before the AV components in a room reach ‘end of life.’”
Video walls are a smart investment, regardless of industry. In mission critical they’re not only smart but necessary, and making sure you choose the right technology for your application is imperative. But when it seems like there’s something new in display technology every week, that prospect can feel daunting. That’s why you should work with an experienced, specialized integrator to help guide you through the decision-making process.
Visualization technologies have improved leaps and bounds over the past several years, and video walls only continue to get better and better. Bring your space into the future by updating your video wall with the latest, cutting-edge technology.
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