A common question we are often asked, is why do I need a Digital Signage screen and can I just use a TV in my office or store?
The ultimate answer lies in the word ‘Commercial’. If you are a business, you are a commercial entity, you are using this product for commercial benefit and in a commercial environment. You wouldn’t buy home contents insurance for your business premises, so why opt for a consumer TV?
Yes TVs can essentially display what a digital signage screen can, they are 4K they look great, they can play from a USB stick, and you can even plug in an HDMI cable for a media player plus they can sometimes include a 5 year warranty. Lots of people do use TVs successfully for a while in a bar for example or a community hall, or waiting room.
But here are 7 good reasons to choose a professional digital signage screen over a TV for commercial use.
7 key reasons why you should choose commercial over consumer TVs:
1. Commercial Screens are designed to operate 24/7, 18/7 or 16/7 TVs are not. Digital Signage screens are built using commercial grade parts designed to last for longer playback times.
2. Warranty – Commercial screens come with 3 year commercial warranty. TVs do not, they are designed for consumer use, if you check the fine print of all consumer TV warranties, they all state ‘not covered for commercial use’.
3. Commercial Brightness – Commercial screen brightness on average, range from 450cd/m2 or nits to 4000cdm2. TVs do not have this range of brightness most are around 250 – 350cdm2 and will look dull when compared with a commercial screen. If you wish to mount a screen in a window space, always choose a Digital Signage Screen, which is 700cd or more.
4. Mounting Orientation – TVs are very rarely designed for portrait mounting. If you want to mount a screen in portrait, always choose a digital signage screen. (Note: not all digital signage screens are made for portrait mounting).
5. Cosmetic looks – Commercial screens tend to maintain a more standard cosmetic look, often with more even unbranded bezels and no visible buttons or controls. TVs can change cosmetically on an almost yearly basis, following fashion trends. This can be an issue if you need consistency within your business.
6. Digital Signage Screens offer Secure playback, which cannot be easily interrupted. When using a tv alone without the addition of a media player, you can easily leave your screen open to people being able to screen cast or connect to your TV. With Digital Signage screens they are locked down and secure.
7. Sophisticated Built-in media players – Commercial screens have the ability to be controlled remotely via a secure cloud system, many contain built-in sophisticated scheduling media players and often offer a more diverse range of inputs, i.e USB, HDMI, DVI, Display Port.
The above is not an exhaustive list as there many more reasons, but it illustrates why you should think carefully before following the TV route for your commercial application. If you are looking for further advice, get in touch with our team to discuss you project.