Consequences of Poor Outdoor Digital Signage Protection…Part Two

Posted by: Richard Williams | Posted on: November 25th, 2010 | 0 Comments

Rain

Perhaps the most obvious need for protection when considering placing a screen in an outdoor location is the rain. Water and electric devices like LCD TVs are clearly not hinges that mix very well but there are other elements that can be just as damaging as rain.

Snow and hail can cause similar problems to rainfall but also wind blown dust can lead to potential problems too. In dry arid areas, dust can be a real problem, if it seeps inside an LCD enclosure then it can lead to short-circuit, overheating or can clog up fans and filters. It is, therefore, important that any LCD, or digital signage enclosure, prevents the ingress of all elements, not just rainfall.

Temperature

LCD screens are designed to operate at a certain temperature. Normally this optimum is only a few degrees either side of average room temperature in consumer devices, although this window is slightly larger for commercial grade screens. Never-the-less, there are many locations where temperatures can fall or rise well out of this range. In winter climates, temperatures can plunge well-below freezing, a drop that will most certainly disable an unprotected screen. While, in summer and hot locations, the opposite can occur and the LCD runs the risk of overheating.

Steel LCD Enclosure – protection for outdoor screens

Temperature, therefore, needs to be carefully controlled. Cooling fans and even air conditioning need to be considered for areas where temperatures are excessively hot while in colder climates, insulation inside the digital signage enclosure and heaters may have to be installed.

Physical

An area often overlooked with outdoor digital signage is the risk of damage either through accidental impact or vandalism. Often outdoor screens are in vulnerable locations, especially at night so physical consideration is essential if you wish to prevent the need to continually replace screens. A steel LCD enclosure to other rugged from of digital signage enclosure is, therefore, essential.