Digital Signage and Vandalism

Vandalism is a sad fact of life. A lot of public property is vulnerable to damage through vandalism and wanton destruction and outdoor digital signage, because it if often left unattended, is no different.

When outdoor digital signage succumbs to vandalism, it can be very costly. If the screen is permanently damaged, not only will it have to be replaced, but the time the screen is down can also cost, with a dead screen not making money for the advertiser—and sometimes it can take days, weeks or even months before the operator of the screen even notices.

Protection and defense against vandalism is vital for any outdoor screen that is left exposed or in an unsupervised location. And several aspects to vandalism need thinking about:

Graffiti

Perhaps the most common form of vandalism is graffiti, and is one of the most difficult to rectify. A spray can, will not only look unsightly when daubed over an outdoor digital signage display, but when the screen is covered in paint will obstruct the image.

Anti-graffiti laminates and films are available to protect the screen, and this are often deployed in subway train station and other areas where graffiti is common. These either prevent the paint from sticking to the surface or make it easy to wipe off.

However, little can be done to clear up graffiti from the enclosures other than having to clean off the paint using alcohol, elbow-grease. Mild steel LCD enclosures are a good idea as they can be re-painted, very cheaply covering over the graffiti. They can also be fitted with anti-vandal laminates and glass.

Physical Vandalism

Physical destruction is also a problem for outdoor digital signage. Screens need toughening or made form shatterproof materials to prevent glass breakage. Also, the enclosures themselves need to withstand an impact.

Again, LCD enclosures offer a good solution as the steel cabinets will prevent any damage to the enclosed device preventing even severe attacks from weapons and tools.

Software Vandalism

Another aspect of vandalism, often not considered, is preventing access to the software. While often done without malice, pranksters can replace content with offence or humorous content, which while perhaps easily rectified prevents your content from being displayed.

Ensuring USB and media players are secure is important to prevent unauthorized access. LCD enclosures house both screens and media players and can keep both secure preventing access as well as preventing theft.