Outdoor Digital Signage – The Value of Ruggedness

Outdoor digital signage, while not yet in the same league as the use of indoor advertising displays, increasingly more and more digital signs are being installed in outdoor locations.

Outside retail stores, along high streets and adorning the entrances to shopping malls, are all locations where outdoor digital signage is commonly installed. The reason for an increase in proliferation of outdoor digital signage is the distinct advantages it offers not only over standard static outdoor advertisements, but also over indoor displays.

Outdoor screens generally have a larger audience than indoor displays and can act as a means to draw in custom to a particular location, rather than just promoting items to people who are already in-store.

The challenges of utilising outdoor digital signage are quite extensive, though, with any outdoor display needing to be protected from the weather but also rugged enough to cope with life outdoors.

Commonly, outdoor screens are installed in some sort of outdoor or waterproof enclosure. These can range from simple, waterproof cases to more sophisticated environments containing thermostatically controlled heaters and cooling systems ensuring the display screen is always running inside the optimum conditions for the device.

For screens that use media players rather than a networked system, these outdoor digital signage enclosures also protect these from the rigours of the weather, but that is not the only protection required for an outdoor digital sign.

Ruggedness and durability are essential for outdoor digital signage as these outdoor signs are often left in unmanned and unsupervised locations. Naturally, TV screens are very vulnerable to impact. The face of a modern LCD or plasma screen can be easily damaged resulting in a defunct screen.

Dead screens are a common problem for outdoor screens, and not only results in the cost of repair and replacement, but also lose money from the moment the screen stops working. Protection is therefore vital for screens in outdoor locations.

Vandalism is an all too common problem in our towns and cities, so ensuring that any outdoor screen can withstand deliberate attacks is essential.

Ruggedness needs to either be built into the design or a standard screen needs to be housed in a tough and durable outdoor enclosure that not only protects it from the weather, but equally ensures the device cannot be damaged by impacts or vandalism.