If you are looking for a control room video wall solution, LED displays can be on your top list. They can show vibrant colors and have high-resolution and customizable options. They will decrease response times and eliminate the risk of costly human errors. Besides, they can provide real-time data for your traffic management or energy operation.
In this article, we will discuss some aspects of control room video walls. Here we will mainly talk about LED displays.
What are control room video walls?
The control room video wall is a display system. It can show a lot of information for operators to control. We can see it installed in control and command, security and surveillance centers, and so on. It can connect to various sources, such as CCTV cameras and more.
LED displays for control rooms are high-resolution and seamless high performance displays. They provide clear visual data for decision-making purposes. They use LED technology to produce vivid images with high definition. Their sizes and shapes are customizable. So they can fit in any control room.
Types of control room video walls:
There are three main types of control room video walls:
- LED displays.
- Tiled LCD.
- Rear projection video walls.
LED displays:
LED displays, also known as LED video walls, are an enhanced LED technology. They consist of light emitting diodes. These LEDs work to create seamless images. Besides, we can customize different sizes and resolutions according to your project.
Below are some advantages of LED displays:
- High pixel density.
- Seamless splicing.
- High brightness level.
- Wide viewing angle.
- Long lifespan.
Tiled LCD:
It is another popular type of video wall. We can also call it an LCD video wall. We can see it widely used in digital signage.
There are visible bezels between individual panels. Although it is cheaper, its lifespan is shorter than LED display.
Rear projection video walls:
Such video walls use rear projection technology. We can call them projection walls or projection cubes. There are tiny bezels. Besides, the view angle is limited.
Things to consider when buying control room screens:
When buying a control room display, you need to consider several factors:
- Size and shape.
- Resolution and pixel pitch.
- LED screen brightness.
Size and shape:
The size is the basic to consider. You can decide according to the dimensions of the control room. A larger screen may be suitable for a larger control room. It can be available if the viewer is sitting further away. However, a smaller screen is better for a smaller control room or when the viewer will be sitting closer.
The shape of the screen also matters. Regular rectangular displays are suitable for most control room configurations. However, you may need to make it a unique form sometimes. For example, if the control room display wall is curved, you need to use a custom-shaped screen.
Except for the size and shape, the aspect ratio is another point. Common aspect ratios include 16:9 and 4:3. You need to choose the suitable aspect ratio based on the type of content. Generally, if the content is mainly videos, you can buy a 16:9 display. If it is mainly texts, 4:3 is better. Our LED panel size is 640×360 mm. It is a 16:9 golden ratio.
Resolution and pixel pitch:
The resolution is important, as it determines how clear the display can be. Resolution is the total pixels on the screen. We measure it with pixels. The higher the pixels, the more detailed images will show.
You need to consider the resolution to meet the specific need. For instance, if the display shows maps, you need to get a higher-resolution screen. We also call it a fine-pitch LED display. The common types to use for such a project are P0.9 and P1.2. In this way, you can ensure that all details are visible. However, if you mainly use the display to show texts, using a lower resolution is enough.
Talking about resolution, we will associate it with pixel pitch. As we can see, the smaller the pixel pitch, the higher the resolution. It is because there are more pixels in the same area for a smaller pitch. So we can get higher density. For example, there are 1,234,568 dots per square meter for P0.9, while 694,444 dots/m2 for P1.2.
Besides, viewing distance is also relevant to the pixel pitch. We will offer you suitable types based on your required view distance. Generally, the best view distance is 2-3 times the pixel pitch. For example, if you need 3-5 meters to view the display, you can choose the P1.5 type.
LED screen brightness:
The LED screen brightness is another main factor to consider. It can impact the visibility of the content shown on control room monitors. What is the brightness of the LED display? It is the amount of light emitted by the display. We measure it in nits or CD/m2. The higher the nits, the brightness of the display.
You need to check the lighting conditions of the room first. If it is very bright, we suggest choosing a display with higher luminance, like more than 1,000 nits. If the control room is dimly-lit, it is no problem to use a lower-brightness display.
Applications of LED displays for control rooms:
In this part, we will talk about some applications of LED displays in control rooms:
Command and control:
Command and control rooms is a standard application in this field. LED displays can show operational data and security information. For instance, they display satellite and radar data in military command centers. Also, they can show business data, sales figures, and customer data. It is an application in corporate command and control centers.
Security and surveillance:
It is an essential application in this aspect. LED displays can show different videos from many cameras at the same time. Also, they can display access control logs, alarm statuses, and other information. It is helpful for security personnel to respond to incidents.
Besides, although in dim light, LED displays can identify people and objects in the video. It is due to their high brightness and resolution.
Process control:
In this point, LED displays serve in industries like manufacturing, energy, and transportation. They can show critical data relevant to the processes, such as temperature, pressure, etc.
Besides, they can display data in various formats, such as charts and graphs. So it is easier for operators to identify trends in the data. And operators can make adjustments as needed.
Transportation:
Typical applications in transportation include air traffic control and rail and highway operations.
LED displays can show real-time information in this aspect, such as:
- Flight paths, altitude, etc.
- Train schedules, statuses, etc.
- Traffic volumes, speeds, and congestion levels.
Due to this feature, people prefer to adopt LED displays as an effective management tool in these areas.
Features of LED displays for control rooms:
When it comes to LED displays for control rooms, here are some of their features:
High resolution:
It is an essential feature, as operators need to see details via the display. The higher the LED display resolution, the more precise images and videos will show. It is why we need to choose fine-pitch LED display types, such as P0.9, P1.2, etc.
High brightness:
A higher brightness LED display is better in this application. It is due to the lighting conditions of control rooms. So operators can see the content both in bright and dim conditions. Besides, it can reduce eye strain. So we suggest a brightness with more than 1,000 nits is suitable.
Low latency:
It is another important feature, as it minimizes the delay between input and output. As we can see, it needs to show real-time data for control rooms. So low latency displays can improve responsiveness and accuracy. It requires us to adopt stable-quality hardware, including controllers.
Durability:
Because LED displays in control rooms are under frequent use, durability counts a lot. They need to operate around the clock without degradation in performance. We usually choose robust materials to build such LED displays. It can ensure they don’t have such problems as image burn-in, color fading, or screen damage.
Scalability:
We know LED displays have flexibility in configuration and expansion. And we can see they have the feature of scalability. You can synchronize an LED display with others to create a larger, more seamless video wall. It is useful in security and surveillance application. We can see such a field needs large images for monitoring purposes.
Conclusion:
In a word, LED displays have revolutionized the control room industry. After reading the above, I hope you can know what to consider when purchasing such an LED display.
