Discussion: Consumer Displays vs Commercial Displays

As a company or a creative entity who is looking to implement large format displays into their establishment or design creations, the question of “what type of display shall I use?” usually creeps into the planning discussion. Does one simply go to Best Buy and purchase an ‘off the shelf’ TV or do you dig around the commercial grade industry to see what options are available? In this blog we will help shed light on which display type, Consumer or Commercial works best to bring your vision to fruition.

Commercial Displays

When it comes to choosing displays for your bar / lounge, house of worship, office lobby, night club, or corporate conference room there are a couple key features you should take into account. Warranty, Media Player Compatibility, Mounting, Display Orientation ( landscape or portrait ) are just a few key features to look for.

Warranty

Commercial display companies typically offer multi-year warranties to users who choose to go with a commercial grade display while consumer TV companies offer warranties anywhere from 90 days to a year.

24/7 Display Workload

Something that most users don’t realize is that there is a ‘burn-in’ process that takes place on all commercial displays. It helps maintain the overall health and longevity of the display while being ‘on’ for long periods of time. Commercial displays are designed to withstand long operating hours with thermal characteristics built in the internal design for proper heat dissipation. Consumer TV’s are not built for 24/7 workloads while commercial displays are. If you plan to run your display longer than 8 hours a day it is wise to move over to a commercial grade application which can deliver the workload you desire.

Other features that help maintain display longevity are the commercial grade power supplies that come standard in commercial grade displays. In consumer TV’s the power supplies are often the first things to fail during long term usage.

Mounting

Commercial grade displays come with VESA compliant standard mounting connections to complement standard industry mounting devices such as; moveable carts, robust adjustable wall mounts and display stands. Often times consumer TV’s will come with their own set of mounting options that aren’t always universal thus making it difficult to be up and running right out of the box.

Display Orientation

Commercial displays provide users with the ability to choose between landscape or portrait mode orientations. If you desire to construct a unique display pattern with various displays mounted in landscape mode while others in portrait mode, commercial grade displays provide users with that option. Portrait mode orientation is typically not available for consumer based TV’s

Branding

In establishments like retails spaces, fine dining restaurants or hotel lobbies, branded TV’s take away from the sleek aesthetic appeal. In the consumer market it is important that the TV has its brand name / logo extra visible and overtly apparent to anyone who passes by.

“We must get away from the idea that these are just TV’s on walls. With brand names marked on the front of TV’s it takes away from the overall aesthetic appeal. Your eye automatically is drawn to the company name or logo which subconsciously registers it as a TV“, explains Volanti Art Director, Billy Barnes. “I can’t tell you how many times I go into a mall and see retail stores with ‘TV’s’ on their walls which boast overly visible company names or logos. I feel like it adds an unwanted level of tackiness to it. Our displays have no overly visible logos on the front that might take away from the content being shown. It is your art, your vision that we respect.

Compatibility

Commercial grade displays are designed specifically for compatibility with PCs and AV standards while consumer TV’s compatibility is geared more towards TV/video but will support PC usage to some extent.

Commercial grade displays are also far more easily integrated with remote controlled solutions via Ethernet connections. Users have the ability to implement remote network interfaces like Crestron room controls that are governed by remote access devices such as smartphones and tablets . Consumer TV’s do have the option but not at the same level and compatibility as commercial grade displays.

Contact Volanti Displays

For more information on commercial grade displays or if you would like to set up some time to discuss your ideas feel free to contact Volanti Displays.

Office: 408.579.1620
Hours: 8AM – 5PM PST