Ingress Protection: the other IP of AV

When you hear the letters “IP“, most people probably think of Internet Protocol, Intellectual Property, or maybe even Innings Pitched.  Here, we are going to be referring to Ingress Protection, or how well an electrical enclosure can protect from the penetration of dust and moisture. Even if you have never heard the term before, you have most certainly thought about ingress protection at some time. Have you ever spilled water on your phone, tablet, or laptop?  That instant panic (and possible profanities) is caused by your lack of trust in the ability of your device to keep out moisture.

Most new cellphones are marketed as waterproof or water-resistant. What do those terms mean? Are they marketing buzzwords, or are they meant to be taken at face value? This video by CNBC does a good job explaining them. I have personally taken the term waterproof too literally myself. On my oldest daughter’s 1st birthday, we took her swimming and I wanted to document as much as I could with my “waterproof” phone. We had a great time, but the documentation did not go as planned. In fact, I learned a new notification that day. A water droplet icon meant that moisture had made its way into my phone, and it was no longer functioning properly.

How did these standards come to be? In 1976, the International Electrotechnical Commission, or IEC, published IEC 60529, with the goal of standardizing the requirements regarding protection by enclosures. Prior to that time, there were separate standards for motors and low-voltage switchgear and controlgear.

The IP rating consists of two digits:

  1. The first rates protection against solid objects and works on a scale of 0-6.
  2. The second rates protection against liquids and works on a scale of 0-9.

The guide below lists details of what level of protection each number represents.

IP ratings chart

Outdoor displays should have a rating of no less than IP55, to be reasonably safe from both dust and water. Using the above guide tells us that the first numeral of 5 means that the enclosure is considered “dust-protected”. Since we are fully in pollen season in much of the country, strong protection against solid foreign objects is necessary. A first numeral rating of 4 would not supply the necessary protection against pollen grains as they are smaller than the 1.0mm size listed in the description. The second numeral of 5 means that the device is “protected against water jets”.  Who is going to be blasting an outdoor display with water jets?  Well, a landscaping sprinkler system or someone using a hose are both water jets you would want to be safe from.

Samsung Terrace Outdoor qn65lst7tafOutdoor installations have progressed from your run-of-the-mill bank clocks with time and temperature to complex direct view LED displays that are truly immersive.  Keeping the viewer immersed, and not the hardware, is a key to the success and longevity of any outdoor AV project.  When your electronics are exposed to the elements, you will always have some degree of risk involved.  Using the IP ratings, along with the manufacturer’s suggested usage and accessories, will allow you to minimize risk for your projects and customers.  Be certain to read the warranty as well to ensure you are not doing anything that might void or shorten your warranty period.

Samsung Terrace Outdoor SoundbarOutdoor displays can range from a standard TV in an enclosure designed to be outdoors, all the way up to massive dvLEDs that you might see in Las Vegas or Times Square. Whatever your needs, Exertis Almo can provide solutions that run the gamut, including multiple dvLED vendors. The Samsung Terrace Series (consumer) provides options for outdoor displays, a soundbar offering, as well as accessories that can help protect and prolong the life of the hardware.  These have become quite popular in commercial settings such as bars, restaurants, hotels, and even corporate patio areas. 

Visit ExertisAlmo.com today to learn more about our outdoor displays and other products.

Did you find this post helpful? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn.

Gerry Aubrey

About the Author

Gerry Aubrey | DSCE

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung CE

Breaking Down DVLED part 2 – Cabinets & Modules & Panels, Oh My!!!

Part 2: Cabinets and Modules and Panels, Oh My!!!

Topic: The anatomy of a DVLED video wall.

I didn’t sell DVLED video walls for a long time because I didn’t understand how to talk to customers about it.

My first formal training on DVLED was well over 10 years ago. What I remember most is how utterly confused I was walking away. It was a brand-new technology that was very expensive and promised to be the next wave in display technology. My expertise up to that point rested squarely within the confines of projectors and large flat panel LCD displays (LFD). I was comfortable in that world. I felt safe there! I certainly didn’t have the time to learn about a new technology that had hardly gotten off the ground floor.

Fast-forward to 2023 and DVLED is now KING of large format. If I’m not offering DLVED, I’m going to be left in the dust by my competition, and so are you! The good news is that DVLED is quite simple once you grasp a few simple concepts.

Whether you are a grizzled industry vet or a bright green newbie to the AV industry, my goal is to attempt to simplify the anatomy of a DVLED video wall and, hopefully, have you walk away with enough knowledge and tools to be semi-dangerous. If not dangerous, you should at least be able to carry a conversation with a prospective customer that is in the market for one of these exciting new video walls.

So, what is DVLED and how is it different?

Let’s start with the name! DVLED stands for Direct View Light Emitting Diode. You can google light emitting diode for technical information if you wish. For the purposes of this discussion, an LED is a tiny dot that lights up red, green ,and blue. When you put hundreds of thousands or millions of them together, they make a great, big, bright, colorful image.

direct view LED illustation

What is a Pixel Pitch?

In the world of projectors and LFD’s, we talk a lot about resolution (720p, 1080p, 4K, UXGA, etc.). From 30,000 feet, this tells us a lot about how well defined our picture will be. Basically, the higher the resolution, the more dots or “pixels” that make up the image. The more dots you have in the same relative area, the better the picture.

Pixel Pitch indicates how close together the dots will be. For example, an LED wall with a pixel pitch of 10 means there will be 10mm from center-to-center from one dot to the next. A pixel pitch of 2.5 is 2.5mm between dots and so on. As of this moment in 2023, many DVLED manufacturers are offering pixel pitches as “fine” as 0.7mm. To give you a point of reference, a 100 inch, 4K traditional LCD TV will give you an approximate pixel pitch of .45mm.

But I digress. The title of this blog is Modules and Cabinets and Panels, Oh My!!! So, what are these three things? Here is a simple formula to help:

Modules + Cabinet = Panel

Modules are the square or rectangular sections of LED’s that make up the picture and are generally affixed to the face of the cabinet with magnets. The cabinet is the square or rectangular chassis that houses the electronics and provides structure to the wall. Each panel (modules + cabinet) is like a big, expensive Lego. The cabinet is the base-plate and the modules are the bricks. They can be linked together to form any size or shape. Just add your imagination and some modern video scaling technology.

I sincerely hope this has information has helped you to understand the basic makeup of a DVLED video wall. Exertis-Almo offers a wide range of DVLED brands and I am the Business Development Manager for Absen USA, a world-class, leading manufacturer of DVLED video walls that has solutions for virtually any application. Feel free to drop me a note on LinkedIn or come out to see us at one of our upcoming E4 shows.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for my next installment of Breaking Down DVLED:

Part 3: Perfect Pitch
Topic: The importance of selecting the right pixel pitch the first time

Part 4: The First Step in Installing a DVLED Video Wall is Admitting you Need Help
Topic: Commissioning Assistance and why it’s important

Part 5: First Things First
Topic: The importance of proper site prep and conducting a proper site survey

Check out my first installment if you haven’t already:

Part 1: Got Spares?
Topic: The importance of having spares when purchasing / commissioning a DVLED video wall.

Tom Keefe BDM

About the Author

Tom Keefe

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Absen

5 Possible Benefits of an External Media Player

Digital Signage Players

I spend much of my day discussing digital signage projects with system integrators, consultants, and end users. I know, you are probably wondering how I got so lucky. You may even be thinking about a career change. Not so fast my friend, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Some of it can actually be confusing, or even frustrating.

Working in distribution affords me the advantage of having many choices when deciding on a game plan for a digital signage project. What I see as an advantage can be daunting to the average consumer. One decision that can appear to be easy on the surface, can often come back to be an important one.

With manufacturers including a signage player as part of the display (sometimes referred to as System on Chip, or SoC), it can be a challenge for consumers to see value of an external player. It is simple assume that when faced with adding the cost of an additional piece of hardware, it would be better to use the built-in player on a display.

In some circumstances, it makes sense to use the SoC. This is especially popular in retail applications. We’ve seen successful deployments, where simple video or image playback is all that is needed, and the budget was one of the largest deciding factors. However, the flexibility of an external media player can oftentimes be the key to a successful deployment.

There are a numerous manufacturers of digital signage media players. They come with operating systems, ranging from open source options like Android to the ubiquitous Windows OS. Some of the more popular manufacturers have created their own OS, specifically made for digital signage. These have been proven especially efficient, as well as secure.

There are different abilities for each SoC as well as each external player. However, the features listed below are typically included as part of the external player ecosystem.

1. Player Management

Content management is the prime focus of CMS providers…it’s literally in the name (CMS = Content Management Software). Player management is almost never a focus, especially since most CMS platforms work on a variety types of players and operating systems. Their agnostic approach allows them to be retrofit into previous deployments, as well as specified in current projects.

With the world’s most popular media player brand, the ability to manage remotely, including player setup, reboot, and even player reset if needed, is their main focus. A free software, specifically focused on allowing users to manage almost every aspect of their players, allows for separation of responsibilities. This allows the IT department to focus on managing the players, and their network, while the remaining team can focus on content management.

church audio solutions

2. Firmware

In consumer applications, firmware updates are typically done to take advantage of a new feature release. In commercial applications, the features take a back seat to security. Many displays with included software can provide an ingress for hackers, so updating the firmware helps maintain the security at the highest level.

Updating the firmware on your display can have an adverse effect on the digital signage content management software. There are times when the management software has not been updated at the time of the firmware release, which can cause the glitches due to a firmware mismatch.

An external media player remains separate from the display firmware, allowing your signage to remain functioning.

3. Horsepower

The ability to choose an external player with processing power and memory that matches your digital signage needs now, as well as into the future, may only be available if using an external player. The SoC provided in displays may be powerful enough to play images and videos but may lack performance when additional content comes into play.

External media players range from basic video and image playback to multi-output, 3D capable video engines capable of playing the most demanding content.

4. Triggers

External media players can have various IO ports, as well as methods for communicating with their players. USB ports allow for the connection to an overlay or button panel to trigger playback of content. Some even over a GPIO port (short for General-Purpose Input/Output), allowing one to integrate numerous connections. This is important if you want to trigger playback using something other than the Ethernet port.

Connecting a fire alarm, button push, or something else that can be used to trigger the playback of content is important.

5. Hot Swap

As reliable as displays have become, most are replaced every 3 years for one reason or another. This can be because of improvements in technology, product failure, or even a matter of aesthetics. The replacement of a display does not have to mean downtime on the digital signage. If an external media player is being used, it is only a matter of plugging it into the HDMI port of the new display.

Along with hot swapability (I know, it’s not a word), there are also additional benefits. When a power outage occurs, most external media players automatically restart playing media as soon as the power is back. There is no human interaction needed. Since the failure rate of the top external media players is so low, I’ve seen them running for 10 years straight without interruption.

Conclusion

The list above provides some of the more popular reasons people continue to use an external media player, but there are many more. I didn’t even touch on video walls, or other multi-display deployments. Just because a media player is included in the commercial display of your choice, there are still a number of good reasons that an external player should be considered. If you’d like to discuss your project, or wish to learn more, feel free to contact me at ExertisAlmo.com.

Todd Heberlein
About the Author

Todd Heberlein | CTS, DMC-D-4K, DSCE

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Digital Signage Services, Technical (National), BrightSign

Episode 3, Hot Takes with Maz & Wheelz

This Video Series was recorded by Exertis Almo's Business Development Managers: 
Dan Mazurkiewicz, DSCE, and Liz Wheeler, DSCE.

“Hot Takes” with Maz & Wheelz – a video series of conversations about LED technology.

Episode 3 of “Hot Takes” with Maz & Wheelz! This episode with Exertis Almo’s Business Development Managers, Daniel Mazurkiewicz and Liz Wheeler, has a few ‘hot takes’ from guest Jonathan Brawn, Principal at Brawn Consulting, on the ease and convenience of the All-in-One LED solutions.

Watch to listen in on their conversation!

Did you find this video helpful? Connect with us and #TeamExertisAlmo over on LinkedIn.

Find more episodes on the Exertis Almo YouTube Channel.

Liz Wheeler

Liz Wheeler | DSCE

Business Development Manager

 

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung Pro (NE, SE, MW)

Dan Mazurkiewicz

Dan Mazurkiewicz | DSCE

Business Development Manager

 

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung Pro (SW, West, NW)

Episode 2, Hot Takes with Maz & Wheelz

This Video Series was recorded by Exertis Almo's Business Development Managers: 
Dan Mazurkiewicz, DSCE, and Liz Wheeler, DSCE.

Continuing “Hot Takes” with Maz & Wheelz – a video series of conversations about LED technology.

The 2nd episode with Exertis Almo’s Business Development Managers, Daniel Mazurkiewicz and Liz Wheeler, is all about total cost of ownership over time. Guest, Jonathan Brawn, Principal at Brawn Consulting, discusses considerations for choosing LED vs LCD vs Projection. What are the pros and cons you need to consider?

Watch to listen in on their conversation!

Did you find this video helpful? Connect with us and #TeamExertisAlmo over on LinkedIn.

Find more episodes on the Exertis Almo YouTube Channel.

Liz Wheeler

Liz Wheeler | DSCE

Business Development Manager

 

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung Pro (NE, SE, MW)

Dan Mazurkiewicz

Dan Mazurkiewicz | DSCE

Business Development Manager

 

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung Pro (SW, West, NW)

Episode 1, Hot Takes with Maz & Wheelz

This Video Series was recorded by Exertis Almo's Business Development Managers: 
Dan Mazurkiewicz, DSCE, and Liz Wheeler, DSCE.

Introducing “Hot Takes” with Maz & Wheelz – a video series of conversations about LED technology.

The 1st Hot Takes episode, with Exertis Almo’s Business Development Managers, Daniel Mazurkiewicz and Liz Wheeler, is all about emerging technology. In this conversation with guest Jonathan Brawn, Principal at Brawn Consulting, they chat about many topics of interest including Direct View LED and Digital Signage. 

Watch to listen in on their conversation!

Did you find this video helpful? Connect with us and #TeamExertisAlmo over on LinkedIn.

Find more episodes on the Exertis Almo YouTube Channel.

Liz Wheeler

Liz Wheeler | DSCE

Business Development Manager

 

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung Pro (NE, SE, MW)

Dan Mazurkiewicz

Dan Mazurkiewicz | DSCE

Business Development Manager

 

Supported Manufacturers: Samsung Pro (SW, West, NW)

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