With the exponential growth of the direct view LED (DV-LED) market, the digital signage world continues to be transformed by more creative and dynamic solutions.

When looking for a DV-LED solution, you might come across different pixel pitch suggestions. Although it is commonly assumed that a finer pitch is better, different projects require different pitch density. Choosing the right pixel pitch for your project directly influences how your DV-LED display is going to be viewed and what type of content you can create, so it’s important to understand what factors to consider when selecting the correct pixel pitch for your project. Let’s take a look at how to make the right choice.

 

What is Pixel Pitch?

Pixel pitch is the distance from the centre of an LED pixel to the centre of the next pixel. It’s a measuring unit calculated in millimetres and it typically is represented with a “P”. So if you see a P6 DV-LED display that means it has a 6mm pixel pitch.

What to Consider When Choosing Pixel Pitch?

Viewing Distance

Viewing distance refers to how far you have to be from the screen in order to view a clear image.

Although there are multiple ways to calculate optimal viewing distance, the most common is to simply look at the number after the “P”. The pixel pitch in millimetres is the viewing distance in metres, so a P2 screen will have a 2mm pixel pitch and a 2 metre optimum viewing distance.

“Most viewers of DV-LED solutions would be hard pushed to know what resolution a screen is from 10 metres away. And would not be able to tell the difference between 2.0mm and 4.0mm on a quality screen from that sort of distance. The customer needs to be aware that there is a cost for each pixel. The mantra should be: what do you want to be seen and where do you want it seen from?” – David Jones, DV-LED solutions consultant at Allsee Technologies.

Application

To calculate what the viewing distance will be for your project, it’s vital to know where your DV-LED screen is going to be installed and what it will be used for. Typically, indoor DV-LED solutions have a finer pitch in comparison to outdoor solutions, since the viewing distance is shorter.

For example, if you want to place your screen on the side of a building and your goal is for passing cars to see your content, a fine pitch would not be necessary. The viewing distance of your display would be far enough to justify a bigger pixel pitch.

On the other hand, if you intend to use a screen for presentation, your project would require a finer pitch as the user will be in close proximity.

Here you can see how our Fine Pitch Presentation Video wall, Indoor and Outdoor DV-LED Solutions are being used in different spaces and how application can influence pixel pitch choice:

Resolution

A smaller pixel pitch means higher pixel density, which gives higher resolution. Likewise, a higher pixel pitch means lower pixel density and lower resolution.

Although in a typical scenario content would be created to match the resolution of the display, sometimes it’s the other way around. For example, if you want to display fine text or small details, then a higher pixel density may be needed.

Budget

Pixel pitch plays a big part in the price of a DV-LED display: the finer the pitch, the more pixels the screen has, and therefore the higher the cost. If the viewing distance of your project is going to be more than a couple of metres, you don’t need a high resolution. Therefore, a larger pixel pitch would be more budget-friendly while still delivering stunning results.

Let’s put it like this – if you have a P10 display and a P6 display, both with a size of one square meter, which one would need more pixels to fill out the space?

Since the distance between pixels is smaller on the P6 display, it would require more pixels. This means that the P6 display would be more expensive, but would also have a higher resolution. However, if the viewing distance was going to be more than six metres, this extra cost would offer no real benefit.

Running Costs

As well as the initial investment, you should also consider the day-to-day running costs of your DV-LED display. If your screen has a higher pixel pitch, it will have a higher power consumption and therefore greater running costs. However, if you’re only running your screen for a few hours per day, or if you’re planning on keeping the brightness low, it might not matter as much that your screen is consuming more power.

Another thing to consider is that if a screen has more pixels, the likelihood of pixel failure increases exponentially. This means regular maintenance and more expense to have them fixed.

Summary

There are multiple factors that influence the choice of pixel pitch and although there is a common misconception that a finer pitch is always better, that isn’t always the case.

Here’s an overview of what factors you should consider when choosing the best pixel pitch for your project:

• Viewing distance: The further the viewing distance, the larger the pixel pitch should be. A good rule of thumb is that the number after “P” indicates how far the optimal viewing distance is for that DV-LED display in metres. A P6 screen would have an optimal viewing distance of six metres.
• Application: Due to the optimal viewing distance, indoor displays require a finer pitch whereas outdoor displays can support a bigger pixel pitch.
• Resolution: Finer pixel pitch equals higher resolution so if your project requires a high resolution, a small pixel pitch would be advised.
• Budget: Small pixel pitch implies higher pixel density so the finer the pitch, the more expensive the display will be.
• Running costs: Similar to the budget, the power consumption costs will increase with the pixel density. Displays with finer pitch will have higher running costs, which are also influenced by the number of hours your display is on and the brightness level.

Choosing the right pixel pitch for your project is just one of the many factors that can make this a hard and stressful process, but our specialists at Allsee are always available to help you make the right choice. Give us a call today and let’s bring your project to life!