Image via Panasonic.
In-stadium video boards are transforming the way fans enjoy the game. As technology advances and teams place more emphasis on the fan experience, these video boards are becoming more and more spectacular with the idea of bringing fans closer to the field. Displays like those at the Texas Motor Speedway, Los Angeles Football Club and Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium are examples of the increasing emphasis being placed on video boards that are a spectacle to behold.
With this ever-increasing importance for venues to have eye-catching video board displays, Panasonic wants to help.
When it comes time to replace your living room TV, you’ll do your homework as a savvy consumer: you’ll learn about specs, read reviews, and trek out to your local electronics emporium for a side-by-side comparison. Well, sports venues go through the same procedure, just on a much larger scale, when selecting their video boards.
And yet, many sports and entertainment venues, complexes, and theme parks end up choosing a vendor without digging in and doing their due diligence. While consultants can help, there simply aren’t many resources out there to help video board buyers make an informed decision.
This handy guide from Panasonic is here to change that—empowering you to comparison-shop video board solutions with a little more insight.
What questions should you be asking? Which little-known specs have an outsized impact on price and performance? How can you future-proof your fan experience? Read on for the answers to these questions and more, as we run down the top three tech criteria to consider before you buy.
By downloading their guide that outlines the ten most important elements when making a video board decision, Panasonic wants to help stadium and venue managers with the video board shopping process by emphasizing key features and questions to ask before making this major purchasing decision.
Below is a sneak peak at the three most critical technological criteria out of those ten necessities.
1. Custom Engineering & Size – Many options are available to fit your needs. Make sure your manufacturer can customize your screen to meet yours.
Once upon a time, venues could only choose from flat, square video boards in a few sizes. These days, you can rely on a wide variety of shapes and dimensions to create an engaging experience that makes a splash. Your video board vendor should have the engineering know-how to develop custom boards—from curved screens to ribbons to record-breaking goliaths—to meet the needs of your specific venue.
2. Proprietary Control System – Displays that use their own proprietary control system allow for greater control and flexibility.
Simply put, the control system is the brains of your video board solution. It drives every aspect of the video your visitors see, from complex graphics, to light sensors, to the lighting of every individual pixel. Look for a vendor who manufactures their own proprietary control systems, as this will provide you with significantly greater flexibility to build custom pieces and break the mold.
3. LED Lamps – LED lamps are the most critical part of the display. Cheaper lamps are available, but can adversely affect image quality.
Many buyers don’t realize that the tiny LED lamps—perhaps the most critical part of the video display—are almost always manufactured by a different brand than the board itself. Not all lamps and SMDs are equal. The most well known are made by a few reputable brands—including Cree, Nichia, and Multi-Color.
Cheaper alternatives are available, which can significantly reduce the video board’s total cost. They aren’t always a good investment, however. A lower-cost, lower-quality LED may be less efficient and will likely degrade faster—resulting in a splotchy image—before potentially failing altogether.
Feeling like you need more information to make an informed decision? Learn more about the audio and video solutions available for your venue through the Panasonic Buyer’s Guide for Live Events Venues.
