Indoor and outdoor screens can look similar on a spec sheet, but they are built for different jobs. Here is what changes, and why it matters for Australian conditions.
An indoor screen and an outdoor screen can carry the same pitch and resolution and still be completely different products. The difference is in how hard they are built to work, and where.
Indoor screens usually run around 600 to 1,500 nits, which is plenty for a lit room. Outdoor screens need 5,000 nits or more to stay readable against direct sun. Good outdoor screens also dim automatically with the ambient light, so they are not blinding at night or washed out at midday.
Outdoor cabinets are sealed against dust and water, typically to IP65, front and rear. That matters in Australian conditions, where a screen has to shrug off sun, heat, dust and, near the coast, salt air. Indoor screens carry lower ratings because they do not face the weather, which keeps them lighter and slimmer.
An outdoor screen in an Australian summer manages real heat, from the sun and from itself. Outdoor designs build in that headroom. Push an indoor screen into a hot, exposed spot and you shorten its life, which is why the indoor or outdoor call is made early.
How you reach the screen to maintain it depends on the mount. Front service suits a screen sitting tight against a wall or structure. Rear service suits a freestanding screen with room behind. Both are available indoor and outdoor, but it is worth deciding before the structure is built, not after.
Outdoor screens are usually viewed from further away, so they can run a larger pitch and still look sharp. The same rule holds either way: match the pitch to the closest viewer. For the detail, see our guide on pixel pitch and viewing distance.
An outdoor screen is built tougher, so it costs more up front, and it earns that back by surviving a job an indoor screen would not. Whichever you choose, it should be backed locally, with Australian sales, technical and service support behind it.
Not sure which way to go? Talk to us, browse the product range, or check the LED glossary.
Tell us where it is going and how it will be used, and we will recommend the right Dicolor screen.
LED screen display technology for the Australian market. Australian-based sales, technical and service support.