These are the words that decide the spec. No jargon for its own sake, just what each term means and why it matters when you plan a screen.
Pixel pitch
The distance in millimetres between the centres of two neighbouring LEDs. A smaller pitch, around 1.5mm, packs in more pixels and resolves fine detail up close. A larger pitch, around 6mm, suits screens viewed from further back and costs less per square metre.
Viewing distance
How far the typical viewer stands from the screen. It drives the pitch you need. As a rough rule, the closest comfortable viewing distance in metres is close to the pixel pitch in millimetres, so a 2mm screen reads cleanly from about 2 metres back.
Resolution
The total number of pixels across the screen, width by height. More pixels means more detail, but it only counts if the viewer is close enough to resolve it.
Nits (brightness)
A measure of how much light the screen puts out. Indoor screens often sit around 600 to 1,000 nits. Outdoor screens run 5,000 nits or higher to stay readable in direct sun.
Refresh rate
How many times per second the image redraws, measured in hertz. A high refresh rate, 3,840Hz and above, matters most on camera, where a low rate shows up as flicker or scan lines in the footage.
Scan rate
How the driver lights the LEDs in groups. It affects refresh, brightness and image stability, which is why screens for broadcast and virtual production are specified with care.
Cabinet
The modular panel an LED wall is built from. Screens are made by tiling cabinets together, so the wall size is a multiple of the cabinet dimensions.
Module
The smaller LED board inside a cabinet. Several modules make up one cabinet.
COB (chip on board)
An LED packaging method where the chips sit directly on the board under a protective layer. It is tougher and better suited to fine pitches than traditional SMD, so it works well for high-traffic and close-viewed screens.
SMD (surface-mounted device)
The common method where each red, green and blue diode is mounted on the surface of the board. Reliable and cost-effective across most indoor and outdoor screens.
IP rating
A two-digit code for how well a screen resists dust and water. IP65, common outdoors, means dust-tight and protected against water jets. Indoor screens carry lower ratings.
Calibration
Tuning every cabinet so colour and brightness are even across the whole wall, with no visible patchwork. It is set at the factory and can be refreshed on site.
Processor (controller)
The hardware that takes your source signal and maps it across the LED wall. The right one depends on the wall's total resolution, the number of inputs, and how much redundancy you need.
Front and rear service
Whether cabinets are maintained from the front of the wall or from behind. Front service suits walls mounted tight against a structure with no rear access.