If you’ve been shopping around for an LED display, or utilized our LED Screen Builder, and felt like the cost is far higher than you may have expected, there are several reasons this could be.
First and foremost, LED displays, as you may know, are a leading technology in the 21st century and do require more of an upfront investment that pays off over time. However, if you don’t quite have the knowledge in how LED displays actually work, your reaction to the initial cost may be skewed.
As a result, we’d like to go over a few of the main factors that could be driving up the cost of your LED display, and ways to overcome that.
Pixel Pitch: The Lower, the More Costly
The first driving factor of pricing when it comes to an LED screen is pixel pitch. Pixel pitch, at it’s core, determines the resolution quality of your LED display. The lower the pixel pitch, the closer your LED diodes are, and therefore the quality of the image is far greater. On the contrary, the higher your pixel pitch is, the further apart your diodes are, which decreases the overall resolution.
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Now, depending on your application and actual viewing distance, your expectation of what pixel pitch you need may not be right.
Sure, everyone is aiming for the highest resolution possible — nobody wants an LED display of low quality. However, if your application is a scoreboard at a football field, the closest anybody would be viewing it is at least 50-100ft away, right? Therefore, you absolutely do not need a low pixel pitch at such a far viewing distance.
Why does this matter? Because the lower your pixel pitch, the higher the cost of your display. So choosing a LED panel with a sub 2mm pixel pitch for a large football scoreboard is absolutely overkill and unnecessary — your costs will be astronomically more than if you would choose a large pixel pitch that’s far more appropriate (and affordable).
Knowing your use and proper pixel pitch is absolutely key to obtaining the right quote for an LED display — wrongly assuming can skew those prices so far off of reality.
Size: Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Now the next and more obvious factor that could be dictating the cost of your screen is the overall size. Naturally, the larger the screen size you estimate, the more LED panels you’ll need, and therefore the greater the overall cost.
What many don’t understand is that LED displays make a really great impact and even a small scale. It’s very possible you could reduce the size of your LED screen by 25-30% and make the same impact as you would with the original dimensions you estimated.
You don’t always need to fill every inch of space possible, and as we mentioned, it’s only going to increase the overall costs. So reconsider your application and venue, think about your usage, and reconsider the overall size to see if you can’t scale it down and still achieve the same goals you were looking to reach.
Quality: You Get What You Pay For
Look, we’re big believers in you get what you pay for. But here at Firefly LED, we’re not only one of the most affordable LED providers in the US, but we’re also matching, or exceeding, the quality of the big names in the industry.
Therefore, when you receive a quote for an LED screen through our Screen Builder, keep in mind you are receiving an LED display that’s made up of the most quality, reliable parts and technology that will last you for years to come.
Flip-chip technology, gold-wire bonding, patented armor coating and hands-on support are just a few of the benefits you’ll reap with a provider like Firefly LED.
Getting the Best Value
In conclusion, depending on your expertise and knowledge about LED, the estimates you’re seeing may not be fully accurate. Ensure that you are not overestimating on overall screen size, and selecting a pixel pitch that’s true to your overall use and application for the most accurate quote.
Sometimes they say it’s best to leave it to the experts, and our team at Firefly LED are here to help guide you in the LED selection process to create an LED display that’s ideal for you in both quality and cost. Just get in touch with us to setup a call or even schedule a demo.
