By  Scott Brown

Placing displays outdoors is a completely different proposition from having them indoors where the conditions can be controlled. Outside, the weather conditions are not in your hands – wind, rain, sleet, snow, sunshine – the elements will do their thing. You need to prepare for this while ensuring that you stay within budget.
Here are considerations that must be taken into account when using digital displays outdoors.

 1.The visual quality of the display must be assessed for the spot where it will be placed. The display may work fine       within a controlled environment but outside, where it has to contend with weather and vandals, it may not look like   how it ideally should. The luminosity of the display must be ideal for the location, the hardware should not get  overheated and affect output, and the glass used must not reflect light. The display must perform on the first day and even after an year and half.

2.The displays must always be protected from rain and sun. The electronics inside must be properly sealed and shielded from water as well as water vapor. This is where design and engineering play an important role. Heat from the sun is absorbed by the LCD display leading to the crystal display liquid heating up. Black patches appear on the screen. This phenomenon is known as solar clearing. Heating of the LCD can be prevented or contained by protecting the display from sunlight or cooling the display so that heat absorbed is dissipated. With too much cooling, the power consumption may rise and with too little, the heat may damage the display.

3.In order to prevent the signages from malfunctioning, it is important that they be operated within the optimal temperature ranges specified. The challenge is to ensure safe operating temperature when the displays are outside, exposed to the elements.

4.To arrive at a budget for outdoor signage, a business must first analyze the value that it hopes to gain from this move and business needs that will get fulfilled by using digital signage outdoor. Are there new customers to be gained? Is this form of marketing cheaper than advertising online? Are there any other positives from advertising outdoor? You have the option of purchasing the Lowest Cost Technically Acceptable solution. It will save you costs but it won’t offer performance guarantees that accompany an enterprise solution.