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When is 4K right for your digital signage?

The 4K revolution is coming; how do you know if it's right for your application?

September 10, 2014 by Kelly Eisel — Copywriter, Industry Weapon

Since 4K is all the rage these days in digital signage industry circles, we here at Industry Weapon recently talked with Rich Ventura, the vice president of product marketing and solutions operations for NEC Display Solutions of America, about how the 4K revolution might not become mainstream in the next few years — but will eventually take place of the 1080p; even more so for particular industries.

"When [4K is] done well, and the content looks good, and the application is right—it looks amazing," he told us.

The move to 4K resolution is the next upgrade in screen display qualities. It has 8.29 million pixels compared to 1080p's 2.07 million. Higher resolutions mean that the image has more detail, so 4K displays are able to show deeper visuals than the attempts of the past. For the digital signage industry, touch interactivity will see a huge benefit from 4K because of its ability to attract and retain audience attention.

Another benefit is that 4K's resolution can fit more information on a much smaller palate. The visuals become drastically more detailed when the viewer is within 5 feet of an 80-inch 4K display. On a 4K screen displaying a picture of a New York City street, viewers are able to see incredible details, such as people watching TV in the windows of their apartment buildings. Paired with 4K's wider range of colors, it is a huge benefit for industries that require flawless visuals.

And 4K is a huge opportunity for large venues such as sporting arenas and casinos that call for bright colors and engaging visuals. It will amplify the viewing experience for retailers who want to make their product details pop. Health care, which relies on high-resolution medical imaging, will benefit from the product, as well as businesses with a heavy amount of data to display, such as call centers.

But at this point in time, 4K isn't being pushed very quickly into the digital signage industry, because applications haven't demanded it, and the amount of content creation required for the screens adds on an additional workload.

Taking 1080p content and streaming it in 4K will either result in graphics that are way too small, or stretched and distorted. Therefore the content created for previous displays will need to be modified. Since 4K technology is still new, there is a limited amount of content intended for play in that resolution.

For most, spending a hefty price on a 4K digital sign is unnecessary at this point in time, unless the purposes are heavily color- and visual-based. Before purchasing one, NEC suggests asking yourself if your application purposes adamantly require 4K resolution. If not, wait it out; 4K is expected to continue to grow, and panel sizes (and prices) will come down, in just a few years.

Cover image courtesy of Vic.

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