LED Screens vs Projectors
With the rise of LED technology over the last 20 years there has been a dramatic shift in the amount of people utilising led screen technology over using the traditional projectors. In particular, in the last 10 years there has been a dramatic rise in high definition HD and 4K led screens which allow for dynamic and creative LED screen designs which paves the way for more engaging content and stage design.
However, LED screen technology is still vastly more expensive than projectors . In this article we will dive into the pros and cons LED screens versus Projectors and, whether they are relevant to your event.
LED screens in the past 20 years have skyrocketed in their potential. LED screens now are able to produce HD images and the pixel width, which is, the space between each pixel on the LED screen has become smaller and smaller. The pro’s of an led screen are as follows:
Pros of an LED screen
- It allows you to display HD content
- You are able to have more creative stage design allowing for different resolutions and size screens
- It does not require rigging and can be rigged on stage without the need for additional rigging
- No dimming lamps or lamp life
- It is brighter
- It is much more effective in bright outdoor conditions
- Self contained to one location
Cons of an LED screen
- It is vastly more expensive to run
- It is more complicated to set up as it usually requires media servers and processing units
- It requires specialised technicians to set up and operate .
- Depending on the size of the LED screen it is sometimes more draining on power
- You can get dead individual pixels which in some cases requires the whole panel to be replaced
- Images are mostly flat or are slightly curved
As for a projector projector technology, it has been around for over 100 years with the first projector being a reel projector which was used in movie cinemas where a light would hit a film frame with the film frame spinning on a wheel to create a movie image. We are now in an era of digital projectors which have the capacity to project onto buildings structures and of course, flat surfaces. The pro’s of a projector are as follows:
Pros of an Projector
- They are relatively easy to set up and oftenly for small rooms and breakout sessions
- They only require a direct connection from a laptop or a computer
- They are simple to use and simple to operate.
- In order to get a professional image where all four corners meet the screen surface corners it requires a technician called a projectionist however most video operators and professional AV technicians will know how to do this as well
- What projectors allow us to do, is it allow us to project onto surfaces where LED screens cannot
- They are more cost effective than led screens
- they are able to project onto any surface
- they able to project images where led screens cannot be built
What has become increasingly popular over the last 10 years in creating visual effects on buildings, trees and other man made structures.
Cons of an Projector
- The majority of projectors have a lamp which dim’s and fades over time which can result in different colour temperatures between projectors.
- Projectors need to be hung in line with the surface in which they are projecting onto which can be tricky sometimes if there is nowhere to hang that projector from.
- In a conference setting it requires two parts the projector and the projector surface to be hung or built in the room.
Projectors are still expensive as you need to buy the projector and the lens to go with it, plus replacement bulbs. There needs to be no obstructions between the projector and the screen you are projecting onto otherwise you get shadows. you need to run cables from the projector back to the operators desk which is sometimes more difficult than running tables from a stage which an led screen is usually prepositioned.
Depending on the needs of your event and the budget of your event you will need to make the decision of whether you prefer to use an LED screen or projector.
At Arcadia Agency we do not have a preference between the two as both have their specific uses. If this has proven too complicated or you don’t wish to deal with these technicial decisions, why not give Arcadia Agency a call or email to discuss your event needs.