Protective LCD enclosures for digital signage security.

Digital signage hardware can be a costly exercise, yet if the hardware is not protected using a protective LCD enclosure, the Return On Investment could be wasted, let us look at the digital signage applications and protection needed, reported LCD Enclosure Solutions Inc.

Indoor signage and protection.

Indoor electronic signage hardware includes many kinds of high end screens that can cost anywhere from $1500 to $7000 depending on the size chosen, then a media player is attached that can be either a networked solution or a non-networked solution. The advance of this type of electronic signage is that is can almost immediately yield a return on investment for the advertiser. The unique ways the displays can be mounted add to the interest. The commercial displays can be mounted either horizontal, or portrait or even at a set angle. As you can understand investing in this hardware can be a major part of the marketing department’s budget for a year, so the solution has to work. But think what would happen if the hardware was damaged, how would this impact on the company’s advertising campaign?

Protecting indoor digital signage is essential to maintain a return on investment, with the protection in place allows companies and advertising agencies to put electronic signage in locations and sites otherwise thought impossible. With this in mind, it then opens up the world to digital signage. You may have a location that has a high foot fall, that is open even after the offices or store are closed – such as a covered walk way or open foyer, normally you would not consider putting dynamic advertising here as it would be damaged or stolen, yet if you could somehow protect the advertising hardware, this would make an ideal location and this is when a secure digital signage housing is ideal.

Outdoor digital advertising hardware can be expensive if dedicated hardware is being used, but an affordable solution is to use commercial grade screens that are used for indoor advertising and put them into a protective housing. Dedicated hardware are used that provide weatherproof protection, so the screen and media player does is not effected with snow, rain, dust or direct sunlight. Direct sunlight causes what is called isotropic failure, this actually makes the screen blacken and is irreversible when the display is in direct sunlight. The best option is to put the screen in a location that is not in direct sunlight at any time of the day.

Secure LCD enclosures for outdoor sign protection.

Now with using commercial displays, businesses are deploying outdoor advertising using a range of secure LCD enclosures. There are many producers of these outdoor display housings, however when the displays are to be let outdoors or in public access areas unmanned they certainly need protecting. When selecting protective LCD enclosures you have to look at the locking system, as this is going to be 1 of the main issues in outdoor signage protection, if the locks are accessed by unauthorized people they can seriously damage the advertising solution. The easiest locks to open with very basic items we all have on our person are: compression locks, cam locks and barrel locks, the reason is they all reply on a barrel turning and moving a lever that is behind the door that secures on to the body of the housing. The most secure solution are outdoor LCD enclosures that is locked with high security locks, similar to safe locks that are virtually pick proof!

The second most import security feature is the viewing window, if this becomes damaged the display will be hard to see, so let us look at what is on offer. Most manufacturers of LCD enclosures offer a Lexan window around 1/16” thick, some offer 1/8” thick, yet the problem is Lexan can be damaged real easy, by running a key across the window, this will gouge out channels in the window and will certainly have to be replaced. The next solution is acrylic, similar to Lexan but less secure as this shatters when hit, so if anyone offers this, move on! The last solution that is provided by the best manufacturers of LCD enclosures is toughened glass and this is the best solution on the market, especially when it is offered with an AR coating, (AR stands for Anti Reflective). But not even anti reflective coatings can not reduce reflections 100%, so there will always be a small degree of reflections with outdoor signage. So you now know what to look for when picking outdoor, secure LCD enclosures.