The outdoor LED sign has become and integrated part to many stores, banks, scoreboards, gas stations and hotel chain’s street facing signs, running specials and ads to attract the passing driver. The difference between many of the signs is a matter of cost and what the total use of the sign will be. There are many factors to take into consideration, from the number of signs needed to the size of the led display sign to compliment the sign. In any case, programmable led signs offer many benefits for its inclusion in a street facing sign, scoreboards or message board.
Monochrome:
Monochrome signs are some of the least expensive programmable LED signs available. These LED display signs show only a handful of colors and the messages are displayed by a series of bulbs lit, with some animation or scrolling to continue on to later portions of the message displayed. Compared to a panel sign, these are outdoor LED signs that can withstand plenty of weather situations with only occassional maintenance required to maintain the board in top working condition. These are also among the simpler of programmable LED signs out there, with the complexity of messages capable to be displayed limited to mainly text.
Industrial:
Industrial LED signs are capable of displaying information in different colors with more complexity than a simple monochrome sign. The main difference in these LED display signs compared to basic monochrome is the data being displayed is usually time sensitive, and not of great applicability to marketing or scoreboard integration. You find these usually in airports, train stations and possibly movie theaters. They may have limited use in stadiums or arenas to label sections and display information pertinent to the game.
Full Color:
These programmable LED signs are what we find the most of in sporting venues. These signs, are capable of handling all of the jobs requirements of a normal scoreboard as well as showing team information and introductions in pregame, instant replays and hightlights during the game as well as various advertisements and fan information. The benefit to some of these signs is the ability to show a better angle of play in the game for fans that may be stuck in the nosebleed section of a stadium and otherwise cannot enjoy the gameplay as well as their peers further down the stadium sections.
One outdoor LED sign that stands out is the Daktronics SSL Series for outdoor use. These boards are available in a variety of sizes and pixel spacing for differences in video replay quality as well as built of a rugged and lasting design. These are of the most complex design and greatest capabilities, but depending on the level of play, the Daktronics products perhaps aren’t applicable.
A more affordable programmable LED sign is like the Electro-Mech 3530 LED Football scoreboard. This board uses more of the traditional monochrome lighting for individual numbers and also provide supreme simplicity in design. These boards are much more applicable at the high school level where the importance of efficiency and reliability in a scoreboard are greater than the potential advertising potential.
When picking an LED display sign, budget and intended use are the greatest determining factors for what products may suit the situation best.