1.11.2017
The future of LED Signage in 2017 is nearly 4k bright and getting brighter.
There’s so much information out there about types of signage that it can be overwhelming. Here’s one of the questions we’ve been getting now that 4k is becoming more and more commonplace with their usage:
“What is the difference between LED outdoor signs and 4k signs?"
The answer? Nothing. Nothing at all. Let’s put it this way:
Picture outdoor LED signs as the painting and 4k technology as the paint.
It’s pretty, isn’t it? We think so.
4k is simply the resolution a digital screen can project.
In tech terms, 4k means your display can project a resolution that is 3,840 pixels horizontally by 2,160s vertically. It allows for richer, more uncompressed image that is more vibrant and closer to what the human eye naturally sees.
So, yeah, all these technological advancements and we still can’t see what the human eye can see. But, we’re getting better! And, quickly so.
In 2017, 4k outdoor signs are becoming more commonplace
Finding an outdoor sign using 4k resolution used to be like spotting a unicorn, but as the technology becomes perfected and more companies unlock the technology’s secrets, more and more displays are entering the marketplace.
Should we start thinking about 4k technology for our signage?
In January 2017, probably not. It’s still a fair bit expensive. Unless you have Series A money to spend or are in a market where such visual acuity is vital to the aesthetic, such as in a bleeding-edge digital company are visual arts field, you can probably hold off for now. But, in the same breath, it would be a good practice to start prepping your content for 4K resolutions. In most cases, your digital assets should always be saved with an uncompressed copy in one spot and a backup in another. Then, make a copy and start working on your digital marketing materials. Depending on what you’re working with, if you use those digital marketing assets (pics, videos…) in places other than your signage (YouTube would be a great example), then your assets can be displayed in 4K. And, for those who don’t, they won’t. But that’s okay, because if those places upgrade, then they will.
Several parts of the world have been a little quicker at adopting it, but investing before your business needs it would be more fad-chasing than customer-targeting.
It doesn’t hurt to think ahead. For example, in Japan, they’re already working with 8K technology.
The business world just doesn’t like to stop to sleep anymore. Technology only lets us take the occasional inemuri if you let yourself get too caught up with it. Like 4K. 4K will be the fad that grows and evolves, and when you’re ready to have this incredible technology be a part of your signage, we’ll be ready to bring it to life.
