Commercial Projectors for Digital Signage: A Buying Guide​ - ViewSonic Library (2024)

Choosing the best commercial projector for a digital signage solution can be challenging. The device must consistently deliver a clear, bright, and sizable image day and night. Additionally, it should endure dusty and crowded environments, offer adaptable installation options for diverse spaces, and seamlessly integrate with your AV system to enable remote operation.Fortunately, even though there’s no one-size-fits-all solution,focusing on a few key aspects can significantly streamline your search.

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about choosing a commercial projector for your digital signage needs. Or explore ViewSonic projectors.

In today’s business landscape, captivating visuals are the name of the game. Imagine museums transporting audiences with digital artistry or restaurants transforming dining into an interactive spectacle using projection mapping. These awe-inspiring experiences come to life through commercial projectors.

But to join this visual journey, mastering the essential features of business projectors is your gateway to choosing the perfect match.

5 Key Projector Features for Commercial Display

In a landscape filled with countless models and features, finding the best commercial projector for your needs can feel like a complex puzzle. Let’s unravel it by examining the five crucial factors you need to weigh.

1.Visual Performance 

When it comes to digital signage or commercial display, one of the most significant factors to pay attention to is the visual performance of the projector. As a business, you want to impress your clients and projectors can help you achieve that. Unlike other commercial displays that often have a limited size under 100″, a projector can project an ultra-large screen up to 300″, offering a lower cost-per-inch and delivering substantial visual impact. In larger venues such as auditoriums or exhibition spaces, a screen size of up to 300” offers fuller visual immersion. In commercial spaces like retail stores or restaurants, projectors capable of surpassing a 100″ screen size prove to be ideal, significantly attracting customers and enhancing the ambiance.

Other key factors to look at are brightness and resolution. Brightness directly influences visibility, especially in a well-lit environment like a bright indoor room. For small to medium spaces, such as restaurants and retail stores, opt for projectors with 3,000-4,999 ANSI Lumens. For larger spaces like exhibition halls or public areas with stronger ambient lighting, choose projectors with 5,000 ANSI Lumens or more.

In addition, resolution plays a crucial role in defining the clarity of your image details. WXGA is a commonly used resolution that provides clear visuals for signage and commercial use. If you plan to display content requiring greater detail and precision, such as video or animation, consider opting for a resolution of 1080p or higher.

2.Light Source

Commercial projectors with LED and laser-based light sources are an excellent choice for digital displays. Their lamp-free design eliminates the need for costly lamp replacements, ensuring a longer lifespan of up to 60,000 hours and minimal maintenance. Opting for lamp-free projectors also promotes sustainability, as they reduce unnecessary waste from lamp replacements, providing a more environmentally friendly alternative without the use of mercury lamps. Moreover, they offer the advantage of instant on/off functionality, significantly reducing waiting time during operation compared to traditional lamp projectors. This makes LED and laser projectors a wise investment for the long term, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership.

3.Installation Flexibility

Digital signage is a common sight in high-traffic locations such as shopping malls and exhibition halls, where space for projector installation is often limited. In such settings, choosing a projector with an ultra short or short throw ratio becomes crucial. These projectors excel at displaying large images even from close distances to the screen, providing immersive visuals without casting shadows or creating blinding lights. A 0.49 short throw ratio projector, for instance, can project a 100” screen from just 1.1m, while a 0.25 ultra short throw projector only requires 28cm to project the same screen size. Conversely, in more expansive environments, opting for a standard throw ratio is recommended, a projector with 1.3 throw ratio requires approximately 3.1 m to project a 100” screen.

What’s more, when seeking a commercial projector offering installation flexibility, features such as optical zoom allow you to select the most suitable setup location within a wider throw distance range while still achieving the desired image size. Furthermore, horizontal and vertical keystone correction feature, along with 4-corner adjustment, proves to be useful as they correct crooked or distorted images, ensuring a perfectly proportioned image from any projection angle. If you wish to conveniently adjust the location of the projected image horizontally or vertically without moving the projector, look for a projector with a lens shift feature. Additionally, it is also worth mentioning the benefits of opting for a compact and lightweight projector, as it can reduce transportation costs and simplify the installation process.

4.Versatile Application

Digital signage often requires creative projection techniques to effectively capture the attention of passersby. Lamp-free projectors offer limitless possibilities for creative applications, extending beyond walls to transform any space. Consider lamp-free projectors with 360-degree projection to captivate audiences from every angle, enabling creative displays not only on walls but also on ceilings and floors. In settings like exhibition halls showcasing portrait arts or shopping malls presenting fashion outfits, projectors equipped with portrait mode allow for effortless vertical projection. Additionally, implementing projection techniques such as edge-blending and projection mapping creates more impressive visual effects in various settings. Edge-blending can be achieved using multiple projectors to seamlessly merge multiple images into ultrawide immersive visuals. Meanwhile, the projection mapping technique impresses visitors with stunning visual effects by displaying images on objects or unique-shaped surfaces, projecting logos onto irregular shapes.

5.Operation Efficiency and Reliability

When it comes to digital displays, reliability and seamless operation are paramount. Some projectors come equipped with advanced cooling technology, ensuring they can run 24/7. This feature makes them the perfect choice for a range of applications that require continuous operation, whether in retail stores, shopping malls, museums, airports, or other public spaces. Furthermore, LAN connectivity allows seamless integration into corporate networks, facilitating centralized control and remote management. This is particularly beneficial for overseeing multiple projectors and enhancing operational efficiency. Moreover, it’s worth checking for projectors with enhanced dust resistance, as they are often installed in public spaces. A simple way to identify this is by looking for a projector with IP5X or IP6X certification – tested to prevent dust from entering and affecting internal components, thus maintaining crystal-clear image quality and ensuring product longevity.

Real-Use Scenarios of Commercial Projectors

Now that we understand what to look for in commercial projectors, let’s explore some real-life scenarios where projector excels in digital signage:

Art Exhibition and Museum

A commercial projector can add a touch of magic to an art exhibition or a museum with its dynamic and versatile presentations. For instance, it can display a digital painting on the ceiling or utilize edge-blending for visual immersion, creatively showcasing art pieces. The utilization of technology provides artists with greater flexibility and imagination to showcase a diverse array of artworks, ranging from static images to multimedia installations, which enhances the overall visual experience for attendees.

Restaurant

Projectors are commonly used in restaurants to display sports games or music videos. Their large screens enable an engaging viewing experience, fostering a great atmosphere for get-together. Moreover, projectors can create an immersive dining experience. For instance, they can project a mesmerizing underwater scene onto the dining table with projection mapping, providing guests with the sensation of being submerged in an ocean paradise. This elevates the overall dining experience, transcending beyond the taste of the food, crafting a memorable, one-of-a-kind immersive journey for guests.

Shopping Mall

Projectors offer expansive, dynamic, and attention-grabbing displays that elevate brand promotion, surpassing the impact of traditional sales materials and other commercial displays. Beyond showcasing events or special shopping promotions, projectors excel in creating diverse atmospheres. For instance, projecting vibrant Christmas decorations onto storefront windows to promote winter-special products can effectively captivate passersby, leaving a lasting impression.

Trade Show

Stand out from the competition at trade shows by utilizing projectors to attract attention and convey your brand message effectively. Imagine walking through a crowded trade show and suddenly being captivated by a visually stunning display projected onto the floor. The projector can showcase dynamic visuals, such as 3D animations or captivating videos, that effectively communicate your brand’s message and values.

Wellness Center

A commercial projector can enhance your workout experience, providing clients with engaging activities. Enjoy a virtual golf experience on the projector’s large screen, feeling as if you were outdoors, immersing yourself in an intriguing experience. Moreover, using the edge-blending projection technique, project seamless images of serene natural landscapes during yoga and meditation sessions. This effectively transports participants to a realm of immersion and relaxation.

Final Thoughts

Projectors offer a dynamic and eye-catching way to display various contents. When it comes to large displays, projectors have emerged as the go-to choice for many reasons, such as lower cost-per-inch, installation flexibility, and versatile applications.Choosing a projector for commercial use is a long-term decision that you’ll rely on for several years or more. So, it’s crucial to choose one that suits your needs and avoids potential issues in the future. Prioritize factors that affect visual performance such as screen size, brightness, and resolution to captivate your audience with clear and engaging visuals. Choose a durable LED or laser light source for long-term investment. Emphasize installation flexibility and explore projectors with versatile applications for creative displays. Lastly, also look for a commercial projector with efficient operation and easy maintenance.

Looking for a durable and reliable commercial projector for digital signage? Explore ViewSonic Commercial Projectors.