Both of these solutions are widely used in various fields: assembly and conference halls, digital advertising, museums, mobile installations, control rooms. Only by considering the specifics of your project, the size of the room, lighting conditions, budget, and purpose of use can you choose the most suitable option.

In this article, we will discuss the key features, compare the advantages and disadvantages, and offer recommendations for choosing between a video wall and a projector.

How to choose the right projector

If your task is to get a large image, the simplest solution would be to use projection equipment that can work in tandem with software for digital screens.

If the use of a projector with 4K support is necessary, the brightness of such devices can vary from 5 to 10,000 lumens. At the same time, depending on the operating conditions and lighting, you can get an image from 2 to 8 meters. There are models with both laser light sources and mercury lamps. To control the projector and play content, you can use a digital screen player.

The audience in schools and other educational institutions is usually larger than in offices, which requires a larger screen size for comfortable viewing. In an educational context, projectors have an advantage due to their cost, the ability to easily move mobile solutions from classroom to classroom, and the fact that brightness, saturation, and image detail are not critically important.

At the same time, projection equipment “out of the box” offers a range of powerful capabilities: 4K and HD resolution are already available in projection equipment.

4K resolution exceeds Full HD by four times in terms of pixels per inch. However, it is important to remember that the content we broadcast must also be in 4K. For this, reliable management for Digital Signage is required.

Which screen to choose for the projector

Projectors allow you to get an image of any size and format, including 3D, on any surface, whether it is a wall or ceiling. Depending on your requirements, you can use digital screen software to adapt content to different formats and screen sizes.

Modern projection equipment allows you to get a large-sized image at minimal cost per square meter.

Regarding placement, the projector certainly needs to be installed at a certain distance from the screen, which may not always be convenient. There may be no ceiling or it may be too high. In such a case, it’s worth considering the specific situation. In some cases, the optimal solution may be to create a screen using projection paint.

The Digital Signage is a system for digital signage used for broadcasting advertising content on screens for advertising. Digital Signage software provides the ability to integrate various types of projector screens, which can be classified by type of construction into stationary and mobile, including:

– Stationary frame screen.

– Roll-up screen.

– Mobile roll-up screen.

– Screen on a collapsible frame.

– Inflatable screen.

It is also worth considering the following possibilities:

1. To play video in 4K resolution, you should choose special screens with a perfectly smooth surface. Usually, such screens used in Digital Signage systems are marked accordingly by the manufacturer.

2. A painted wall can serve as a projector screen, but it must be carefully prepared in advance. This is suitable for use in Digital Signage solutions, although there are many nuances: from perfectly leveling the walls to choosing the paint and finishing with a special black frame to increase contrast.

3. A rear projection screen is suitable for use in Digital Signage systems. Such screens can project the light flow from both the front and rear sides, which is especially useful for advertising screens when it is necessary to avoid obstructing the light flow from the projector.

When choosing a screen for a projector used in Digital Signage systems, the following parameters should be considered:

– Aspect ratio;

– Gain factor;

– Viewing angle;

– Screen aspect ratio and size.

Gain factor

This characteristic in Digital Signage systems indicates how much more or less light will be reflected from the screen compared to a reference white matte surface (Lambertian surface). For example, a gain factor of 1:4 means that the screen reflects 40% more light toward the viewers, which is important for high-quality advertising playback.

Screens with a gain factor of less than 1:0 provide higher contrast, which is important for use in Digital Signage, but they require projectors with a more powerful light output.

Viewing angle

For screens used in Digital Signage systems, it is important to consider the viewing angle to ensure maximum visibility of the advertising content. For example, screens with high gain can create glare — overly bright spots that affect the quality of the advertising image.

What is a video wall for

A video wall is a system consisting of several monitors or panels combined into one large screen. Video walls can vary in type depending on the panel production technology used: LCD, LED screens, OLED, plasma, etc. Indoor LED screens are typically used for advertising and informational purposes indoors.

If the goal is to place advertising on the wall of a shopping mall, video walls are often chosen because they look aesthetic and do not require the installation of special equipment in front of them. The use of Digital Signage software allows flexible control of content on such video walls.

When the goal of designing a system on-site is to achieve a bright image under any conditions, preference is given to LCD video walls, as projection equipment cannot provide a bright, high-contrast image in bright lighting conditions. In direct sunlight hitting the screen, part of the room where the screen is located would need to be dimmed.

There are rooms with very bright lighting where clients demand that, regardless of the conditions—day or night, open or closed windows—the image should always be bright and vivid. In such cases, LCD technology is undoubtedly the leader.

Video walls, including LED screens, have high brightness, contrast, clarity, and color reproduction, as well as durability and reliability. They are suitable for use in any lighting conditions, including outdoor, and can operate 24/7 without overheating or loss of quality. Indoor LED screens provide high image quality indoors, and screen software allows for the display of various information on different segments of the screen, enhancing their functionality and interactivity.

Video walls are ideal for commercial purposes such as advertising, presentations, exhibitions, conferences, concerts, etc. The use of LCD video walls in such conditions is more appropriate than other options.

Projection equipment allows for large images at a lower cost, but achieving 8K quality with a projection system can be challenging.

However, it is worth considering that the installation and placement of a video wall are often complicated by the requirements for the supporting structure, which must reliably withstand the weight of the video wall.

How to create a video wall from multiple monitors

Video walls can be created using displays in various configurations, such as 2×2 or 3×3. This is possible thanks to digital signage software that controls the content on each display.

Video walls are a complex of displays, and in the event that one of them fails, the controller can redirect the image to another display, maintaining the ability to view the content. When replacing a broken display with a new one, it is necessary to recalibrate the colors, as the overall color scheme of the video wall will change, and the new display will show the image brighter, with more contrast, and more saturation.

Overall, it is a practical solution when one extra panel is provided as a spare for the video wall. If the display is from the same series, replacing it will be much easier.

Projector or video wall: A comparison

So, what to choose: a video wall or a projector? Your choice will depend on your goals, budget, and operating conditions. If you need to create a bright, clear, and saturated large-format image for commercial or public events, then a video wall will be the optimal solution, especially if appropriate software for the screens is available.

However, if you want to create a cinematic effect in a home setting, then a projector will be a better choice.


Advision — Content Management System for remote management and media planning of broadcast video and audio content. We help offline businesses and advertising companies automate workflows and implement a robust Digital Signage infrastructure using our proprietary software and hardware solutions.

Contact us, and we will help you implement the most modern technologies to solve your problems!