LED Bible is the source for everything you need to know about LED displays. This month’s topic is pixel pitch. We’ll tell you what it is and how it works.

Pixel Pitch Definition

Pixel pitch refers to the vertical and horizontal distance between individual LED pixels on an LED media display, otherwise referred to as an LED video wall or LED screen. A common unit of measurement for pixel pitch is millimeters (mm).

The term is often used in the following context “The pixel pitch on this LED media display is 4mm.”

How Does Pixel Pitch Work?

One of the steps when purchasing an LED display is deciding which pixel pitch to use. When choosing a pixel pitch, it comes down to a balance between budget and necessity. The decision is generally supported by an experienced audio-visual integrator.

Pixel pitch is directly correlated with image clarity and the cost. As the pixel pitch goes from 4mm to 2mm the number of pixels on a single LED cabinet is 4 times larger. This means the image quality is 4 times higher resolution. It also means the price is 4 times higher. Therefore, the decision on pixel pitch needs to be strategic and take into account the average viewing distance for people looking at the display.

Video Explanation For How Pixel Pitch Works

The video below gives a complete visual representation to explain pixel pitch. This video was created by LIGHTVU to help make the concept of pixel pitch perfectly clear. This should be everything needed to understand pixel pitch. If you would like to read on, we continue the discussion below.

Choosing The Right Pixel Pitch

To find the right pixel pitch, project planners must first define the minimum viewing distance in feet or meters. This requires careful consideration and attention to the average distance people will be viewing the video wall or large format LED display from. Once the minimum viewing distance is determined, project planners can consult the following chart:

Optimal Viewing Distance	Appropriate Pixel Pitch
8ft | 2.5m	1mm
12ft | 3.75m	1.5mm
16ft | 5m	2mm
20ft | 6.25m	2.5mm
24ft | 7.5m	3mm
32ft | 10.0m	4mm
48ft | 15m	6mm
64ft | 20m	8mm
80ft | 25m	10mm
128ft | 40m	16mm

The chart above is to be used for recommendation purposes only. Reach out to a sales representative for all LED projects to ensure your creative vision is displayed on a pixel pitch that will be a perfect fit for your vision.

What If I Choose The Wrong Pixel Pitch?

If money is no barrier, go with the finest pixel pitch available as it’s the best display technology available today. You can’t go wrong by choosing too fine of a pixel pitch. Unfortunately this is not a luxury most people have. Budget is always a direct influence in any large format display or digital signage project. This is why choosing the right pixel pitch is so important.

Where LED displays go wrong is when budget conscious buyers opt for pixel pitches greater than what is recommended for respective minimum viewing distances. These LED displays turn out to be problematic because when the pixel pitch is too large content looks pixelated and low quality. This is the last thing wanted when purchasing LED displays.

Trust your audio-visual integrator when it comes to pixel pitch. Professional installers will know the minimum viewing distance to pixel pitch conversion. However, if they tell you any different than what the above chart outlines you should point your integrator to this article.

Word From The Wise On Cheap Fine Pixel Pitch

Truth of the matter is LED display technology is not cheap. With that said, when LED displays are used correctly it’s worth the investment. Some people will try to beat the system and find cheap fine pitch LED products overseas – all we have to say is good luck.

Let this be a piece of advice from an experienced team who has seen it all, taking the cheap do-it-yourself option when it comes to LED displays is a bad idea. You may get lucky and find a cheap LED display that lasts longer than a year. Soon enough, you’ll be stuck with a broken assembly of wasted aluminum and plastic with no support and no money back

Ask The Experts At LIGHTVU

If you’re unsure about the right pixel pitch to use for your LED project, CONTACT US now and we’ll point you in the right direction. Check back often for more helpful topics.

LED Bible is your best source for everything about LED displays.

What’s better, an LED screen or an LCD screen? What about OLED? Is that a kind of LED screen? And what’s this I hear about QLED? The whole thing starts to sound like alphabet soup, so if you’re scratching your head, you’re not alone. Fear not, as we’re going to try to make this simple. Enjoy this handy breakdown, represented in a few simple concepts, designed to illuminate you (pun intended).

An LED TV is an LCD TV.

What’s that now? Then why all the debate? First, let’s distinguish between backlighting and display. Generally speaking, these are the two elements that determine the quality of the picture. Liquid crystal display (LCD) refers to the technology that does or doesn’t allow light to shine through your screen. Electric currents pass through the liquid, and the crystals align themselves in such a manner as to either allow light to pass through, or block it from doing so. Think of the LCD screen as a series of tiny gatekeepers, each allowing light to pass or not to pass, thus creating the picture on the screen. LCD screens do not create light on their own. For this, they need backlighting.

Traditionally ‘LCD Screens’ were backlit by clunky, under-performing, environmentally-unfriendly cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). They lit everything evenly, and thus picture quality lacked contrast. Enter LED backlighting. The light-emitting diodes were superior to CCFLs, and thus began to replace them. Thus, we had LCD screens being backlit by LED lighting. This is what we often referred to as LED screens, and featured sharper contrast.

To recap, as this is important, this all led to a situation where LCD screens backlit by CCFL lighting were known as LCD TVs, whereas LCD screens being backlit by LED lighting were called LED TVs. If you get the picture, let’s move on (there I go again).

 

Edge Lit vs. Full Array Lighting

All LED backlighting is not created equally. There are actually various configurations, with the most important distinction being edge lit vs. full array. Edge lighting refers to situations where the backlighting is placed along the edge of the screen, either on the bottom/top or sides, or some combination thereof. Full array backlighting means that the lighting is distributed evenly behind the screen. This allows for local dimming, in which portions of the screen can be backlit to varying degrees, depending upon the picture at that moment.

 

 

Why is Local Dimming Beneficial?

Because LCD screens aren’t perfect, and therefore can’t completely stop light from getting through. By using less backlighting for portions of the screen that are black, we can create a greater contrast between light and dark. For this reason, full array lighting creates a superior picture, as compared to an edge lit screen. Edge lit screens, however, as you might have guessed, are thinner, more affordable and are superior to the old CCFL screens.

 

 

OLED And the Art of Lighting One’s Self

With OLED (organic light emitting diode) screens, we add another twist: each pixel actually lights itself. This technology allows for each pixel in the screen to be on or off, creating great contrast. Without the need for backlighting, OLED screens are also very thin. On the downside, the technology remains pricey, and the longevity of the screens have yet to be proven.

QLED: A quantum leap?

QLED stands for quantum-dot light emitting diode. Unlike OLED, QLED relies upon backlighting, but takes advantage of superior quantum dot colour filter LED lighting, allowing for much better brightness than OLED, at the expense of less contrast.
Have these distinctions all come into sharp focus? (Last time, I swear). At LIGHTVU we pride ourselves on our innovative and eye catching LED displays. Visit lightvu.com today and let us help you create a compelling display!