LED walls have replaced projection at most professional events, and for good reason: they're brighter, sharper and work in daylight. But "an LED wall" covers a huge range of products. Here's what to think about before you book one.

1. Pixel pitch and viewing distance

Pixel pitch is the distance between the centres of two pixels, measured in millimetres. The smaller the number, the sharper the image up close. A useful rule of thumb: the minimum comfortable viewing distance in metres is roughly the pixel pitch in millimetres. A 3.9mm screen looks good from around 4 metres back. A conference with a front row 3 metres from the stage suits a finer pitch than an outdoor festival screen seen from 20 metres.

2. Brightness

Brightness is measured in nits. Indoor events usually need far less than the panel's maximum, because too bright is uncomfortable for audiences and cameras. Our Fabulux 3.9mm panels reach 3,500 nits, which is enough for outdoor stages in daylight. Indoors we run them well below maximum, which still leaves plenty of headroom for bright rooms and keeps content vivid under stage lighting.

3. Size and shape

Size the screen to the room and the content. As a starting point, the screen should be readable from the back row, and the bottom edge should clear the heads of the audience. LED is modular, so walls can be wide, tall, curved or split into several screens around a stage.

4. Content

LED walls are rarely a standard 16:9 shape, so content needs designing for the screen's actual resolution. Ask your supplier for the exact pixel dimensions early. Our creative team can adapt PowerPoint slides and video, or build layered backgrounds so presentations fill the whole wall.

5. Rigging and power

Screens can be ground-stacked on a support frame or flown from rigging points. Flying needs the venue's approval and suitable points. Check with your venue early, and make sure your supplier is planning power and data with redundancy.

6. Crew and processing

The processor and the technician matter as much as the panels. A good LED technician will calibrate the wall, manage scaling and switching, and solve problems quickly if a panel fails mid-show.

Need a hand?

Tell us about your venue, audience size and content and we'll recommend the right screen. See our LED wall hire page or get in touch for a quote.