All FAQs

This refers to how the electrical circuit within the pixel is configured. In a standard (common anode) design, the positive pole of each RGB sub-pixel is shared, and power flows continuously through the circuit. In a common cathode design, the negative pole (the ground, or cathode) is shared instead, and current is only drawn as needed rather than being constantly present.

The practical effect is that common cathode designs generate significantly less heat — around 20% less power consumption in real-world use — because the current is only active when a pixel is being driven. Less heat means brighter sustained output at lower temperatures, a longer lifespan, and reduced running costs. Common cathode is now standard in Flip Chip COB products and is increasingly common in premium SMD designs.

Both are forms of Chip-on-Board (COB) packaging, where LED chips are bonded directly to the circuit board rather than being housed in individual lamp packages as with SMD. The difference lies in how the chip is physically oriented and connected.

In standard (face-up) COB, the LED chip sits upright on the substrate and its electrical connections are made using thin wire bonds — tiny gold wires that link the chip to the circuit. This is a well-established and cost-effective approach.

In Flip Chip COB, the LED chip is inverted so that its electrical contacts face directly downward onto the substrate, making contact via solder bumps rather than wire bonds. This eliminates the wire bonds entirely, which has several significant benefits: there are fewer potential failure points, heat is dissipated more efficiently (the thermal path from chip to substrate is shorter), power consumption is reduced by around 40 to 45% at equivalent brightness, and pixel pitches can be made finer — Flip Chip COB is the enabling technology for sub-1 mm pixel pitches and MicroLED displays. The trade-off is a higher manufacturing cost, though this gap is narrowing rapidly as production volumes increase.

Pixel pitch is the distance in millimetres between the centre of one pixel and the next. The smaller the pitch, the finer the resolution and the closer a viewer can comfortably stand. A useful rule of thumb is to divide the pixel pitch by 10 to find the minimum comfortable viewing distance in metres — so a 2.5 mm pitch screen works well from 2.5 m or more. For boardrooms and close-viewing applications, 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm is typical. For lobbies, event stages, and general signage, 2.5 mm to 4.0 mm is usually appropriate. For large outdoor displays viewed from distance, 4 mm to 10 mm is common and significantly more cost-effective.

GOB stands for Glue on Board. It is a surface protection process applied to SMD LED modules, in which a transparent epoxy resin is poured over the entire face of the module, filling the gaps between individual LED lamps and creating a smooth, sealed surface.

The result is a screen that is significantly more resistant to physical impact, moisture, dust, and UV exposure than a standard SMD panel. GOB is particularly valuable in environments where the screen may be touched or bumped — retail installations, immersive spaces, floor screens, and frequently handled rental equipment. The resin does not meaningfully affect brightness or colour. One consideration is that front-of-screen repairs become more complex, as the resin must be removed to access individual LEDs. For most permanent installations this is a worthwhile trade-off.

A video wall controller (also called an LED processor or receiving card system) is the device that sits between your video source and the LED screen. It takes an incoming video signal — from a computer, media player, camera feed, or broadcast source — and processes it for the LED wall. This means splitting the signal, mapping it to the physical layout of the cabinets, managing resolution scaling, and distributing the image data over CAT5e or CAT6 cables to each section of the screen.

Inside the wall, LED cabinets daisy-chain together. Depending on the pixel count of each cabinet, typically up to 20 cabinets can be fed from a single cable run. The controller handles the synchronisation of all of this, ensuring the image arrives at every cabinet consistently and without tearing or latency.

A soft module is a flexible LED module that can be shaped and bent before being fixed to a supporting structure. Rather than rigid aluminium cabinets, soft modules use a flexible PCB substrate and can be magnetically attached to curved, wavy, or circular support frames. This allows the creation of smoothly curved, cylindrical, or even fully circular displays without the visible seams or faceting that would result from joining rigid panels. Soft modules are ideal for architectural columns, curved reception desks, cylindrical feature displays, and any installation where a seamless organic shape is required.

A ghost frame is a feature used primarily in broadcast and autocue applications. It allows the screen to simultaneously display two different versions of an image — one visible to the human eye and one that is invisible to the naked eye but correctly exposed for a camera pointed at the screen.

A common use case is an autocue: the presenter sees the text overlay on the screen, but the camera sees the clean background image without it. Multiple ghost frames can be layered on a single screen. It is worth noting that the inclusion of ghost frames can introduce a perceptible flicker to the image as seen by the human eye, which may be acceptable in some broadcast contexts but should be considered carefully for live audience applications.

A controller card (or receiving card) is a circuit board that sits inside each LED cabinet and drives the LEDs within it. It receives the signal distributed from the main video wall controller and translates it into the precise drive signals needed to illuminate each individual LED at the right brightness and colour.

The controller card is an important specification decision, as it determines capabilities such as maximum refresh rate, greyscale depth, HDR support, and compatibility with different controller brands. Choosing the wrong card can limit what your screen is able to display, so this is something we specify carefully based on your intended use.

In a practical sense, yes — though not in the traditional sense of requiring the audience to wear glasses. While active glasses-based 3D is technically possible, it is rarely practical in a commercial setting.

What works very effectively is a technique sometimes called “naked eye 3D” or forced perspective 3D. Specialised content is produced that plays with depth, scale, and perspective to create a convincing illusion of objects emerging from or receding into the screen. This effect is especially compelling on screens installed on external building corners, where content can appear to wrap around the corner and seem to protrude into real space. When executed well, the results are striking and attract significant public attention.

Yes. LED wall controllers accept standard HDMI inputs, as well as DisplayPort, DVI, SDI, and in many cases 4K and 8K sources. The controller handles the conversion and scaling of the incoming signal to match the native resolution of your LED wall. We check source compatibility as part of the specification process and can advise on the right controller for your existing or planned AV setup.

dvLED screens can be as small as you need. The smallest standard cabinet is 337 mm x 337 mm, though it would be unusual to use a single cabinet in isolation. There is no upper limit on size — we regularly install screens 15 m to 20 m wide and 5 m tall, and much larger installations are entirely possible. Size is constrained only by the available space and structural capacity of the installation site.

Any shape you wish. We can arrange standard rectangular or square cabinets in virtually any layout — including irregular shapes, non-rectangular borders, deliberate gaps between cabinets, and split configurations across multiple surfaces. Beyond standard cabinets, our Shenzhen facility can manufacture fully custom curved and three-dimensional structures to your design. There are very few shapes that cannot be achieved.

This depends on the method chosen. Sea freight from our Shenzhen facility takes approximately 40 days and is suitable for planned installations where timing is flexible. Air freight takes around 7 to 8 days and is the right choice where speed matters. We will advise on the best option for your project timeline and budget.

For screens not held in stock, manufacture typically takes around 30 days from order confirmation. This applies to standard specifications. Fully bespoke structures, custom shapes, or specialist configurations may take longer; we will confirm the exact lead time at the specification stage.

Yes. Sports stadiums make excellent use of LED technology across a wide variety of applications: large format screens showing live action, oval or ribbon strips fitted to tiered seating fascias, pitch-side advertising boards, concourse signage, and scoreboard displays. LED performs exceptionally well in stadium environments due to its brightness, viewing angle, and resilience.

Yes. Screens can be curved both inwardly (concave) and outwardly (convex). All module types and pixel pitches can be curved to varying degrees, though some are better suited to tight curves than others. We will advise on the appropriate module type for your specific radius at the specification stage.

Yes. We can manufacture LED in any letter, logo, or custom shape, finished in any material you specify. These are popular for brand installations, retail, and experiential environments.

Yes. We can manufacture LED spheres of any size. These make a striking feature for events, retail environments, and architectural installations.

Yes, but this requires careful planning. Colour consistency between LED panels is dependent on manufacturing batch and calibration. SMD LEDs must come from the same production batch to ensure a uniform appearance — panels added later from a different batch can show visible colour or brightness differences, particularly at low brightness settings. COB panels must be factory calibrated as a set for the same reason. If you know you may wish to expand your screen in future, we will order and store additional matching panels at the time of the original installation to make this straightforward.

Yes. There is a wide range of exterior-grade LED available, rated to withstand rain, wind, dust, UV exposure, and temperature extremes. Outdoor panels carry an IP65 or higher ingress protection rating and are significantly brighter than indoor panels to remain readable in direct sunlight. Structural and wind loading calculations will be required for permanent external installations.

We cover the whole of the UK. Whether you are in central London, the Scottish Highlands, or anywhere in between, our team can survey, specify, supply, and install. Contact us to discuss your location and we will confirm availability and logistics.

All installations come with a 2-year warranty covering parts and labour. This can be extended to 5 years if purchased at the same time as the screen. We strongly recommend taking the extended warranty at point of order, as it cannot be added retrospectively.

We work with all major LED manufacturers and can source panels from across the industry to suit your budget and specification. We also operate our own production facilities in Shenzhen, China, which allows us to manufacture specialist and bespoke screens — including custom shapes, sizes, and structures — that are not available off the shelf. This gives our clients access to genuinely custom solutions without the typical lead times or costs associated with one-off commissions.

Subject to credit approval, our standard payment structure is 50% due on order, and 50% due on shipping. Installation time is charged separately after the job is complete. Splitting the investment across three stages makes it significantly easier to manage cashflow on what is often a substantial purchase.

Absolutely. We always consult fully before a screen is priced or ordered. This advice covers everything from pixel pitch selection and structural considerations through to content management and ongoing support. It is completely free of charge and there is no obligation to proceed.

Most quality LED video walls are rated for 100,000 hours at 50% brightness. In normal commercial use — say 12 to 16 hours per day — this equates to well over 10 years of operation. Outdoor installations in harsh climates may see shorter lifespans. As individual modules fail over time, they can be replaced, so the wall as a whole can remain in service well beyond the rated lifespan of any individual component.

LED walls are considerably more efficient than equivalent LCD or projection systems, but they do generate heat, particularly at high brightness settings. For enclosed indoor spaces, adequate ventilation or air conditioning should be planned for. We factor thermal load into our site surveys and will flag any ventilation requirements during the specification stage.

Yes, provided the ceiling structure is capable of supporting the weight. A structural engineer sign-off may be required depending on the load and the building type. Where an existing ceiling cannot support the screen directly, we can design and install a supporting structure — such as custom steelwork or box truss — to carry the weight and provide appropriate fixing points. Ceiling installations are one of our specialisms.

Yes. Many cabinet types are designed to allow rear-access servicing, which is essential when a screen is installed at height or in a location that cannot be safely accessed from the front. These cabinets have open backs, allowing individual modules to be unclipped and drawn backwards through the cabinet. A safety wire prevents the module from falling forwards, protecting anyone below. We specify rear-access cabinets as standard for any installation where front access is restricted.

Yes. LED walls can display live inputs from cameras, computers, broadcast systems, and streaming sources, either as the full screen content or alongside scheduled playlist content. This is particularly useful for reception areas, event venues, broadcast studios, and sporting venues.

Yes. LED video walls are modular by design and individual modules can be replaced without affecting the rest of the screen. We hold a matched set of spare modules for your specific installation — calibrated to the same batch as your screen — and replace like-for-like as needed. This is covered under the warranty for the first two years and can be extended to five.

Yes. LED walls are usually driven by a media player or content management system (CMS). Most systems allow you to upload new content, create playlists, schedule by time of day or day of week, and adjust brightness settings via a web interface or dedicated software application — all without needing physical access to the screen. We can advise on the most appropriate CMS for your needs and provide training at handover.