Picking up where we left in Part I …

BASIC VIDEO WALL

MONITOR WALL

The monitor wall is the simplest form of video wall as it is just a collection of individual monitors. Each piece of content is limited to a single screen and cannot be scaled across multiple screens. A monitor wall can be driven by dedicated sources, or it can be front-ended with a matrix switch (AV or KVM) to switch content on the screens. Alternatively, an IP-based matrix can provide significant scale for switching the number of potential inputs in a distributed manner while avoiding a centralized matrix chassis.

MULTI-VIEWER

A multi-view processor is a video processor that takes multiple video sources and outputs them to a single display. Options typically range from four to eight sources. Multiple layouts can be configured in order to display the sources in different arrangements on the screen. A multi-viewer can be used when the number of windows and scalability of a larger video wall processor is not required. A multi-viewer can be coupled with a projector or multi-window wall processor to increase the viewing size.

INTERMEDIATE VIDEO WALL

MULTI-WINDOW WALL

A multi-window video wall takes a single input per section and displays it across multiple screens. The wall can be 2×2 up to 8×8 and sometimes more. However, the content windows are limited to the screen sizes. For example, with a 4×4 wall, up to four 2×2 windows can be displayed, or a 3×3 window with seven additional single screen windows, or the entire 4×4 could be a single window. Or, there can be two 2×2 windows with eight additional single-screen windows. An IP-based matrix solution is a very easy and low cost way to implement this type of video wall.

ADVANCED VIDEO WALL

An advanced video wall is one that supports a large number of screens of different form factors (e.g. 2×2, 3×2, 6×3, etc.) and offers a canvas-type user and display interface on which numerous content windows can be dynamically moved or resized. Advanced video wall processors typically support dozens of screens and numerous types of video inputs. These type of video wall processors can also support native decoding of IP streams for displaying large numbers of streams from devices such as IP-based security cameras or other remote sources. Some are also capable of encoding of video sources for sharing to additional sites or users. Advanced wall processors can typically drive more than one video wall from the same system. Advanced video walls are found in mission-critical control rooms requiring 24/7 uptimes.

This is a summary of several features and capabilities of different types of video walls. With the range of capabilities for video walls, it may be difficult to distinguish which type is most appropriate for your needs. In addition, there may be some other components needed to create a complete solution.
Element ³ provides expert engineering support to design a solution that meets your technical and budgetary requirements. Contact our team for more information and customized system design.

Expert Advice

Choosing the right video wall gear can be a challenge. Before you make a decision, you may consult with us for free advice and application engineering. We’ll work with you to find and configure the right video wall solution for your specific application.