Have you ever used electronic billboards before? If you’ve seen those small electronic billboards in stores, showing their products in a slideshow then you’ve definitely seen one. These devices have become a constant sight in shops to educate customers and captivate them while inside the store. There are even electronic billboards on cars you will see driving around the city. 

Small or large, these electronic billboards can achieve the marketing goals you’ve planned to undertake. Whether you’re dealing with a product launch or a simple advertisement of products within the actual stores, these devices deliver the information and message you want to disseminate and at the same time add visual aesthetics to the store.

Different Elements Behind Electronic Billboards

What are electronic billboards called? They are also sometimes called electronic posters because the smaller ones come in portrait format and often look like posters. However, some come in massive sizes and are just known as OOH (out-of-home) advertisements and billboards. 

Now that we have labels straightened out, let’s discuss the four major elements that make electronic billboards work, including the LED technology, modules, display, and the controlling system.

LED Technologies

Some electronic billboards cost a fortune because of their advanced and complex LED technologies. However, if you’re interested in how these technologies help the device work, it is pretty simple. These devices use LEDs or light-emitting diodes to produce light and colors, which will then turn into images and text.  

Depending on the technology used in the device, it will have varying specifications from the resolutions, pixel pitch, brightness, and even color contrast. A good example of this is the difference in specifications between indoor and outdoor LED displays. Outdoor LED screens tend to be structured with higher levels of brightness to operate effectively even under intense sunlight, which is not expected or required for indoor LED screens. 

Video Screens and Modules

Massive electronic billboards are primarily composed of several video screens that are put together to form a big screen and showcase all sorts of marketing content. 

The video screens and modules are where LEDs are mounted and strategically arranged in order to produce the necessary colored lighting for more access to other colors. These thousands of LEDs all function together to produce crystal-clear images. 

More than just ensuring the content’s visibility on the display, they also help deliver richer and more vibrant images. 

Display Quality: Resolution and Pixel Pitch

Resolution and Pixel Pitch are specifications of electronic billboards that identify the quality of images they can deliver. Both refer to the number of LEDs used in the video module, which dictates so many features and specifications of the screen, especially the quality of display images. 

The resolution points to the specific numbers (dimensions) of LEDs used on the module in rows and columns. Meanwhile, the pixel pitch pertains to the space in between each LEDs, which influences the clarity of images and the vibrancy of colors used on the display. Smaller space in between each LED and more LEDs in a given area equates to vibrant and more realistic images. It also means high-quality images and videos shown on the electronic billboards. 

Controller and Display System

This element of electronic displays includes the hardware and software that make it possible for you to control and manage the content you want displayed on the screen. Some of the elements under this umbrella display control system include the following:

• Controllers – Responsible for the general control and management of the content and its connectivity to the player and display
• Power Supplies – Make sure that the screen and media player get the power they need to operate 
• Media Players – Responsible for playing the content and needs to be properly connected to the display

Processes in the Electronic Billboard Operation

How do electronic billboards work? One way to answer this question is to look into the different processes that make it possible for these display devices to function together. These processes push the different elements that make up the device to work together successfully and create the magic that makes these devices light up and operate. All these processes may involve the elements behind the electronic billboard ensemble, from the control system to the display screen. 

In a simple explanation, specific LEDs light up and produce colors to create the images of the content you want to show. The LEDs get the signal from the media player, where the content is contained. Meanwhile, the control system ensures that all elements are properly connected so that they can communicate the data well. To get all of these elements running, the power supply makes sure that there’s electricity running through the devices. 

Content Creation

Electronic billboards advertising requires more than just displaying an image on the screen. It is a more elaborate planning process, which needs a well-thought-out structure. The content creation is the primary step and you need to follow the creative process from scratch. You might need the help of the following professionals:

• Graphic designers
• Video editors
• Creative specialists
• Advertisers and marketing specialists

These people can help you plan and create effective content that will meet the goals you have set. The content needs to be eye-catching and appealing to your target market, which these experts know all about. They also know that your final content needs to have specific standards on the following:

• File type
• Image quality
• Aspect Ratio
• Resolution

All of these technical details may seem complicated but it’s simple enough if you learn all about electronic billboards. If you don’t have the time to do so, that’s the best time to look for professionals who can help you with them. However, if you want to have more hands-on participation in your content (not just in the technical sense), here are some of the advertising hacks you can consider:

• Use bright colors to captivate people’s attention
• Contrasted and easy-to-understand language can communicate your message more clearly
• Make use of engaging images, including suspicious and controversial pictures
• Add animations to your content
• Consider special effects to make your ad stand out

Consider all of these tips when you start creating your content for your electronic billboards Whether you’re working on a small poster for your store or a massive display across the skyline, these tips will work to your advantage.

Data Input and Processing

Data inputting pertains to the integration of data into the system, which is followed by data processing that guarantees that the content is properly communicated and translated. This process follows right after the content creation process Here are the simple steps under it:

1. Translating content into a readable digital format – Once you have the content, you need to process the data in a way that it can be run on the media player
2. Digital data conversion – This refers to the transformation of the content in a format compatible with the electronic billboards and media players
3. Setting the configurations – Set the parameters for your content and electronic billboard, including the brightness levels and color contrast
4. Data management – Scheduling and monitoring of content on the media player and ensuring the advertisements are shown at appropriate times (Includes editing and rescheduling of content when needed through tools, platforms, and software)

Data inputting and processing are both important in making sure that the content you’ve worked hard on can be displayed to its full potential. Both of these processes are used in the following content inputs:

• Digital data
• Live video streams
• Social media feeds

Image/Video Display

The final process involves the actual showcasing of the content on the electronic billboards. Technically, this is the step where all of the elements fully collaborate with each other, from the media player, where the content is stored, the control system, where you can manage the content, and the LED screens, where the content will be displayed.

This is an important process since it will be the culmination of all the work you did on your content and the technical machinations you dedicated to your data input and processing. It requires the management of the following:

• Pixel’s timing
• Color intensity
• Signal delivery

Conclusion

Electronic billboards have become ubiquitous in the world today, from storefronts to posters and outdoor advertisements along roads. They are now constant in society’s daily lives and it’s difficult to imagine the world free from these simple devices. From simple information dissemination to a large-scale advertising spectacular, electronic billboards are incredibly useful so using them means getting to know what happens behind the scenes (or screens!) too.