How to choose between industrial LCD monitors and consumer monitors?
Jun 28, 2024
Nowadays, TFT-LCD liquid crystal displays or LCD monitors have become a popular choice for a variety of applications. However, LCD monitors can be divided into two categories: industrial and consumer. While both types of monitors offer excellent display quality, their designs differ. Industrial LCD monitors are often deployed in places such as factories, outdoor kiosks, digital signage, military and naval applications, food processing, and hospitals. On the other hand, consumer monitors are usually used in office and home environments. Here are some comparisons between these two types of LCD monitors:
Durability
Since industrial LCD monitors are designed for harsh and rugged application environments, you can expect these monitors to have better durability than consumer-grade monitors. This is one of the first factors that differentiate industrial and consumer LCD monitors. This includes resistance to shock, vibration, and temperature changes. Some embedded displays also meet various standards such as NEMA and IP ratings for protection against water and dust. So, even if you immerse them in water, industrial LCD monitors have specific protection measures.
Readability Issues
While commercial monitors remain legible in normal lighting environments, this is not the case if you place them outdoors in direct sunlight. You will find that the screen is black or looks dull when used outdoors. Industrial monitors have some ways to address this issue. If you want to ensure the visibility of the screen, especially in outdoor applications, then the sunlight readability feature is one of the options for industrial monitors. These high brightness display have high brightness and high contrast for better readability.
Custom Designs
With consumer , you get standard configurations offered by a specific brand and product model. However, when you use rugged monitors, you can customize them to your specifications. This ensures that the device meets the requirements of any application. This includes size as well as the various features you want to integrate, such as touchscreen functionality, display quality, screen resolution, wide viewing angles, and wide operating temperatures.
High-grade components
Another advantage of industrial monitors is the use of industrial-grade components. Such products are more rugged and can withstand challenging conditions such as extreme temperatures, shocks, and vibrations. Better components also improve image quality and the overall performance of the device. Meanwhile, consumer LCDs use mediocre components, especially mid-range components, as they are often deployed in office and home environments.
Mounting options
While consumer monitors are often placed on a computer desk, industrial-grade monitors offer a variety of mounting options depending on the application requirements. These include standard mount, rack mount, panel mount, flush mount, and wall mount options. In addition, industrial monitors often have VESA-compliant mounting connections to supplement standard industrial mounting equipment, while consumer-grade monitors are mostly non-VESA-compliant, so you may need special optional mounting brackets to be compatible with other mounting options.
Better product warranty
Consumer lcd monitors purchased from retail stores usually have a warranty period of 6 months to 1 year. After the warranty period, if the monitor is damaged and needs repair, you must pay for it yourself. For industrial displays, the warranty period is generally 3 years. Therefore, if there is any problem with the monitor, the supplier will be responsible for repairing or even replacing the device.
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