FAQs

The most common terms in the industry are LED walls, LED video walls, or LED displays. However, they’re also referred to as LED screens and video walls, too. As long as the person you’re speaking with understands what you’re referring to, you can call them whatever you’d like.

LED walls are not large, singular pieces of equipment like TVs are. They are modular, which means they are created by connecting smaller (most often square or rectangular-shaped) pieces of equipment together. These smaller pieces are called LED panels or LED video panels. You may also hear them called LED tiles and LED frames.

LED walls are built in a few basic steps:

1. Physically connect the LED panels together using their built-in latches

2. Connect power cables so the LED panels can be turned on

3. Connect data cables so that video/image information can be displayed on the panels

That’s a great question, and the short answer is “yes, we design our own products.” While adding our logo to someone else’s stock product would certainly be easier, we believe in doing things the right way without compromise. As a result, squareV is one of the only American LED companies that actually designs and develops every product in-house.

We gather input from our customers and meet as a team to discuss important considerations before producing our first prototype of a new product. After we put our eyes and hands on that prototype, we make any necessary changes before moving on to an improved version. Once the prototype phase and testing is complete and a final design has been approved, the LED panel is ready for manufacturing. This brings us to another fact that some people find it hard to believe;

Yes, we really do own our own tooling for manufacturing and have exclusive rights over our designs. You won’t find our products on Alibaba or another competitor’s website. This level of ownership means that we have much more control over the entire manufacturing process – from start to finish. While the products are manufactured in China, everything else is completed here in Tennessee, including any final assembly. Every single LED panel undergoes rigorous testing in our warehouse before it is carefully packed and shipped to its final destination.

So, yes, squareV is a true ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) Manufacturer of LED walls. Do your research, because most LED companies are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing). This means they make minor changes to pre-designed products and have extremely limited control over the manufacturing process. If you want a truly one-of-a-kind LED experience, we’ve got the products for you!

We are serious about the complete customer experience. We talk a lot about quality and service. So, we do whatever it takes to back that up. From designing our own products to testing them before delivery, we make sure our customers are taken care of. Here are some main points worth noting:

1. We design our own products (seriously!) and we own our own tooling for manufacturing. We have more control of over the manufacturing process and no one else sells our LED panels, guaranteed.

2. Our products use premium components. We choose the highest level of materials and components for our products. Whether that means aluminum (not plastic) frames, gold-wire LEDs (see the question about gold versus copper-wire LEDs), Neutrik cable connectors, or highest-tier NovaStar receiving cards – we don’t skimp out on anything.

3. You can see and touch our products before you order. When it’s time to invest in an LED wall, you should be able to put your eyes and hands on any product you are potentially purchasing.
   
   That’s why we constructed an awesome demo room at our facility in Franklin, Tennessee. You can experience every one of our products and even compare the visible differences between pixel pitches before you make a decision.

4. Ease of installation. We design all of our products with our customers in mind. So, our products are all designed to make installation as smooth as possible. With our portable products, assembly and teardown can be completed as quickly as possible without worrying about performance issues. And we are always looking for ways to improve! Owning our own manufacturing means that we can make adjustments as we see opportunities to innovate.

5. Free training for dealers. Whether you’re new to the world of LED or a seasoned vet, we will make sure you and your team are properly trained and confident in using squareV LED video panels for your future projects. We offer free in-house training at our facility in Tennessee, as well as technical support over the phone or email. We want you to feel empowered to solve any challenges you could possibly face.

6. Thorough communication. From the second a project is brought to our attention, we are ready to talk about it. We can help you finalize a design or generate a quote with our Project Visualizer, and we can talk through any design concerns before you submit a purchase order.
   
   Once the order is placed, we will send regular updates without needing to be asked (though we can still send an extra update if you ask). You’ll know exactly where an order is in the delivery process at any given time.

   After your LED wall(s) have been delivered, we are ready and available to support you in any way we can. Which brings us to our next point…

7. Domestic support and service. Whether you need someone to help you troubleshoot over the phone or you *gasp* damaged a few pixels and need us to repair them, we will do whatever it takes to solve your issue as quickly as possible. You will receive support from a knowledgeable technician over the phone or email, and any pixel repairs are completed in-house. We stock plenty of spare parts for all of our products, too.

LED walls are perfect for almost any application you could dream up. Depending on the model you choose, LED walls can be installed:

• Inside (With or without ambient light)

• Outside (In extreme weather and/or direct sunlight)

• Mounted directly to a flat surface (wall, floor, ceiling)

• Hung from the ceiling away from any walls

• Hung from the ceiling directly against a wall

• Stacked from the ground/floor

When viewed side-by-side, the difference is clear. With superior brightness, contrast, and overall color depth – the “WOW factor” of an LED wall is on an entirely different level than that of a projector. Shades of black are more vivid, colors are remarkably accurate, and ambient light doesn’t affect an LED wall’s performance like it does with a projector. LED walls can be arranged in any shape you can dream up…and it’s possible to create much larger displays with LED panels than with projectors. With all of these performance advantages, the decision often becomes a financial one. While upfront costs are likely to make a projector an attractive choice, the lifetime cost of ownership of both LED walls and projectors can actually be comparable.

squareV LED walls are rated for 100,000 hours (over 11 years!) of continuous use at 100% brightness. Most LED walls are run below 100% brightness, so that number would increase. Meanwhile, projector lamps have an average lifespan of around 2,000 to 5,000 hours, at which point the expensive bulb must be replaced. Before that day comes, projector bulbs often suffer from reduced brightness that causes serious performance issues. LED walls typically require very little service and upkeep, and when issues do arise – service is generally quick to perform.

LED bulbs are soldered to square or rectangular-shaped components called LED modules. Every LED panel has multiple LED modules attached to its front by small-yet-powerful magnets. If a pixel is ever damaged, you simply pop the affected LED module off and replace it with a spare. It only takes a matter of seconds to do.

Pixel pitch simply refers to the distance between the center of one pixel (LED bulb) to the center of a neighboring pixel. Pixel pitch is measured in millimeters.

So, the lower the pixel pitch, the more pixels there are on a given product. From close up, a lower pixel pitch can mean a huge improvement in image clarity. However, from a far enough distance, it can be hard to see any differences between different pixel pitches.

We are serious about using only the highest-quality components in all of our LED panels. And perhaps the most important components of an LED wall…are the LEDs themselves! Beyond using a reputable brand of LED bulbs, you’ll encounter 2 main types of LEDs used in the industry – copper wire and gold wire LEDs.

These names (gold wire and copper wire) refer to the material of the wire used to connect each LED bulb to the face of an LED module.

A gold wire offers incredible conductivity and resistance to corrosion – especially in the face of a harsh environment, resulting in maximum performance and reliability. Copper wire offers decent conductivity with limited reliability, and is known as the cheap alternative to gold wire.

If price is your only concern, you should definitely look for a product with copper wire LEDs. However, when performance and reliability are of prime importance, gold wire LEDs are the only way to go. That is why all squareV products feature gold wire LEDs.

If you don’t have an integrator or you aren’t a squareV dealer, just send an email to info@squarevled.com or call 615-224-8968 and we can help you decide.

The main factors at play here are:

1. The size and number of LED walls you need

2. The location the LED walls will be installed

3. The distance the nearest viewer will be from the LED wall

Some products are able to be installed outdoors in the elements. Some are able to be serviced from only the front of the LED wall, while others are only serviceable from the back. Pixel pitch is often determined by the distance the closest viewer will be from the LED wall.

Ultimately, if you are going to be using an integrator, the integrator will help you choose a product line. If you are an integrator, once you are set up as a squareV Dealer, we will help train you on all of our offerings.

Typically, people choose a pixel pitch based on the distance the closest viewers will be from the LED wall. The goal is to select the product with the highest pixel pitch (less pixels) before individual LEDs become visible to the closest viewers.

People have tried to come up with a definitive formula to answer this question – for example, “10 feet away for every 1mm of pixel pitch.” With this equation, if the closest viewer was going to be 29 feet or further from the LED wall, you would choose a product with a 2.9mm pixel pitch. However, this simply isn’t true 100% of the time. Not every product is created equal, and everyone’s eyesight varies. There are too many variables to take into consideration.

We strongly recommend visiting our facility in Franklin, Tennessee and seeing the different pixel pitches for yourself. Sometimes, customers decide that they don’t need as tight (low) of a pixel pitch as they were thinking. Every once in a while, the opposite will be true. An extremely low pixel pitch might be so impressive that you change your mind and want to upgrade your design. Either way, we are committed to helping you find the perfect product for your application.

There are a lot of considerations to be made when choosing and installing an LED wall. As a result, we rely on a network of trusted dealers to uphold our reputation and standards of quality.

LED walls generally require a certified professional to ensure that proper and safe rigging is utilized in installation. In the same way, it takes careful planning and execution to ensure that proper power and data routing are completed on each project. While squareV products are as convenient as possible to install, small miscalculations can result in subpar results. To ensure the best possible outcome, we rely on our network of trusted dealers. Finally, when an LED wall is installed, it is important to have someone who can perform specialized service or support on-site. We provide support and assistance to our dealers, but they are the ones who will ultimately support the installation itself. With such an important investment, this is the best way to ensure an excellent outcome for everyone.

Once an LED wall is assembled, content is supplied via something called an LED video processor. Different LED video processors have different input options available. As long as your content is delivered via one of the available inputs (HDMI, DVI, DP, SDI, etc) and in a format and framerate that is recognized by the processor, you can send just about anything you’d like. Think of the LED wall as a computer monitor. It just displays whatever signal it is given.

Yes. And there are two main ways of achieving this. The first way is using the LED video processor. Many LED video processors allow for multiple “windows” or “layers” – where you take the signal from two different sources and place each one in a different layer. Then, you arrange them however you’d like on the LED wall.

The other way is to use a media server or computer to arrange multiple sources of content however you’d like, then it sends that layout to the LED video processor as a single video source. In this case, the arrangement of multiple video sources is done BEFORE it gets to the processor…at which point it’s seen as a normal single video source.

We offer an impressive 3-year warranty on all of our products. All the legal terms are on our website, but basically – as long as you didn’t do anything beyond normal wear and tear – any problems are covered within 3 years of installation.

What is the process for repairing a damaged pixel (LED)?

We like to make things as easy as possible. If you have a pixel that needs to be repaired, here’s what you do:

1. Swap the affected LED module with one of the included spares

2. Fill out the short form on our website. We will generate an RMA and – if it isn’t under warranty – we will also get you a quote.

3. Ship the damaged LED modules to our facility in Franklin, TN

4. We will repair them and ship them back ASAP. Easy peasy.

When you have any questions or concerns regarding your LED wall, please contact your integrator. If you are a squareV Dealer and need support from us, please fill out the short form on our website and we will schedule a call with you ASAP. This usually happens within minutes, but the form helps us to get up to speed and make sure that we can provide the best support possible for your current situation.

While the majority of our products include NovaStar processing, we do offer Brompton options on some of our products as well. If you require Brompton for your project, please let us know and we will point you in the right direction.