The commercial televisions you see when out in public may look similar to your residential TV back home, but there are some notable differences between the two display types. So, if you’re looking to buy a display screen for your business, you’re going to need a commercial television.

This article will explain the main differences between commercial and consumer televisions. This information will help you make an informed decision when purchasing commercial display screens for your business, or when upgrading existing commercial televisions in the future.

Usages differences between consumer and commercial televisions

In business environments, commercial televisions can serve various purposes including: a silent ad display screen in a store, a digital menu board in a coffee shop, a touch-display system for a conference room, or as a TV in a hotel lobby. The possibilities are endless when it comes to commercial TV usages. So, it’s important that the television you buy has been created with business usage and applications in mind.

In contrast, consumer televisions are TVs designed to be used at home. Typically, a consumer TV will only be used for watching various video formats including satellite TV, streaming services, gaming, and DVDs. From this you can easily see that the potential uses of consumer and commercial televisions differ greatly, with commercial display screens having a wider range of uses.

Consumer televisions at home will probably only be used for a few hours a day. Meanwhile, a commercial display screen is likely to be used for longer periods. In many cases, it’s not uncommon for a commercial television to be in use 24/7 and 365 days a year. Therefore, commercial TVs need to be able to withstand prolonged use. Brands like LG commercial televisions have been designed with business use in mind, meaning they are well-equipped to bear heavy duty business use and applications.

Technological differences between commercial display screens vs domestic televisions

Unlike consumer TVs, commercial television displays are filled with advanced technological features. These technological features ensure the display screens are equipped to meet your business needs and help your business communicate better with your customers.

Durability, design and visibility are some of the key areas where you can see a major difference between commercial and consumer televisions. 

Durability

As previously mentioned, a commercial display screen will likely be running 24 hours a day whilst a consumer TV may only run for a few hours each day. As a result of this, commercial display screens are designed to endure a longer life-cycle than consumer televisions.

To ensure their commercial televisions are built to last, LG offers different types of commercial televisions based on their potential uses. Within the LG commercial television collection you will find:

  • Digital Signage – made to increase your sales, LG digital signage screens include high brightness, interactive, video wall and other special models.
  • LED Signage – designed for indoor or outdoor use, LG’s versatile LED Signage provides reliable operation, design flexibility and vibrant image quality.
  • OLED Signage – OLED display screens use state-of-the-art technology to offer amazing clarity and increased energy efficiency.
  • Commercial TV – the LG Pro:Centric Hotel TV and Signage solutions allow businesses to welcome guests in a simpler and easier manner than existing solutions.

Commercial display screens often feature more robust housing than domestic televisions. Commercial signage solutions are likely to be installed in high-traffic areas. As a result, commercial televisions are built with stronger housing materials than domestic TVs. As well as using more robust materials, commercial screens feature robust technology such as IP65- and IP54-certified weatherproof design for outdoor signage and coating to protect against dust, metals, and humidity. 

Commercial display screens are also available in a range of shapes and sizes to suit the various placement opportunities in retail and business environments. From floor-standing models to video walls and stretch screens, LG offers a wide range of commercial televisions suitable for all business applications.

Visibility and Display Brightness

Consumer televisions are designed with your home in mind. As new consumer TVs are released, the technology used is updated based on home-use. One of the key differences between consumer and commercial TVs lies within visibility and display brightness. Display brightness is rated in terms of Nits, otherwise known as Candelas squared (cd/m2.) For comparison, one Nits is equivalent to the brightness of a single average candle.

Because they are for home use where lighting is somewhat controlled, consumer televisions usually fall in the range of 150-250 Nits. However, in brightly lit or uncontrolled lightning conditions of commercial and retail spaces, a higher brightness rating is required. Commercial displays range in brightness depending on the model. Commercial television display brightness can vary from anything between 300 to 6000 Nits for outdoor applications.

‘Screen burn’ or image retention is a really important consideration in digital signage applications. Digital signage will likely display the same image on screen 24/7. If displayed on a domestic television, this high single-image usage could quickly result in screen burn. Image retention, or screen burn, is the permanent discoloration of screen pixels resulting in a ghost image of the display being ‘burned’ into the screen. 

LG commercial televisions are made to protect against screen burn. With LG OLED display signage, any risk of image retention is minimized through the use of technology that not only protects against screen damage, but features self-healing properties so that any short-term image retention that may occur is quickly rectified.

When used in public and retail environments, it’s important for commercial display screens to be viewable from all angles. LG commercial display screens use IPS technology that enables all-angle viewing. With a wide-viewing angle, the IPS technology in LG commercial screens means the display is not distorted at any viewing angle. This wide viewing angle also prevents color-washing from occurring when the screen is viewed at different angles. IPS also transmits a color close to the actual color of objects, making it an ideal choice for commercial, medical, and retail display signs.

Comparing the warranty of commercial and consumer TVs

The warranty terms is one of the most important differences between commercial and consumer televisions, especially when it comes to minimizing business costs. Typically, consumer TVs designed for use at home will come with a manufacturers’ warranty covering parts and labor for one year after purchase.

However, LG commercial televisions and digital signage solutions are available with up to three years warranty cover. With an extended warranty period, you can have confidence knowing that your commercial television is protected for longer than if you were to buy a domestic TV for business use.

There are many differences between consumer and commercial televisions. From the key differences highlighted in this article, it is evident that if you are looking to purchase a television for a business application, a commercial television will be most beneficial. With different models designed for different uses, you will be able to find the perfect solution for your business.