Direct View LED video wall installations are used around the world to transform spaces and create dramatic visual impact. Churches, schools, offices, and retailers are creating vibrant, dynamic, memorable experiences in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations. If you’re considering an LED wall, one of your most important choices is the pixel pitch selection, but you may be wondering, what is pixel pitch? How does pixel pitch affect cost? What are the most important considerations when choosing pixel pitch? Let’s take a look at how you can make the right pixel pitch choice for your LED video wall project.
What is Pixel Pitch & Pixel Size?
In an LED wall, each individual LED is one pixel. The pixel pitch number indicates the distance between LEDs on the wall (in millimeters), which determines a recommendation of a minimum distance that a viewer should be to see the image as intended. The lower the pixel pitch, the closer together the LEDs are on your display, and the closer your acceptable viewing distance can be. The optimal viewing distance is typically 2-3 times the pixel pitch number in meters. For example, narrow pixel pitch of 2 would allow viewing from just 4 meters away, whereas a pixel pitch of 10 would require at least a distance of 20 meters to experience optimal detail. Pixel pitch affects both viewing distance and perceived visual performance of LED displays.
Pixel pitch is often stated with a “P” next to the number. For example, a P10 LED wall or panel would have a pixel pitch of 10. Pixel pitches can go as high as 40 for strictly outdoor applications while some manufacturers are building products with a sub 1 pixel pitch.
When to Use a Narrow Pixel Pitch
A Narrow pixel pitch is optimal for indoor applications. These applications include critical viewing of sources such as excel and other text documents.
Why Is Pixel Pitch Important?
Typically, the higher the pixel pitch the lower the cost. Lower pixel pitch universally provides greater resolution but is more expensive due to increased materials and production costs. Simply put, more LED clusters require a higher pixel density. Additionally, a higher LED pixel pitch screen may require more maintenance, which can increase the cost of ownership.
Consumers can get the best value for their LED screen by giving careful consideration to the complexity of their content and what resolution will sufficiently display it before determining the optimal viewing distance of their screen. The optimal viewing distance is the point where image fidelity is retained, but if the observer moved much closer, the image quality would decrease, or the screen would appear pixelated.
If you require a display for close viewing, you may wonder if a traditional display would be a better choice. A helpful rule of thumb to use is 110 inches. If your overall display is fewer than 110 inches wide, a backlight LED/LCD display is often a more affordable solution to deliver the detail you need. Over 110 inches, an LED wall can be the better overall choice.
Pixel Pitch vs. Resolution
Often, when choosing a display, you hear statistics about resolution — for example “1080p” or “4k” displays. The pixel pitch for your LED wall is a direct measure of the potential native resolution: The lower the pixel pitch, the higher the potential native resolution. For most LED wall applications, 1080p resolution is available using the standard rules of thumb for pixel pitch and distance. If you desire higher resolution, a lower pixel pitch may be preferable. But an important consideration is the quality of the image and content that you’re rendering on the LED wall. For example, a low-quality image will result in low resolution results, regardless of the pixel pitch you’ve selected.
What Pixel Pitch Do I Need?
| Pixel Pitch | Minimum Viewing Distance | Optimal Viewing Distance |
| .9 millimeter | .9 meter (2.95 feet) | 2-3 meters (6.56-9.84 feet) |
| 1.2 millimeters | 1.2 meters (3.94 feet) | 2-3 meters (6.56-9.84 feet) |
| 1.5 millimeters | 1.5 meters (4.92 feet) | 3-5 meters (9.84-16.40 feet) |
| 1.87 millimeters | 1.87 meters (6.14) | 3-5 meters (9.84-16.40 feet) |
| 2.5 millimeters | 2.5 meters (8.20 feet) | 5-8 (16.40-26.25 feet) |
| 5 millimeters | 5 meters (16.4 feet) | 10-15 meters (32.8-49.21 feet) |
| 10 millimeters | 10 meters (32.8 feet) | 20-30 meters (65.62-98.43 feet) |
| 40 millimeters | 40 meters (131.23 feet) | 80-100 meters (262.47-328.1 feet) |
While it might seem obvious to always go for the highest potential resolution possible – and therefore a lower pixel pitch – for some applications that can be overdoing it. There may be no need to overpay for lower pixel pitch. The aspect ratio also matters. Most content is formatted for a 16:9 ratio and your wall should align with your company’s content strategy. You may not need to overpay for increased resolution.
How Does Pixel Pitch Affect Video Wall Cost?
The greater the number of pixels, the greater the cost. If you have an outdoor video wall in which viewers will be more than 10 feet away from the wall, a less expensive, lower pixel count is sufficient. Alternatively, a video wall in a conference room would need a greater pixel count since your viewers are closer to the wall. For more information, check out our video on LED video walls.
Choosing the right LED wall and pixel pitch doesn’t have to be a challenge. Contact the experts at DGI to help you select the right LED wall in the context of your overall project plan. With game-changing Modus virtual reality technology, you can experience your new wall in your space before it’s built. LED wall costs have been falling dramatically, and with an experienced partner like DGI you can impress your audience without breaking your budget.
