02 / THE TRADE-OFFS
Compare the right details.
Make specification choices around viewing distance, content and service access—not a feature list in isolation.
COB vs SMD LED Display: Price, Durability and Service
COB mounts LED chips straight onto the board under a sealed surface; SMD uses packaged LEDs soldered to the board, often with a GOB coating. On the EA640F2 cabinet, COB costs 1–12% more at the same pitch (US$872 vs US$865 per m² at P1.86) and draws less average power. Choose on the exact products' image, surface, service and full-system price.
LED vs LCD Video Wall: Seams, Detail, Size and Cost
Tiled LCD gives very fine detail per panel (a 55-inch 1080p panel has a pixel pitch of about 0.63 mm) but always shows bezels; direct-view LED is seamless, brighter and builds any size, but matching LCD's detail needs very fine and expensive pitches. A 3.60 × 2.03 m (11.8 × 6.6 ft) EA600COB3 LED wall, close to a 3 × 3 wall of 55-inch LCDs, costs about US$9,958 at P1.87, US$12,736 at P1.25 and US$24,057 at P0.93.
Fine-Pitch vs Standard LED: Price, Pixels and Distance
On the same EA640F2 cabinet, standard P4–P2.5 costs US$511–US$684 per m² and fine-pitch P2–P1.25 costs US$830–US$1,515. Fine pitch costs more per square metre but less per pixel: US$2.37 per 1,000 pixels at P1.25 against US$8.18 at P4. It earns its premium when viewers sit close or a fixed-size wall needs more pixels.
Indoor vs Outdoor LED Cabinets: Price, Brightness, IP
Indoor LED cabinets run at 600–800 cd/m² behind an IP31 face; outdoor cabinets at 4,500–6,500 cd/m² with IP65 at the front, heavier construction and coarser pitches. At the same pitch, outdoor versions of rental cabinets cost about 4–19% more: EA500C6 P2.6 is US$255 indoors and US$297 outdoors. Choose by exposure, not by brightness alone.
GOB vs SMD LED Modules: Price, Protection and Best Use
GOB (glue on board) is an SMD LED module with a clear resin layer over the LEDs, protecting them against knocks, dust and moisture. Where EagerLED prices GOB as an option, it adds 15–23% (US$1,191 on a 1 m EAiBall sphere). On fixed walls, GOB comes with the fine pitches: a 9 × 3 m EA250WH5 wall costs US$23,085 at P2.5 SMD and US$29,646 at P1.95 GOB. Choose GOB where people can touch or clean the screen.
Church LED Wall vs Projector: Lyrics, Light and Cost
An LED wall stays bright and sharp in a lit sanctuary and on camera; a projector costs less to buy but needs a darkened room, a screen and a clear throw path. A 5.12 × 2.40 m (16.8 × 7.9 ft) LED lyrics wall costs US$7,225–US$12,423 for the screen at P3.076–P2 and averages about 1.2 kW. Decide from a room survey, not a catalogue.
Average vs Maximum LED Power: Sizing and Running Cost
LED displays list two power figures: maximum, used to size circuits, cabling, UPS and generators, and average, used to estimate energy cost. The maximum is usually about three times the average: EA640H1 lists 300 and 100 W/m², EA1000H9 outdoor 500–720 and 170–240 W/m². A 20 m² indoor wall needs a supply for about 6 kW but averages about 2 kW, roughly 8,760 kWh a year at 12 hours a day.
LED Sphere vs Cylinder Display for an Atrium: Cost and Fit
An EAiBall LED sphere costs US$5,087 (1 m) to US$59,143 (3 m) at P2.5, about US$1,600–US$2,100 per m² of surface. A 3 m tall LED cylinder about 2.55 m across, built from 96 flexible EA500H7 cabinets, costs about US$27,360–US$30,336; wrapping an existing column with EA-Flex modules about US$13,896–US$16,296. Choose a sphere when visitors circle the display and a cylinder for columns and wraparound flow.
Outdoor LED Brightness: 4,500 vs 5,000 vs 6,500 Nits
4,500–4,800 cd/m² is typical of outdoor rental cabinets, 5,000–5,500 of fine-pitch fixed screens, and 6,000–6,500 of fixed billboards; DIP reaches 8,000–10,000. At the same pitch, the brighter version costs 5–12% more: EA1000F2 P3.91 is US$832 per m² at 5,000 cd/m² and US$904 at 6,500. Choose by sun exposure, orientation and dimming, not the highest number.
IP31 vs IP54 vs IP65 LED Cabinets: Ratings, Zones and Cost
IP31 LED cabinets suit protected indoor zones; outdoor cabinets are usually IP65 at the front and IP54 at the rear, so the back needs shelter or sealed connections. At the same pitch, outdoor rental versions cost 12–19% more: EA500H9 P2.6 is US$260 indoor and US$300 outdoor per cabinet. Confirm the rating of every exposed face and the cable connections in writing.
Die-Cast vs Aluminum LED Cabinets: Weight, Price and Use
Cabinet material matters less than the model's design. Outdoors, the die-cast magnesium-alloy EA960R4 costs US$499 per m² at P8 and weighs 23 kg per cabinet, the aluminum EA960F4 US$687 at 25.3 kg with front and rear service, and the iron EA-OFixed US$515 at 36 kg. Rental cabinets are die-cast aluminum for repeated handling. Choose by protection, weight, service route and handling features.
Magnetic vs HUB Front-Service LED Modules: Cost and Service
Front-service LED walls hold modules either with magnets (EA640F2) or with direct HUB connectors (EA640H1, EA250WH5, EA600COB3). At P2.5, the magnetic EA640F2 costs US$684 per m² and the direct-HUB EA640H1 and EA250WH5 US$853–US$855. Magnetic walls give front access to modules, power supplies and receiving cards; HUB designs cut cabling and allow module swaps without disturbing neighbours. Choose by the service plan, depth and spares.