How to Calculate the Screen Size for an LED Video Wall

How to Calculate the Screen Size for an LED Video Wall

Choosing the correct screen size for your LED video wall is essential for delivering a clear and immersive visual experience. Whether it's for advertising, corporate presentations, or entertainment, understanding how to calculate the right screen size ensures that your audience gets the best viewing experience.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you calculate the screen size, factoring in module dimensions, pixel pitch, and viewing distance.

Step 1: Understand Pixel Pitch

The pixel pitch refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent LEDs, measured in millimeters (mm). A smaller pixel pitch offers sharper images and is suitable for closer viewing, while a larger pixel pitch is more appropriate for viewing from greater distances.

For instance, common pixel pitches include P1.25, P1.5, P1.8, P2, P2.5, P3, and P4, where the number represents the distance in millimeters.

Step 2: Know Your Module Size

In this case, the module size is 320mm in width and 160mm in height. This is a fixed physical measurement for each LED module.

For instance, if you use multiple modules to create your LED video wall, you’ll need to determine the total screen dimensions based on how many modules you stack both horizontally and vertically.

Step 3: Determine Resolution

The resolution of your video wall is determined by the pixel pitch and module size.

Formula to calculate pixels per module:

• Number of pixels (width) = Module width ÷ Pixel pitch

• Number of pixels (height) = Module height ÷ Pixel pitch

For example, with a P2.5 (2.5mm) pixel pitch and a module size of 320mm × 160mm:

• Pixels (width) = 320mm ÷ 2.5mm = 128 pixels

• Pixels (height) = 160mm ÷ 2.5mm = 64 pixels

This gives you 128 × 64 pixels per module.

Step 4: Calculate the Physical Screen Size

To calculate the overall physical size of your LED screen, you need to multiply the module size by the number of modules you plan to use horizontally and vertically.

Formula:
Screen Size=Module Size×Number of Modules\text{Screen Size} = \text{Module Size} \times \text{Number of Modules}Screen Size=Module Size×Number of Modules

For example, if you use 5 modules across and 3 modules vertically:

• Width = 320mm × 5 = 1600mm (or 1.6 meters)

• Height = 160mm × 3 = 480mm (or 0.48 meters)

So, the screen size will be 1.6 meters wide by 0.48 meters high.

Step 5: Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of the screen. A common aspect ratio is 16:9, which is suitable for most content. Ensuring your screen maintains the correct aspect ratio is important for content display without distortion.

For example:

• If your screen width is 1600mm and height is 480mm, the aspect ratio is 1600 ÷ 480 = 3.33. This is not close to the 16:9 ratio, so you might need to adjust the number of modules to match the desired aspect ratio.

Step 6: Viewing Distance and Screen Size

The viewing distance plays a significant role in choosing your screen size. Here's how to determine the screen size based on the maximum viewing distance.

Maximum Viewing Distance Formula:
Maximum Viewing Distance=Pixel Pitch×100001000\text{Maximum Viewing Distance} = \frac{\text{Pixel Pitch} \times 10000}{1000}Maximum Viewing Distance=1000Pixel Pitch×10000​

For example, with P2.5 (2.5mm) pixel pitch:
Maximum Viewing Distance=2.5×100001000=25 meters\text{Maximum Viewing Distance} = \frac{2.5 \times 10000}{1000} = 25 \text{ meters}Maximum Viewing Distance=10002.5×10000​=25 meters

Determining Screen Size from Viewing Distance: To calculate the screen dimensions based on the viewing distance:

• Screen width should typically be about 1/6th of the viewing distance.

• Screen height should be about 1/9th of the viewing distance.

For example, with a maximum viewing distance of 25 meters:

• Screen width ≈ 25 ÷ 6 = 4.17 meters

• Screen height ≈ 25 ÷ 9 = 2.78 meters

You can then calculate the number of modules needed to fit these dimensions.

Conclusion

When designing an LED video wall, it’s important to balance the pixel pitch, module size, and viewing distance. This ensures your audience experiences sharp, clear images without noticing the individual LEDs. By following the steps above, you can accurately calculate the required screen size and provide an immersive viewing experience that suits the environment and audience.