LED displays/LED panel/LED screen Terms and Definitions
What is the definition of "LED display"?
A luminous panel on which digital readouts are displayed.
LED Screens Glossary
We have compiled a list of the most common terms used in the LED Screens industry, which you can find below.
The terms are listed in alphabetical order, just click on them to read the full definition. Couldn't find what you were looking for? Please contact us so that we can add to this glossary that missing term.
For further educational material on LED Screens, please feel free to check our Digital Billboards FAQ and LED Screens Tutorials sections.
Here is the list of terms in our LED Screens Glossary:
16 bit Technology
It is a technology that allows to elaborate videos without reducing the quality in a perceptible way. After this elaboration (called Gamma Correction) it is possible to visualize 65.000 color levels for each of the three primary colors. This means that can be visualized 60.000 x 65.000 x 65.000 = 280 billions colors.
Brillance
Lumen
A unit of measurement of the amount of brightness that comes from a light source. The standard lumen rating of a data projector is the average of photometer readings at several points on a full white image on the screen.
Technically, lumens measure "luminous flux." A wax candle generates 13 lumens; a 100 watt bulb generates 1,200. The lumen rating is a critical specification when choosing a data projector. In a darkened room, 500 lumens may be ample; however, in a conference room with normal lighting, 1,000 lumens would be better. In a room with bright daylight, 2,000 lumens is preferred.
Candela
CDMCDM is the acronym of Candela per Square Meter (cd/m2), the Standard unit of luminance (also called Nits in the USA, from latin "nitere" = "to shine").
1 Candela is equal to 1 NIT.
Candela measures how much light is produced as measured at the light source.
Cathod Tube
The cathode ray tube or CRT, invented by Karl Ferdinand Braun, is the display device that was traditionally used in most computer displays, video monitors, televisions and oscilloscopes.
The CRT developed from Philo Farnsworth's work was used in all television sets until the late 20th century and the advent of plasma screens, LCDs, DLP displays, and other technologies.
As a result of this technology, television continues to be referred to as "The Tube" well into the 21st century, even when referring to non-CRT sets.
digital billboards and CRT monitors are totally different, both for functioning principle and type of application.
Color's LevelsAre the touches that every color can have. In the LED visualization field are considered the color levels of Red, Green and Blue, the three primary colors. It is obvious that higher is the number of possible touches, higher is the quality and the naturalness of the visualized image.
Color Temperature
Color's TemperatureIt is a measure of reference defined by CIE (International Commission for Illumination) and it is measured in Kelvin degrees (°K). The color temperature needed to get the Pure White is around 6000 °K
Contrast Level
It’s the difference between the light emitted by the electronic billboard and the environmental light reflected by the screen’s surface. Minor is the light reflected, higher is the contrast and therefore the cleanliness and naturalness of the images.
Control PC
It is a PC that manage the LED billboard, to which is directly linked. It can be installed internally (embedded PC) or within a few meters from the display.
Definition
It’s the LED video wall total number of horizontal and vertical LEDs. Basically the Resolution is referred to the single module of 1 m2 , while the Definition is referred to the whole display (once all the modules have been assembled).
DVIIs the acronym of Digital Visual Interface and it is a standard interface created by the Digital Display Working Group. The DVI standard was created to allow the transfer of big quantity of video data in digital format, regardless of the type of monitor utilized.
Gamma
Gamma Correction
Gamma correction is a image management system indispensable when it is needed to visualize high quality images on every kind of monitor, from the television to the PC monitor and the LED screen. Gamma correction controls and maanages the brightness and cleanliness of the images.
IP Protection
It is the degree of protection against dust and humidity. It is identified as IP acronym of ingress Protection
LED
Is the acronym of Light Emitting Diode. The LED is a semiconductor that emits light when electricity pass through it. The color of the light emitted can be of different colors 8red, Green, Blue, Amber, White
Luminance
Luminance (also called luminosity) is a photometric measure of the density of luminous intensity in a given direction. It describes the amount of light that passes through or is emitted from a particular area, and falls within a given solid angle. It is measured in candela per square metre (cd/m2).
mCd
mCd is the acronym of millicandela (or mCd = CD/1000). 1000 millicandela equals 1 candela (CD).
It is the unit of measure commonly used to describe LED brightness. Candela measures how much light is produced as measured at the light source.
Please also see CDM (candela per aquare meter).
NIT
Pitch
It the distance between the pixels, expressed in millimetres. It is a fundamental measure as it defines the image’s quality, the digital billboards’ minimum viewing distance and besides it affect significantly the final cost of the LED screen.
Pixel
It the luminous dot typical of every LED visualization device. It can be composed by one or more LEDs (in some model the pixel is composed by 36 LEDs)
Plasma Display
The basic idea of a plasma display is to illuminate tiny colored fluorescent lights to form an image. Each pixel is made up of three fluorescent lights -- a red light, a green light and a blue light. Just like a CRT television, the plasma display varies the intensities of the different lights to produce a full range of colors.
The central element in a fluorescent light is a plasma, a gas made up of free-flowing ions (electrically charged atoms) and electrons (negatively charged particles). Under normal conditions, a gas is mainly made up of uncharged particles. If you introduce many free electrons into the gas by establishing an electrical voltage across it, the situation changes very quickly.
By varying the pulses of current flowing through the different cells, the control system can increase or decrease the intensity of each subpixel color to create hundreds of different combinations of red, green and blue. In this way, the control system can produce colors across the entire spectrum.
Plug&Play
The "Plug and Play" technology is a capability developed by Microsoft that gives users the ability to plug a device into a computer and have the computer recognize that the device is there. The user doesn't have to tell the computer. In many earlier computer systems, the user was required to explicitly tell the operating system when a new device had been added.
Readability
It’s the maximum distance within the images visualized on the electronic billboard are readable, therefore clearly recognizable.
Refresh RateThe refresh rate identify the number of times that the image is refreshed every second.
Remote PC
It is a second PC linked to the Control PC: it is utilized in every situation in which the position of the LED billboard doesn’t allow the access to the Control PC (for example a large height installation). This Remote PC communicate directly with the Control PC and it manage the settings to be transmitted to the display.
Rental Display
Resolution
RGB
SMD
SMD Top LED
Standalone Display
Start-up
Top LED
Viewing Angle
Virtual Pixel
Visibility
Ideal for temporary applications like live concerts, sports events, TV shows, fashion shows, open air events exhibitions and conventions. Euro Display's LED video wall are specifically designed to guarantee lightness and portability of the modules but also strength and solidity of a structure which undergoes frequent assembling stress.
Resolution
It is the number of LEDs mounted on every m2. Obviously higher is the number of LEDs, better is the image quality. It is important to note that smaller is the pitch, higher is the resolution.
RGB
Is the acronym of Red, Green, Blue. Every color perceptible by the human eye is generated by a proportionate mix of these three primary colors.
SMD Top Led
The SMD technology is electronics� new frontier: a real revolution it brought in the graphic visualization field, is the miniaturization of all the electronic components, LEDs included. All the SMD components are mounted on the surface of the electronic board (SMD is the acronym on surface Mounting Device�), without passing through it.
Stand-Alone Display
The stand-alone displays function as a screen connected to a VCR that shows everything has been pre-recorded on the videotape. Therefore once the sequence of images to be visualized has been memorized, there is no need for a Control PC to keep functioning. For this reason stand-alone displays are not able to forecast live videos which is a feature of the modular LED screens.
Start-Up
It is the first time the digital billboard is installed and turned on. In this occasion an Euro Display’s specialized technician take care that all the links between the modules were carried out properly and proceed switching on the maxi-screen.
Viewing Angle
A electronic billboard’s viewing angle is the angle within which the brightness of the display is reduced by 50% of the frontal luminosity. For example, a screen with a frontal brightness of 6000 NIT (NIT = millicandels for m2) has a viewing angle equal to the angulation’s in which its brightness is reduced to 3000 NIT. fsdfsafsafa
Virtual Pixel
The virtual pixel is a image management technology that allows to visualize images with a definition higher than the physical definition of the LED billboard thanks to a technique called “pixel interpolation”.
Visibility
It’s the maximum distance within the LED video wall is able to capture human’s eye’s attention, even if the images are not perfectly recognizable. The visibility of a maxi-display is usually equal to the double of the readability.
Glossary of Electronic Led Display Characteristics
Ambient HumidityThe humidity of the area or atmosphere around the electronic led display in which it will show no problems and will be working properly without showing malfunctions.
Ambient TemperatureThe temperature of the area or atmosphere around the electronic led display (not the operating temperature of the led display itself) in which it will be working properly without showing malfunctions.
DirectivityThe property of the led display of being more sensitive in one direction than in another.
Display AreaThe area used for displaying the information show on the led display.
DPTDynamic Pixel Technology. The display comprises pixels and dots. Pixels are generated dynamically. Dynamic pixels are generated variable from existing dots. By combining adjacent dots, pixels form a dynamically generated logical unit, with adjacent pixels overlapping physically. This will have the effect that the electronic led display flowery color collocated from red, green, blue LED show the actual nature color again.
Electronic LED DisplayA numerical readout in which the digit segments are delineated by light emitting diodes.
Frequency of Frame DisplayThis is the frequency of the cycle which sends the data for one display. The optimum value is determined after taking into consideration flicker and uneven contrast.
Gamma CorrectionThe correction of tonal ranges in an image, normally by the adjustment of tone curves. Before being displayed, the linear RGB data must be processed (gamma corrected) to compensate for the gamma of the display.
Grey LevelsScale of grey varieties between the black and the white. Graphical software generally propose 16 or 256 grey levels.
LED - Light Emitting DiodeAn electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. LED's are usually red. They are good for displaying images because they can be relatively small, and they do not burn out. However, they require more power than LCD's.
Nominal Work LifeThe exact or ideal work life for the electronic led displays.
PitchThe distance between the center of two adjacent pixels in an array.
Pixel(s)A pixel is one of the many tiny dots that make up the representation of a picture in a computer's memory. Usually the dots are so small and so numerous that, when displayed on led display panel, they appear to merge into a smooth image. The color and intensity of each dot is chosen individually by the computer to represent a small area of the picture.
Pixel CompositionThe number of led's that make up a pixel.
Pixel PitchRefers to the distance, typically in inches or millimeters, between pixels from the center of one pixel to the center of an adjacent pixel. The lower the pixel pitch, the sharper the image.
Refresh FrequencyThe time needed to display an image. The refresh is measured in Hertz: if the refresh frequency is of 60 Hz, the image is completed on the monitor in 1/60 second. A low refresh frequency (up to 75 Hz) is stressing for our eyes, as we can see the creation of an image and we see it trembling.
ResolutionThe number of pixels (individual points of color) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis. The sharpness of the image depends on the resolution and the size of the monitor.
RGBStands for the colors Red-Green-Blue. These are the primary colors of light, which computers use to display images on a screen. An RGB computer file must be translated into the CMYK (the primary colors of pigment) color space in order to be printed on a printing press.
Viewing DistanceThe maximal distance from a point to the led display, where the picture of the led display is still viewable.
Working AreaSee display area.
What is the definition of "LED display"?
A luminous panel on which digital readouts are displayed.
LED Screens Glossary
We have compiled a list of the most common terms used in the LED Screens industry, which you can find below.
The terms are listed in alphabetical order, just click on them to read the full definition. Couldn't find what you were looking for? Please contact us so that we can add to this glossary that missing term.
For further educational material on LED Screens, please feel free to check our Digital Billboards FAQ and LED Screens Tutorials sections.
Here is the list of terms in our LED Screens Glossary:
16 bit Technology
It is a technology that allows to elaborate videos without reducing the quality in a perceptible way. After this elaboration (called Gamma Correction) it is possible to visualize 65.000 color levels for each of the three primary colors. This means that can be visualized 60.000 x 65.000 x 65.000 = 280 billions colors.
Brillance
Lumen
A unit of measurement of the amount of brightness that comes from a light source. The standard lumen rating of a data projector is the average of photometer readings at several points on a full white image on the screen.
Technically, lumens measure "luminous flux." A wax candle generates 13 lumens; a 100 watt bulb generates 1,200. The lumen rating is a critical specification when choosing a data projector. In a darkened room, 500 lumens may be ample; however, in a conference room with normal lighting, 1,000 lumens would be better. In a room with bright daylight, 2,000 lumens is preferred.
Candela
CDMCDM is the acronym of Candela per Square Meter (cd/m2), the Standard unit of luminance (also called Nits in the USA, from latin "nitere" = "to shine").
1 Candela is equal to 1 NIT.
Candela measures how much light is produced as measured at the light source.
Cathod Tube
The cathode ray tube or CRT, invented by Karl Ferdinand Braun, is the display device that was traditionally used in most computer displays, video monitors, televisions and oscilloscopes.
The CRT developed from Philo Farnsworth's work was used in all television sets until the late 20th century and the advent of plasma screens, LCDs, DLP displays, and other technologies.
As a result of this technology, television continues to be referred to as "The Tube" well into the 21st century, even when referring to non-CRT sets.
digital billboards and CRT monitors are totally different, both for functioning principle and type of application.
Color's LevelsAre the touches that every color can have. In the LED visualization field are considered the color levels of Red, Green and Blue, the three primary colors. It is obvious that higher is the number of possible touches, higher is the quality and the naturalness of the visualized image.
Color Temperature
Color's TemperatureIt is a measure of reference defined by CIE (International Commission for Illumination) and it is measured in Kelvin degrees (°K). The color temperature needed to get the Pure White is around 6000 °K
Contrast Level
It’s the difference between the light emitted by the electronic billboard and the environmental light reflected by the screen’s surface. Minor is the light reflected, higher is the contrast and therefore the cleanliness and naturalness of the images.
Control PC
It is a PC that manage the LED billboard, to which is directly linked. It can be installed internally (embedded PC) or within a few meters from the display.
Definition
It’s the LED video wall total number of horizontal and vertical LEDs. Basically the Resolution is referred to the single module of 1 m2 , while the Definition is referred to the whole display (once all the modules have been assembled).
DVIIs the acronym of Digital Visual Interface and it is a standard interface created by the Digital Display Working Group. The DVI standard was created to allow the transfer of big quantity of video data in digital format, regardless of the type of monitor utilized.
Gamma
Gamma Correction
Gamma correction is a image management system indispensable when it is needed to visualize high quality images on every kind of monitor, from the television to the PC monitor and the LED screen. Gamma correction controls and maanages the brightness and cleanliness of the images.
IP Protection
It is the degree of protection against dust and humidity. It is identified as IP acronym of ingress Protection
LED
Is the acronym of Light Emitting Diode. The LED is a semiconductor that emits light when electricity pass through it. The color of the light emitted can be of different colors 8red, Green, Blue, Amber, White
Luminance
Luminance (also called luminosity) is a photometric measure of the density of luminous intensity in a given direction. It describes the amount of light that passes through or is emitted from a particular area, and falls within a given solid angle. It is measured in candela per square metre (cd/m2).
mCd
mCd is the acronym of millicandela (or mCd = CD/1000). 1000 millicandela equals 1 candela (CD).
It is the unit of measure commonly used to describe LED brightness. Candela measures how much light is produced as measured at the light source.
Please also see CDM (candela per aquare meter).
NIT
Pitch
It the distance between the pixels, expressed in millimetres. It is a fundamental measure as it defines the image’s quality, the digital billboards’ minimum viewing distance and besides it affect significantly the final cost of the LED screen.
Pixel
It the luminous dot typical of every LED visualization device. It can be composed by one or more LEDs (in some model the pixel is composed by 36 LEDs)
Plasma Display
The basic idea of a plasma display is to illuminate tiny colored fluorescent lights to form an image. Each pixel is made up of three fluorescent lights -- a red light, a green light and a blue light. Just like a CRT television, the plasma display varies the intensities of the different lights to produce a full range of colors.
The central element in a fluorescent light is a plasma, a gas made up of free-flowing ions (electrically charged atoms) and electrons (negatively charged particles). Under normal conditions, a gas is mainly made up of uncharged particles. If you introduce many free electrons into the gas by establishing an electrical voltage across it, the situation changes very quickly.
By varying the pulses of current flowing through the different cells, the control system can increase or decrease the intensity of each subpixel color to create hundreds of different combinations of red, green and blue. In this way, the control system can produce colors across the entire spectrum.
Plug&Play
The "Plug and Play" technology is a capability developed by Microsoft that gives users the ability to plug a device into a computer and have the computer recognize that the device is there. The user doesn't have to tell the computer. In many earlier computer systems, the user was required to explicitly tell the operating system when a new device had been added.
Readability
It’s the maximum distance within the images visualized on the electronic billboard are readable, therefore clearly recognizable.
Refresh RateThe refresh rate identify the number of times that the image is refreshed every second.
Remote PC
It is a second PC linked to the Control PC: it is utilized in every situation in which the position of the LED billboard doesn’t allow the access to the Control PC (for example a large height installation). This Remote PC communicate directly with the Control PC and it manage the settings to be transmitted to the display.
Rental Display
Resolution
RGB
SMD
SMD Top LED
Standalone Display
Start-up
Top LED
Viewing Angle
Virtual Pixel
Visibility
Ideal for temporary applications like live concerts, sports events, TV shows, fashion shows, open air events exhibitions and conventions. Euro Display's LED video wall are specifically designed to guarantee lightness and portability of the modules but also strength and solidity of a structure which undergoes frequent assembling stress.
Resolution
It is the number of LEDs mounted on every m2. Obviously higher is the number of LEDs, better is the image quality. It is important to note that smaller is the pitch, higher is the resolution.
RGB
Is the acronym of Red, Green, Blue. Every color perceptible by the human eye is generated by a proportionate mix of these three primary colors.
SMD Top Led
The SMD technology is electronics� new frontier: a real revolution it brought in the graphic visualization field, is the miniaturization of all the electronic components, LEDs included. All the SMD components are mounted on the surface of the electronic board (SMD is the acronym on surface Mounting Device�), without passing through it.
Stand-Alone Display
The stand-alone displays function as a screen connected to a VCR that shows everything has been pre-recorded on the videotape. Therefore once the sequence of images to be visualized has been memorized, there is no need for a Control PC to keep functioning. For this reason stand-alone displays are not able to forecast live videos which is a feature of the modular LED screens.
Start-Up
It is the first time the digital billboard is installed and turned on. In this occasion an Euro Display’s specialized technician take care that all the links between the modules were carried out properly and proceed switching on the maxi-screen.
Viewing Angle
A electronic billboard’s viewing angle is the angle within which the brightness of the display is reduced by 50% of the frontal luminosity. For example, a screen with a frontal brightness of 6000 NIT (NIT = millicandels for m2) has a viewing angle equal to the angulation’s in which its brightness is reduced to 3000 NIT. fsdfsafsafa
Virtual Pixel
The virtual pixel is a image management technology that allows to visualize images with a definition higher than the physical definition of the LED billboard thanks to a technique called “pixel interpolation”.
Visibility
It’s the maximum distance within the LED video wall is able to capture human’s eye’s attention, even if the images are not perfectly recognizable. The visibility of a maxi-display is usually equal to the double of the readability.
Glossary of Electronic Led Display Characteristics
Ambient HumidityThe humidity of the area or atmosphere around the electronic led display in which it will show no problems and will be working properly without showing malfunctions.
Ambient TemperatureThe temperature of the area or atmosphere around the electronic led display (not the operating temperature of the led display itself) in which it will be working properly without showing malfunctions.
DirectivityThe property of the led display of being more sensitive in one direction than in another.
Display AreaThe area used for displaying the information show on the led display.
DPTDynamic Pixel Technology. The display comprises pixels and dots. Pixels are generated dynamically. Dynamic pixels are generated variable from existing dots. By combining adjacent dots, pixels form a dynamically generated logical unit, with adjacent pixels overlapping physically. This will have the effect that the electronic led display flowery color collocated from red, green, blue LED show the actual nature color again.
Electronic LED DisplayA numerical readout in which the digit segments are delineated by light emitting diodes.
Frequency of Frame DisplayThis is the frequency of the cycle which sends the data for one display. The optimum value is determined after taking into consideration flicker and uneven contrast.
Gamma CorrectionThe correction of tonal ranges in an image, normally by the adjustment of tone curves. Before being displayed, the linear RGB data must be processed (gamma corrected) to compensate for the gamma of the display.
Grey LevelsScale of grey varieties between the black and the white. Graphical software generally propose 16 or 256 grey levels.
LED - Light Emitting DiodeAn electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. LED's are usually red. They are good for displaying images because they can be relatively small, and they do not burn out. However, they require more power than LCD's.
Nominal Work LifeThe exact or ideal work life for the electronic led displays.
PitchThe distance between the center of two adjacent pixels in an array.
Pixel(s)A pixel is one of the many tiny dots that make up the representation of a picture in a computer's memory. Usually the dots are so small and so numerous that, when displayed on led display panel, they appear to merge into a smooth image. The color and intensity of each dot is chosen individually by the computer to represent a small area of the picture.
Pixel CompositionThe number of led's that make up a pixel.
Pixel PitchRefers to the distance, typically in inches or millimeters, between pixels from the center of one pixel to the center of an adjacent pixel. The lower the pixel pitch, the sharper the image.
Refresh FrequencyThe time needed to display an image. The refresh is measured in Hertz: if the refresh frequency is of 60 Hz, the image is completed on the monitor in 1/60 second. A low refresh frequency (up to 75 Hz) is stressing for our eyes, as we can see the creation of an image and we see it trembling.
ResolutionThe number of pixels (individual points of color) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis. The sharpness of the image depends on the resolution and the size of the monitor.
RGBStands for the colors Red-Green-Blue. These are the primary colors of light, which computers use to display images on a screen. An RGB computer file must be translated into the CMYK (the primary colors of pigment) color space in order to be printed on a printing press.
Viewing DistanceThe maximal distance from a point to the led display, where the picture of the led display is still viewable.
Working AreaSee display area.
