Application Watch: Tighter pixel pitch priority in LED panels for advertising displays

China suppliers of LED panels target less than 2mm pitch for indoor and 3 to 4mm for outdoor applications.

Digital technology's increasing use in advertising displays such as signage and billboards spurs product initiatives in LED panels. In China, makers have been focusing on types with smaller pitches to realize greater pixel densities for better resolution. In the next two years, they aim to go below 2mm or P2 for indoor applications and 3 or P3 to 4mm or P4 for those installed outdoors.

The Leyard Group, a China company specializing in LED video displays, has introduced 0.7mm or P0.7 models mainly for LED TVs and advertising screens. The releases with a supersmall pixel pitch have a wide viewing angle, high contrast and refresh rate, low power dissipation and long operating life.

Shenzhen Lianjin Photoelectricity Co. Ltd has a 1.25mm-pitch unit with SMD LEDs in 1010 packages.

With this emphasis on pixel density, output allocation has been shifting. Suppliers turn out up to 10mm indoor variants but those not exceeding 6mm make up a larger portion now. In outdoor kinds, products within the 10mm range are more widely available although up to 20mm units can still be sourced.

Vivid colors and high brightness are on local LED panel makers' agenda as well. Unilumin, a LED products solutions provider, has launched 6mm or P6 to 16mm or P16 models with 8,000 to 10,000cd/sqm for outdoor applications.

Fueling product efforts is the upbeat trend in the line. In China, sales of LED panels for advertising displays will have annual growth surpassing 15 percent in the next two years. Exports are expected to continue contributing to this, with overseas shipments expected to climb by 15 percent in coming months and the year ahead. The majority of local suppliers send between 20 and 80 percent of products abroad.

China's LED panels for advertising displays represent more than 40 percent of the line's total deliveries. Of shipments for the application, units for outdoor and indoor uses respectively have 60 and 40 percent shares.

With such a positive outlook, domestic manufacturers have seen rises in production. Shenzhen Helilai Technology Co. Ltd boosted output by 30 percent in the past year. It built a new factory in Hunan province recently. The maker is looking to maintain sales increase above 30 percent in the near term. Advertising displays account for 30 percent of its LED display deliveries.

Industry analysts projectLED displays, in particular small-pitch variants, may replace spliced-style configurations of multiple LCDs. The former is also considered the alternative to traditional advertising tools. Compared with printed signs, LED displays are dynamic and can be updated real-time.

This is a developing trend based on forecasts for LED displays' market scale. From 2018 to 2022, small-pitch LED displays for indoor installations are anticipated to realize a CAGR as high as 28 percent. Outdoor-use types, on the other hand, will have a 35 percent CAGR based on a $521 million estimate by the end of the period. Globally, LED displays will hit $9.3 billion in 2022 at 12 percent CAGR from 2018, according to LEDinside.

There are about 400 suppliers of LED panels in China and most offer products for advertising applications. Locally owned enterprises make up more than 80 percent of the pool. The majority also offers LEDs and other optoelectronic components, and LED lights. LED panels constitute 30 to 80 percent of shipments.

Besides Unilumin and Leyard, the key players include Ledman and Sansi.

Companies in this line are based mainly in the coastal provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. More are expected to join the industry amid increasing demand.

Units for indoor, outdoor uses

The range of LED panels for advertising displays in China is categorized by installation requirements.

Typical units for indoor setups come in sizes of 1 to 20sqm and pitches of 2 to 10mm or P2 to P10. These have a wide viewing angle and are lightweight. IP44 to IP55 variants are available.

For outdoor displays, the choices are sizes of 10 to 100sqm, brightness of 5,500 to 8,500cd/sqm and water resistance starting at IP65. Products have 4 to 20mm or P4 to P20 pitch. These feature built-in protection against wind, rain and lightning.

Most companies turn out products compliant with relevant industry standards, including CCC, CE, RoHS and UL. All accommodate customization requests.

China LED panel manufacturers use SMD or DIP LEDs. They purchase chips from foreign and domestic providers such as Cree and San'an. The rest of the components and materials may be locally sourced or imported, depending on customers' requirements.

Input costs are anticipated to remain flat until end-2019 and keep product prices unchanged. Intense competition, however, may lead somecompanies to reduce quotes to attract more buyers.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in LED panels from China makers.

P2 LED panel lasts 100,000 hours

Chengxinguang Technology Co. Ltd's model Walkingsign-#5134 LED panel with 1,000cd/sqm luminous intensity adopts 2121 SMD diodes and has a life span of 100,000 hours. It has 140-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles, and ≥960Hz refresh rate. The 2mm-pixel-pitch or P2 unit operates in -20 to 50 C. It is IP31-rated.

Order quantity is negotiable. Delivery lead time is 10 days.

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13.3in LED panel has 400cd/sqm

Model Elecrow13.3inchdisplay LED panel from Elecrow Technology Co. Ltd has 400cd/sqm brightness and 170-degree viewing angle. It operates in -30 to 50 C.

The negotiable minimum order is for delivery within 3 days.

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P1.667 LED display has 120-degree viewing angle

This LED display from Shenzhen Helilai Technology Co. Ltd, P.1.667indoordisplay model, has 1.667mm pixel pitch and a 120-degree viewing angle. Its input voltage is 110 to 240VAC and operating temperature -20 to 40 C. The 88sqm unit meets CCC, CTL, EMC and TÜV requirements. Delivery is within 7 days.

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300W/sqm LED panel with 1.25mm pixel pitch

From Shenzhen Lianjin Photoelectricity Co. Ltd, the model LJ-01-2101 LED panel uses 1010 SMD diodes and has 1.25mm pixel pitch. It renders in 160x135-pixel resolution and boasts ≥400cd/sqm luminous intensity, 7,000 to 8,500K color temperature and ≥3,840Hz refresh rate. The horizontal and vertical viewing angles are 120 and 110 degrees.

The IP31-rated unit adopts an MBI5153 driver IC. It consumes 300W/sqm.

An order of at least 1sqm is required. The delivery lead time is 20 days.

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