Getting a video wall right is less about the wow factor and more about risk control, clarity of the brief, and doing the basics properly. Ensuring uniformity, accessibility, and proper setup is essential for optimal performance and audience engagement.
Procurement managers and business owners tell us they want predictable outcomes, clean installs and reliable playback that just works on event day, opening day, or during major events. This guide explains how to plan, configure and commission a wall that looks seamless and runs smoothly in corporate, retail and exhibition settings.
Across hundreds of Australian installs each year we see the same patterns: projects that invest time in site readiness, controller selection, and commissioning have fewer change orders, faster handover and happier stakeholders.
Video walls are now widely used across industries such as hospitality, retail, exhibitions, and more, demonstrating their versatility and broad application. The tips below are drawn from that first hand experience.
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Start with the brief: what success looks like
Objectives and content types
Define the canvas before you choose hardware, including confirming total resolutions, aspect ratio, and any zoning you need for picture-in-picture or message tickers. High resolutions impact image detail and determine the display’s suitability for different viewing distances and applications.
If marketing supplies mixed content, document safe areas and minimum type sizes so text remains legible at the closest viewing distance. Ensuring that information is displayed clearly and remains easy to read is essential for effective video wall content.
Space and environment
Walk the space with a tape measure. Map sightlines, nearest viewer distance, and any glare sources. When planning for a large screen display, consider how its size and placement will impact the overall environment. Note ambient light levels at the time the wall will be used.
Be sure to account for viewing angles to ensure visibility and image quality from different positions. These details drive pixel pitch, brightness and anti-reflective needs.
Site survey checklist
Check wall flatness and note any shimming required. Confirm service clearance around the wall, power locations, cable paths and network points. Verify that all necessary equipment, such as video wall controllers and high-resolution displays, is accounted for during the site survey.
Photograph anchor points and ceiling voids so approvals are faster. Also, check environmental conditions to ensure sensitive electronics are protected during installation.
LCD or LED: selecting the right display technology
When LCD walls win
LCD excels on cost, pixel density and colour accuracy, and is commonly used in video wall configurations made up of multiple screens. For close viewing, a 2×2 or 3×3 LCD wall can deliver crisp imagery with manageable budgets. LCD panels are often the most cost-effective option for video walls with good performance.
LCDs can deliver high pixel density and colour accuracy so are great for detailed visual presentations. Accept the bezel reality, choose 24/7 rated panels if required and plan for bezel compensation in your player or controller. Choose commercial grade displays with thin bezels for a video wall to minimize gaps.
When direct-view LED wins
LED gives you a seamless canvas and higher brightness that can handle bright foyers and exhibition halls. LED displays have better colour reproduction, high contrast and flexibility so are good for many demanding environments.
LED displays are popular for video walls because of high brightness and vibrant colours. OLED displays are for darker environments and produce deep blacks and vibrant colours.
Serviceability is good with front service modules which is helpful in tight retail spaces. Pixel pitch is the key decision, then brightness and refresh requirements. LED is the way to go for a video wall when you need a big, high impact display with vibrant visuals and minimal bezels.
“If your nearest viewers are within three metres and budget matters, a 2×2 or 3×3 LCD grid still wins on clarity per dollar. Just plan bezel compensation early and specify micro-adjust mounts so seams disappear from typical viewing angles.” — Neil Levin
Pixel pitch and viewing distance
A simple rule of thumb is to choose a pitch that matches the nearest viewing distance in metres. For example, 2.0m nearest distance pairs well with 2.0mm pitch. Test with a text legibility test at that distance using your smallest body copy.
The height of the display also affects resolution and overall viewing experience as taller screens can provide more visual impact and higher resolutions.
When building large displays consider using multiple screens to achieve the desired display size and aspect ratio and ensure seamless content across the entire setup.
| closest viewer distance (m) | recommended pitch — mixed content | recommended pitch — text-heavy/detail |
| 1.0 | 1.0–1.2 mm | 0.9–1.0 mm |
| 1.5 | 1.5–1.8 mm | 1.0–1.5 mm |
| 2.0 | 2.0–2.3 mm | 1.2–2.0 mm |
| 3.0 | 2.5–3.0 mm | 1.8–3.0 mm |
| 4.0 | 3.0–4.0 mm | 2.3–4.0 mm |
| 5.0 | 3.9–5.0 mm | 2.9–5.0 mm |
| 7.0 | 4.8–7.0 mm | 4.0–7.0 mm |
| 10.0 | 7.8–10.0 mm | 5.9–10.0 mm |
| 15.0 | 10.0–15.0 mm | 8.0–15.0 mm |
| 20.0 | 12.0–20.0 mm | 10.0–20.0 mm |
Rule of thumb used: for mixed content, recommended pitch in mm is roughly near the closest viewing distance in metres. For text-heavy/detail, go a little finer.
*Treat the bands as guidance, not strict limits. Content, ambient light and brand standards may push you finer or coarser.
**Validate with a real-world legibility test using your smallest body copy at the closest distance.
***If in doubt between two pitches, choose the finer option for corporate lobbies and exhibition booths where text and logos matter.
The hardware stack that keeps walls stable
Sources, players and media servers
The fewer moving parts, the better. Prefer a solid-state media player or a proven show laptop locked to native timing. Selecting the right video source is crucial, as it determines how content is routed and distributed across your video wall for a seamless display.
Standardise codecs and frame rates across your content package to avoid on-site transcoding. If you need cameras or live feeds, specify them early so EDID and HDCP are handled, and ensure your controllers can receive content signals from various sources efficiently.
Controller vs daisy-chain (MST)
DisplayPort MST daisy-chain is fine for simple 2×2 LCD walls with one source. In a video wall configuration, each monitor acts as a building block, working together to form a large, unified display.
Once you need windowing, multi-source layouts or scheduling, a dedicated controller or processor is the safer choice. Controllers also help create complex display layouts and modes, and simplify bezel compensation and failover.
“Larger walls with multiple inputs will put reliability under pressure, a dedicated controller pays for itself in day-one stability and future changes.” — Neil Levin
Distribution choices
Short runs work well with HDMI or DisplayPort. For long runs, SDI is robust. If you need campus-wide routing or many sources, AV over IP can scale, provided your network is configured for VLANs, IGMP snooping and multicast.
Choosing the right distribution method can assist in maintaining performance and reliability of your video wall system. Make sure to connect content sources to the video wall controller using the appropriate AV peripherals and cables, such as HDMI or DisplayPort.
Installation considerations that save time and rework
Mounting and alignment
Quality mounts pay for themselves.
In a store environment, proper mounting and precise alignment are essential to ensure the video wall delivers maximum visual impact and attracts customer attention. Use micro-adjust mounts, shim where the wall is out of true, and set a clear alignment tolerance in millimetres.
A laser level speeds up grid alignment and prevents seam steps that catch the eye. Plan for cable management to keep the video wall installation neat and professional.
Access and serviceability
Front-service LED or pop-out LCD mounts allow swift maintenance without dismantling the entire array. Specify aisle and head clearance so technicians can work safely and quickly. The mounting method for the video wall should be determined based on the space available and the weight of the wall.
Power and thermals
Calculate a realistic power budget and include a UPS for graceful shutdowns. Add surge protection, especially in older venues. Estimate heat load and ensure airflow paths are clear to avoid thermal throttling and early panel ageing.
Networking for AV
Allocate IP ranges and document them. Use VLANs to isolate AV traffic. Enable IGMP snooping to keep multicast from flooding the network. Budget bandwidth for worst-case scenarios such as multiple 4K streams.
Compliance and safety
Confirm structural load ratings, cable containment and electrical certification. Keep emergency egress paths clear and label isolation points for rapid support. Incorporate security measures in video wall installations to safeguard assets, enhance surveillance, and ensure the safety of the premises.
Commissioning: how we bring the wall to life reliably
Preflight and timing
We lock EDID on sources and the controller before content day. Then we validate the wall’s native total resolution and confirm colour format and frame rate on every input.
Calibration and uniformity
Calibration of screens is necessary to ensure consistent color and brightness across the video wall. Target consistent brightness, a neutral white point and matched gamma across the canvas. Aim for a low ΔE error where practical, and check seam brightness so joins do not telegraph under solid fills.
Functional testing
Cycle through all inputs, confirm audio sync if applicable, and rehearse preset recalls for common layouts. If you have redundancy, trigger a failover test and log the switchover time.
Acceptance testing and handover
Use a defined pattern pack: line grids for geometry, checkerboards for uniformity and greyscale ramps for tracking. Provide documentation, a short operator handover and support contact details or SLA terms. For a deeper understanding of video wall acceptance and operation, read our must-read guide or documentation for further information.
From the field: lessons that cut risk
- On multi-day event builds we reduce failure points by locking EDID on every source before content day.
- Front-service LED has cut our service time by 40 percent in tight retail installs.
- For 2×2 LCDs MST is fine. Beyond that a controller avoids last-minute sync issues and gives you windowing flexibility.
- Commercial environments often focus onease of use and integration into personal spaces.
Procurement
Lead times vary, so lock your dates early and book a site survey. Specify a method of procedure for install day that covers roles, change control and rollback. For mission-critical walls, budget on-site spares and define uptime targets.
Enable remote health monitoring and alerting so issues are caught before they become larger issues. Use content management software to update, schedule, and manage content on the video wall.
“For mission-critical walls we recommend a spare PSU or module on-site. It’s a small premium for big peace of mind.” — Neil Levin
Next steps
Define the brief, match the display tech to the space, design a clean signal path, install with proper access, then commission with a checklist and handover training.
If you want a partner that can scope, supply and support a video wall anywhere in Australia for corporate, retail or exhibitions, we can help. Get in touch with us for more information or support with your video wall configuration… we’ll make the setup process a breeze.
FAQs
What pixel pitch suits a standard 3 metre viewing distance?
Around 3.0 mm is a practical starting point. If your content has fine text, test a 2.5 mm sample and evaluate legibility on site.
Do I need a controller or can I daisy-chain a 2×2 wall?
A simple 2×2 with one source can daisy-chain. If you need multiple sources, windowing, presets or failover, choose a controller.
How do I fix misaligned images across LCD panels?
Use micro-adjust mounts and a line-grid test pattern. Apply bezel compensation in your player or controller, then fine-tune with mechanical alignment to meet your seam tolerance.
How bright should an indoor lobby wall be in nits?
For typical indoor lobbies, 400–700 nits is comfortable for LCD. For LED in bright spaces, 800–1200 nits offers headroom while keeping colours accurate.
What’s different about 24/7 control room installs?
Choose 24/7-rated panels, design redundancy for power and signal, keep on-site spares and enable remote monitoring. Document clear SLAs for response and fix times.
Sources
- AVIXA: Pixel pitch and viewing distance basics, including the “10× rule” and visual acuity distance. AVIXA Xchange
- Planar white paper: recommended viewing distance vs pixel pitch for direct-view LED walls. Planar
- VESA E-EDID (EDID 1.4) specification: authoritative reference on display capability data and timing negotiation. Glenwing
