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Six Challenges Faced When Installing Digital Signage Into Existing Structural Conditions

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By Megan Harvey
Premier Mounts

Every A/V project comes with a unique set of challenges. When installing equipment into an existing structure, integrators may need to securely install equipment into a location that was built before digital signage even existed. This can create a laundry list of challenges, from protecting equipment outdoors to creating video walls where walls don’t exist.

Here are 6 mounting challenges that integrators face when placing digital signage in an existing structure, and the tools they can use to resolve them:

1. Minimize Cost- Maximize Creativity

One of the most common challenges in any installation is to meet budgetary guidelines. This challenge is particularly complicated for existing structural conditions because it often takes creative thinking to integrate equipment into a structure that may not have been built with AV in mind.

Creative thinking means offering Good, Better, and Best solutions that will deliver on an eye-catching project while still fitting within budgetary constraints. It’s easy to look toward commodity mounting solutions as a means to save a few bucks, but when you look at the increased installation time and long-term serviceability, the up-front cost diminishes against the total cost of ownership. When the requirements of an existing structural installation means creative thinking, they can’t come at the cost of long-term ROI for the whole project.

2. Fitting Within Structural Conditions… and  Deadlines

Another key challenge when installing digital signage into an existing structure is to ensure that the install is completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. Saving money on a “bare bones” solution doesn’t add up to much when that money goes toward paying the installers for more time spent on site.

The solution to combat against a tight deadline is to use a mounting solution that makes installing as fast and easy as possible. The Symmetry Series is a configurable solution that offers a two-part installation process that saves over 40% on install time, when compared to traditional individual display mounting solutions. The lightweight aluminum design of the Symmetry Series allows the system to be installed using fewer installers, and the configurable design allows this one system to serve as a solution across single or multi-site deployments. The L-brackets of the Symmetry Series are used to anchor the interface bar anywhere along the wall to match the stud location, allowing it to be installed in a fraction of the time.  Fine tune brackets for (x,y,z) adjustments makes post-installation leveling fast and easy. This means that no matter what your location, building design, or viewing angle requirements you have, this one solution can be used.

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3. No Wall? No Problem

But what about trying to find the best place to put digital signage in situations where the structure doesn’t appear to support the installation? A classic example of this might be a situation where the customer wants to feature a vibrant, eye-catching video wall, but simply does not have a load bearing wall for one. These scenarios require a Solutions Group expert to determine whether the structure can support a variety of video wall suspension options, such as a video wall stand, ceiling suspended video wall, or semi-custom solution.

Diesel Retail’s flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City serves as a prime example of this. The customer wanted a 3×2 video wall that would showcase their seasonal clothing releases in an eye-catching, branded format. Since the store was not designed with an existing structure to support a traditional video wall, we created a semi-custom solution that would use dual-pole floor stands to create the appearance of a 3×2 video wall. This installation, which won a DIGI Award for Best Advertising Content, was so successful that it was later replicated at their San Francisco location.

4. Not All Walls Are Created Equal(ly Flat)

Any installer will tell you that there is no such thing as a flat wall. Every wall is its own “unique snowflake” of bumps and curves, and it becomes an installer’s job to use mounting solutions that will more or less “correct” those imperfections. We’ve all seen displays that were carelessly installed, with thousands of dollars adding up to walls that are so badly misaligned that it completely kills the visual effect. Why bother investing in something that winds up looking terrible?

This is where post-installation adjustments make all the difference. Even with an imperfect wall, any digital signage project can appear perfect when post-installation alignment can compensate for wall variations. Invest in video wall mounting solutions that feature post-installation leveling to ensure correct bezel spacing and (x,y,z) axis alignment, and take the time to work with professionals who insist on quality presentation.

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5. Take Your AV Outside To Play

Taking digital signage outside brings a variety of unique concerns, including equipment protection from outdoor environments. Much of that can be reviewed in our previous blog titled, “Taking it Outside”.

When working with existing outdoor structures, it can become complicated to mount digital signage without compromising the safety and structural integrity of the building.

For example, we designed an outdoor solution for Cedar Fair nationwide amusement parks, which featured a custom clamping mechanism that allowed installers to mount over 300 displays from “box-to-pole” in a variety of single and dual-facing orientations, and on two different sized poles. Several of these solutions also featured a hood to shade the display from direct sunlight, which made it a multi-functional mounting solution. This solution was also perfect for the integrator, as it didn’t require any changes to existing structure of the theme park.

6. Safety First For Secure Installations

Safety is another huge concern for any AV install, partially because complying with building code is imperative in order to avoid costly lawsuits if guidelines aren’t met. We designed our LMVS and LMVSP mounting solutions to meet ADA regulations that require protruding objects stay less than 4” from any wall when they also sit under 27” from the floor.

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Examples like these are just a few of the reasons that it’s so important to understand the variety of installation requirements for a variety of structures. A safe, efficient, and cost-effective installation is most easily met when you work with a team of experts who understand the big picture, and help you to reach your project goals from concept to creation. For more information on how you can minimize your installation time, cost, and risk, contact Premier Mounts Solutions Group at 877.472.2991, or email solutions@mounts.com.

This blog is reprinted with permission from Premier Mounts and originally appeared here.

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