There are times when we need to have the simplest screen possible and we have to look for tricks to achieve this. This is where the concept of video wall, which can be translated as the most extreme panel configuration you can see for a PC. What is it, how does it work and what is it for?
Video Walls are found everywhere, if you live in a big city you will see them in the form of large billboards, they are the product of one of the advantages of flat screens over the long obsolete CRT screens. However. Have you ever wondered how they work?
What is a video wall?
Under this signifier we refer to large screens, hence its literal translation is video wall. The catch, however, is that they are made using several smaller panels interconnected with each other, as small panels are much cheaper than a large one. In addition, if you get close enough to the various large format advertising screens, you will be able to see the dividing line of the various screens of the composite panel.
This also means that the video signal is generated separately by each of the panels that compose it, it must be synchronized at the same time. Therefore, they cannot opt for different screen types because if they have different specifications, they cause a lack of synchronization when it comes to showing the image to the viewer.
Another of the essential things for a video wall is that the screens have no visible bezels of any kind to place next to each other and give the appearance of a taller one. In addition to having shared power supplies to simplify the number of cables in this regard. So if you ever need to mount one, you’ll find that they all use the same PSU for their power supply.
How is the image generated?
Depending on the configuration of the video wall, the graphics card of the computer transmitting the frames will divide the frame buffer in one way or another. That is, the complete image is first generated in the video memory, so that later the display controller divides the image accordingly. We can have a 2 x 2 screen panel or a 1.4 screen panel. Anyway, it is necessary to do the division and the symmetrical sending of the data.
In the case of some displays of this type, they have a single HDMI or DisplayPort input, but contain an external box that does the work of splitting and synchronizing images. This unit is called a processor, but it should not be confused with the CPU of our computer.
Why is it?
Well, to be able to have a moving image with a high resolution in pixels and, therefore, with a level of detail that would not be possible with a traditional screen. Due to the large size of the sum of screens that is a video wall, its main functionality is advertising and even the advertisements are created only for this format with the aim of attracting the attention of as many people as possible to the advertised product or service. .
On a much smaller scale, we can create a video wall at home, however, if we want to use it, for example for games, we should have the ability to render at these high resolutions. Which is impossible even for the most powerful cards on the market if you want to develop the most advanced games. So it ends up being reduced to a simple video presentation panel with a lot of complications in the middle.