How to Choose Sunlight-Readable LCD Monitors
If you need a display or monitor to be used on a boat deck, in a drive-thru, or in some other outdoor application, you likely will need a daylight-readable LCD screen. When businesses look for commercial displays, they often focus exclusively on things like the display’s size or resolution. However, even the largest, highest-resolution display is useless if it’s used in conditions where it cannot be seen. Many regular displays are made for indoor use and can’t be viewed in daylight. This is why sunlight-readable LCD monitors are a popular solution for industry and commercial applications.
What Is a Sunlight-Readable Screen?
Sunlight is significantly brighter than indoor lighting. When you use a regular monitor in daylight, the screen becomes washed out by the increased ambient light. This reduces the contrast ratio of the monitor and makes it difficult—or even impossible—to view.
Sunlight-viewable LCD monitors are specially designed to be used outdoors. Unlike regular monitors, their screens are viewable in daylight and do not become dim or washed out. These screens can be viewed and are clear even in very bright conditions.
Sunlight-readable monitors work by using powerful backlighting that makes the screen brighter and viewable in daylight. These displays often also use optically bonded glass, which reduces almost all reflections on the screen and helps increase the contrast ratio.
Tips to Choosing High-Brightness Monitors
There are a number of things to keep in mind when selecting the right high-brightness LCD monitor.
Sunlight Readable Isn’t Enough
While sunlight-readable monitors are more easily viewed in daylight, they do nothing to prevent reflections from obscuring the screen. Always choose a monitor with optically bonded glass, which is made specifically to tackle these problems.
Ensure a Warranty
When you’re choosing a monitor for outdoor environments, you can never be completely sure how it will hold up. Choose monitors that come with multi-year warranties so you don’t have to worry about any big problems. Companies that offer warranties will have higher quality products.
Dimming Capability
If you’re using a monitor outdoors, then you may have to use it at night too. Choose a sunlight-readable monitor with full dim-to-red capabilities for night-time use. These monitors will ensure that they are useful in any lighting condition.
Application of Sunlight-Readable Displays
Sunlight-readable displays are used throughout a number of industries. Monitors and displays are essential for both marine and military applications, particularly for navigation.
However, sunlight-readable displays are also used for a variety of commercial applications. Drive-thrus, air-traffic control, railways, retail businesses, transportation, and outdoor kiosks are all areas of industry that often need displays and monitors that can be used either outdoors or in extreme sunlight.
Glass Bridge Display Features
For commercial applications, Nauticomp Inc.’s Glass Bridge Display line is an enhanced solution suitable to any outdoor environment. It is sunlight readable with optically enhanced bonded glass and also has dim-to-red functionality, which ensures that it can be used for both day and night applications. The Glass Bridge series also features a rugged, baked-on powder-coated chassis, ensuring that it can be used in even the harshest outdoor environments. It’s the perfect display for any commercial use and comes in a variety of sizes with a three-year limited warranty.
Nauticomp Inc. is an established display manufacturer with worldwide brand recognition as an innovative industry leader. We are dedicated to providing high-performance displays that are at the forefront of leading-edge display technology. Contact us at 1-705-328-2992 for Canadian service and at 1-800-267-9491 for U.S. service.
