Large video walls are becoming a more popular project as LED technology improves and becomes brighter, improving upon the “wow” factor of these visually stunning displays.
These projects can involve dozens of LED panels arranged in a variety of configurations, but they can also be expensive and the margins on the hardware itself aren’t great, which could make these projects cost prohibitive for smaller integrators.
However, small integrators can still be competitive in the video wall space in pro AV if they focus on their skill and service over the hardware, build impactful video walls and stay up to date on the latest video wall technology, says Scott Wright, President of Wisconsin-based Lifeline Audio Video Technologies.
Small hardware margins, but service and skill should bring the profit
According to Wright, who oversees a staff of about a dozen AV professionals, hardware margins on video wall technology have been declining, but there is still an opportunity to turn a profit when selling video walls.
In fact, margins on displays are among the lowest of any AV hardware. However, the skilled trade of pro AV is evolving to create these complex installations.
“Whenever you have a skill that an outside person cannot do, you gain margin,” Wright says.
For single televisions, anyone with a drill can figure out how to mount and install the display.
“I can’t make a lot of money if every person with a drill is able to do that,” Wright says.
However, the skilled trade of building that video wall, mounting nine separate displays into a tight cluster and getting each display talking to one another is extremely valuable.
“Even though the margin on the hardware I’m selling is less, that skilled trade of connecting all of that and figuring all of that out is certainly a profitable situation,” Wright says.
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Stay up to date and lean on manufacturers
According to Wright, his firm only sells and installs a handful of video walls each year. That means his technicians aren’t getting enough of that valuable experience as manufacturers like LG, NEC, Samsung, Barco, Planar and others improve their products with new features and capabilities.
“If you don’t do it regularly, it’s hard to keep up on what that technology is and what are the right parts and pieces,” Wright says. “it’s really hard to know the ins and outs of video walls if you’re not doing a lot of them.”
In those scenarios, Wright said his firm leans on the expertise of the company’s representative network product manufacturers.
“Many times, we will recommend a product to a customer based on the support that we’re able to get from the manufacturer,” Wright says.
That means Lifeline Audio Video Technologies will speak with the customer about what they’re trying to accomplish, the use case, dimensions and other information. That’s then sent to manufacturers who can then come back with a recommended package.
Many video wall providers also offer hardware bundles that take the guesswork out of piecing together a difficult installation. Then, Wright’s company only has to worry about the installation. It also makes replacing and repairing equipment easier and takes the hassle out of troubleshooting issues.
“I’ll pay a little bit more for that to make sure it’s done right,” Wright says.
