A look behind a giant LED display (pictures)
We go behind these often seen but mostly ignored outdoor advertising screens -- and look at the technology behind them.
SINGAPORE -- This outdoor LED display on Orchard Road in Singapore has been around since 1999, but has since undergone an upgrade. We got a look behind the scenes.
Read more: Take a peek at the tech behind a giant outdoor LED display
Behind the screen is a narrow dust-filled corridor lined with display panels connected to power strips.
Each panel shares information with the one before it to enable a coherent display.
A railing that's accessible by ladder separates the room and enables a technician to service the 5.8 meter (19 feet)-tall display if need be.
A few weeks later and the screen has been replaced. The new display is much wider -- and sharper. It's made up of new panels with a pixel density of 10mm, compared with the older screen's 24mm. This means images are much more crisp, even up close.
The new panel has a shutter to help block out sunlight to ensure a brighter image.
The newer (top) versus the older (bottom) panels.
The newer panels are smaller in size since the LED bulbs are set closer.
The new panels are more streamlined and come with handles for climbing.
Here's what it looks like on the inside, with fans to keep things cool inside each panel box.
Here's Shaw Organisation Vice President Terence Heng climbing up to show how easy it is to access the panels for maintenance.
Read more: Take a peek at the tech behind a giant outdoor LED display