A sunlight readable display is a monitor designed for use in direct sunlight. The pictures and videos on the standard screens are difficult to see outdoors due to reflections and the screen brightness. Sunlight readable monitors are used in many places such as drive-throughs, boat decks, petrol pumps, etc.
What is a sunlight monitor?
The direct sunlight is brighter than the indoor lighting inside the room. The screen of a regular monitor becomes completely washed out by the ambient luminosity. It reduces the contrast ratio of the monitor significantly and makes it impossible or very difficult to view the screen under the direct sunlight.
Sunlight readable LCD monitors are specifically designed while keeping these factors in mind. The screens of the sunlight readable monitors don’t become washed out or dim under direct sunlight. The screens can be viewed clearly even in the bright sunny conditions.
The powerful backlighting increases the brightness of the screen to 1,000 nits or more, and it makes the monitors viewable even in the direct sunlight. The added brightness can overpower the ambient light and produces viewable images on the screen. Displays use optically bonded glasses and significantly reduce the reflections on the screen. This helps in increasing the contrast ratio of the screen.
The technology behind sunlight viewable monitors is complex but efficient
There are various types of Daylight Monitors or Sunlight Readable Monitors. A typical daylight screen combines more than two of the following technologies.
Anti-Glare Protection Glass Coating Technology
An anti-reflection coating is applied to the screen to eliminate the reflections and glare and improve its viewability.
Transflective Technology
The transflective monitors reflect ambient light to increase the screen brightness. These monitors have both a reflector and backlight. The backlight brightens the screen, and the reflector uses the ambient light to increase brightness. The brightness of the transflective screen increases along with the outdoor brightness.
Optically-Bonded Sunlight Readable Monitor Solutions
Optically-bonded displays have their front, and the internal glass layer joined together reducing the number of reflective surfaces. It not only reduces the glare but also toughens the screen and makes it fit for industrial use. Optically-bonded displays can withstand temperature fluctuations and extreme weather conditions
UV Protection and IR Heat Rejection Technology
Sunlight readable displays need to be protected from the UV rays of the sun. UV-protection and anti-IR solutions protect the screen from the sun damage while ensuring good readability.
The Pros and Cons of Sunlight Readable Monitors
Pros:
- The optically bonded sunlight readable screens are highly durable and offer the ruggedness required in military applications or heavy industrial use.
- Sunlight readable monitors that use transflective displays are good for casual or personal use due to affordability and don’t require a lot of power.
Cons:
- They consume a greater amount of power for the extra backlighting.
- Extra power supplied to the monitor results in the production of excess heat which contributes to the faster wear and tear of the display.
- Sunlight Readable Monitors cost higher than the standard displays.
- Sunlight readable screens using the transflective display technology has poor color, contrast and image readability.
Applications Of The Sunlight Viewable Displays
Touch-screen monitors are used in many different industries. Many marines and military applications need monitors for navigation under bright sunny conditions. Normal displays are not useful enough for such applications, and sunlight readable screens solve the problem of poor visibility.
Besides military and marine applications, the sunlight readable monitors are also used in a variety of commercial applications. Outdoor Kiosks, Air Traffic Control, Transportation, Retail Businesses, Railways, Drive-Throughs need monitors to use outdoors under very bright conditions. Sunlight readable monitors solve the problems of poor viewability in these industries.
Bright sunlight makes the standard displays useless and impossible to work with. Many industries require sunlight readable monitors for different applications. The best sunlight-readable monitors use a combination of various technologies for the effective use of the display outdoors.
Contact Faytech North America for all your questions.
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