In the digital age, video walls have become the core display tool in the commercial display, corporate conference, public information release, etc. With the iteration of technology, users’ demand for display effect, reliability and flexibility continues to increase.

Traditional LCD splicing screens have long dominated the market, but in recent years, a new generation of COB technology screens is rapidly rising.

SightLED will guide you the differences between COB LED display screens and LCD splicing screens. You can easily decide whether you want to upgrade your video wall.

What is COB LED display screen?

COB is an advanced LED packaging technology. Its core is to directly bind the LED chip to the circuit substrate and encapsulate it into an integrated light-emitting unit through fluorescent glue. Unlike traditional SMD LEDs, COB technology eliminates the step of independent lamp bead packaging. Therefore, the LED display screen has a smaller pixel pitch and higher density, while significantly improving reliability and protection.

The 4K COB display refers to a COB LED screen with a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. It has ultra-HD picture quality and seamless splicing characteristics, making it the preferred solution for high-end video walls.

Advantages of COB LED display

Seamless display, eliminating visual interference

The biggest pain point of LCD splicing screens is the physical borders between screens (usually 0.88mm to 3.5mm). Even if you use an ultra-narrow bezel design, multiple screens will still form an obvious “grid effect” after splicing, destroying the integrity of the picture.

The COB display can achieve true seamless splicing through an integrated packaging process. No matter how large the screen is, the picture is always consistent. They are especially suitable for scenes that require an immersive experience.

Ultra-high contrast and color performance

The COB video wall uses self-luminous LED technology, with a contrast ratio of more than 10,000:1, which is much higher than the 1,000:1 of LCD screens. It supports a wider color gamut range (such as DCI-P3), can accurately restore deep black and bright details. In addition, its advantages are particularly obvious when playing HDR content.

Excellent reliability and lifespan

Due to the elimination of the bracket structure of traditional LED lamp beads, the anti-collision, moisture-proof and dust-proof performance of COB display screens are greatly improved, and the heat dissipation efficiency is higher. Its average lifespan can reach more than 100,000 hours (LCD is about 60,000 hours), and the brightness decay is lower after long-term use, and the maintenance cost is significantly reduced.

Flexible adaptation to complex environments

COB LED display screens support modular splicing. It can freely customize curved, special-shaped or oversized video walls. At the same time, its surface has no glass structure and low reflectivity, so that it can still maintain clear visibility in strong indoor light environments.

Low power consumption and silent operation

The energy efficiency of COB technology is about 30% higher than that of traditional LED. You do not need to equip it with a cooling fan, and it is almost noiseless during operation. Therefore, they are very suitable for scenes with silent requirements such as conference rooms and studios.

Indicator	4K COB Display	LCD Tiled Display
Tiling Effect	Completely seamless	Physical bezels present (0.88mm – 3.5mm)
Contrast Ratio	10,000:1 and above	1,000:1 – 5,000:1
Brightness	600 – 2,000 nits (adjustable)	300 – 700 nits
Viewing Angle	170° – 178°	160° – 178°
Maintenance Cost	Modular repair, no need to replace the entire screen	Single screen failure requires overall disassembly
Typical Applications	High-end exhibition halls, command centers, XR virtual shooting	Meeting rooms, retail stores, surveillance rooms

How to upgrade your video wall with COB screen?

If you wan to upgrade the video wall, but this is not a simple matter. It involves various aspects such as technology selection, system design and cost control. We provide you with a highly operational upgrade solution from demand assessment to implementation.

Step 1:In-depth evaluation of needs

Environment type:

Indoor (such as conference rooms, exhibition halls): You can give priority to COB screens with a brightness of 600~1,000 nits to avoid visual fatigue caused by high brightness.

Semi-outdoor (such as shopping mall atriums, airport bridges): You need to choose models with a protection level of IP54 or above, and the brightness is increased to 1,200 nits to combat ambient light.

Running time:

If you need to run 24/7 (such as traffic control centers), you need to confirm the heat dissipation design of the COB screen and the stability of the driver IC to avoid color deviation caused by long-term high temperature. We recommend that you choose products that support “pixel-level brightness compensation” technology.

Content type matching

Static content (such as data dashboards): The refresh rate requirements are low, and you can choose economical COB modules (such as P1.5~P2.0).

Dynamic video (such as commercials, live broadcasts): You need to choose models with high refresh rates (≥3,840Hz) and high grayscale levels (16bit) to avoid screen tearing or color faults.

Budget Planning

Item	LCD Splicing Screen	COB Screen
Unit Price	USD 1,800 /㎡	USD 5,000 /㎡
Maintenance Cost (5 years)	USD 500 /㎡ (backlight replacement, frame adjustment)	USD 100 /㎡ (partial module replacement)
Total Cost (5 years)	USD 2,300 /㎡	USD 5,100 /㎡
Cost Advantage	Lower initial cost	Lower maintenance and long-term cost

Hidden costs: including structural modification (such as load-bearing reinforcement), cooling system (air conditioning energy consumption) and content production (4K materials need to be developed by professional teams).

Step 2:Pixel pitch selection

Viewing distance formula

The relationship between pixel pitch (P value) and optimal viewing distance (D) is:

D (meter) = P (mm) × 2.5

For example:

The optimal viewing distance of P1.2 screen is 3 meters (1.2×2.5), at which time the human eye cannot distinguish pixel particles.

If the viewing distance is 5 meters, you can choose a P2.0 screen (saving 40% of the cost), which can still present a clear 4K effect.

2.2 Resolution adaptation

4K standard (3840×2160):

Here’s the content you provided in a short-word English table list:

Screen Type	Min Size (Width x Height, m)	Notes
P1.2	4.6 x 2.6	(3.84×2.16) / 0.0012m/pixel
P1.8	6.9 x 3.9	Suitable for large exhibition halls
Custom Res	Varies	Use “non-std 4K” (e.g., 2K mod. splice), need lossless stretch video processor.

 Economic comparison

Pixel Pitch	Resolution (Pixels per Square Meter)	Unit Price (USD/㎡)	Applicable Scenarios
P0.9	1,234,567 pixels	928,571 – 1,142,857	Museums, Luxury Stores
P1.2	694,444 pixels	571,429 – 785,714	Corporate Exhibition Halls, Meeting Rooms
P1.8	308,642 pixels	400,000 – 500,000	Mall Atriums, Airport Information Screens

Step 3: System integration optimization

Video processing system

Core equipment selection:

Novastar VX600: supports 8K input and HDR dynamic mapping, suitable for ultra-high-definition high-end scenarios.

Signal transmission:

• Short distance (<30 meters): HDMI 2.1 optical fiber cable, supports 4K@120Hz lossless transmission.
• Long distance (>30 meters): SDVoE (software-defined video) solution, 4K low-latency distribution through IP network.

Maintenance structure design

Front maintenance structure: The module can be removed from the front, suitable for wall installation (space depth <15cm)

Intelligent control system

Adaptive dimming:

The light sensor monitors the ambient brightness in real time and automatically adjusts the screen brightness (such as 1,200 nits during the day and 600 nits at night), saving more than 30% energy.

Remote operation and maintenance:

Integrated SNMP protocol, which can monitor the temperature, brightness uniformity and bad pixel rate of each module, and warn of failures in advance. For example: A certain brand of COB screen automatically reduces the brightness and sends an alarm when the module temperature exceeds 65℃.

Practical case: Upgrade of the exhibition hall of a certain technology company headquarters

Pain points of the original system:

• The LCD splicing screen has obvious borders (1.8mm)
• The picture is split when playing product demonstration videos;
• Insufficient brightness (500 nits)
• Poor contrast under the lighting of the exhibition hall.

Upgrade plan:

• The customer chose our P1.2 4K COB screen (6m×3m).
• The LED screen has a brightness of 1,200 nits and supports HDR10.
• Integrated Novastar VX4K processor to achieve 8-channel signal picture-in-picture display.
• Adopts front maintenance structure to fit the original decorative wall.

Effect comparison:

• Customer stay time increased by 40%, and the interactive touch operation response speed increased to 8ms.
• 5-year estimated maintenance costs are reduced by 62% .
• Through the above three steps, you can not only avoid the inherent defects of traditional LCDs, but also upgrade the video wall to a digital asset that combines visual shock, long-term reliability.

SightLED 4K COB Solution

SightLED is a leading LED screen manufacturer.We have launched the latest generation of COB video walls. They have reached the top level in the industry:

Core technology:

• Using Micro COB packaging
• Pixel pitch as low as P0.6
• Support 8K resolution.

Innovative design:

• Module thickness is only 50mm
• Support front maintenance and cable-free splicing.

Smart ecosystem:

• Built-in AI picture quality engine
• Automatically optimize color and brightness consistency.

Conclusion:

We have introduced some knowledge about video walls. As for how to choose? You need to choose according to your actual budget and needs. In the future, as COB technology is mass-produced, its cost will further decrease.

We believe that it will gradually replace LCD video wall. For enterprises, early deployment of COB upgrades is not only a technological iteration, but also a strategic investment in brand image and user experience.

Take action now and contact us to get the latest customized 4K COB video wall solution opens a new era of visual upgrade!