The main differences between the two types of displays are summarised below.

Image compatibility & resolutions

Mounting options & orientations

Suitability of environment

Operating hours & heat management

Audio & video inputs

Integration with a larger system or control via a third party control system.

Below is some information on each of the above points

Image compatibility & resolutions

Commercial

- Designed specifically for compatibility with PCs and AV standards.

- Most models recognize all PC resolutions in addition to TV/video resolutions.

Domestic

- Most are designed specifically for TV/video formats with very limited PC resolutions.

Mounting options & orientation

Commercial

- Most support VESA mounting configurations and can be oriented in a variety of angles including: horizontal, vertical and in some cases angles in between.

Domestic

- Newer screens support VESA mounting configurations do to the popularity of wall mounting screens, however not all do and in some cases additional hardware may be required

- Portrait orientation mounting is typically not available with domestic/consumer grade models.

Suitability of environment

Commercial

- include ways to protect controls in a public environment including the ability to lock out the use of button on the actual panel or use of the manufacturer remote control.

Domestic

- No ability to lock display control

Operating hours & heat management

Commercial

- Made to run for long periods of time. Running them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is not uncommon and is generally covered under warranty conditions. They are capable of these long running times due to the inbuilt thermal protection system.

Domestic

- Designed to be run as a TV installed into a home would be. Approximately 8-12 hours of daily use would be the maximum recommended amount.

Audio & video inputs

Commercial

- Most models Include:

Control – IR & RS232 for control by a 3^rd party control system

Video – PC, RGBHV on BNC connectors, Composite, S-Video, Component, DVI-D, HDMI

Audio – Option to include or remove speakers

Domestic

-Most models offer:

Control – Infra-Red (IR) control only

Video – PC, Component, Composite, HDMI

Audio – Inbuilt speakers on RCA connectors

Integration with a larger system or control via a third party control system

Commercial

- The majority (if not all) provide bi-directional serial control allowing a third party processor to control the screen. One of the main advantages of using a commercial grade screen with a third party control system is the ability to switch directly to an input source on command or when an input is sensed.

Domestic

- While domestic LCD screens can be used to integrate with larger systems, it is much more ‘clunky’ as most of the time, inputs can only be selected by via scrolling through all the inputs until the appropriate one is available.

So next time you are choosing a flat panel display for your application, it is well worth investigating whether not a Commercial grade or Domestic grade is the best solution.