Recommended Screen size for menu boards?

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CMowen207
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Recommended Screen size for menu boards?

Post by CMowen207 »

Hi,

I am planning on purchasing one of your SF100 units as an information display at my restaurant, but all of this is new to me and I am unsure of where to start.

What size screens are normally used / what size do you recommend using?

Thanks,
Catrina
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Trent S
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Re: Recommended Screen size for menu boards?

Post by Trent S »

Hello Catrina,

We generally recommend no smaller than 42" screens because they allow for a good-sized menu offering without making the menu items too small to see. Depending on how busy your location is, we will sometimes install larger screens so that individuals in the back of the line can still see the menu clearly.

Menu items (their actual names and prices) should be 1 inch tall for every 10 feet you are standing away from the screen. If your lines stay relatively short, then you may be able to use a 42" screen - depending on the size of your menu offering. Common menus that we see are anywhere from 8-20 items; if your menu is larger, you may want to get a larger screen unless your lines stay short.

Also - there are some tight locations in which a 55" or larger just looks too big - and other large locations in which a 42" or smaller looks too small. This matter is all in your opinion and the image you'd like to create for your guests.

Regarding prices - we have found that the price of a 42" screen lands in the "sweet spot." What do I mean by this? Two Industrial Quality 42" screens can be obtained for less than the price of a single Industrial Quality 55" screen. Having two screens, of course, gives you a lot more flexibility and coverage (especially if your location forms multiple lines).

Finally - you'll need to make sure that the screen (or screens) physically fits where you intend to display it.

Thanks for your post, and please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help!
Trent Semler
Art Director
Specialized Communications Corp. / Noventri
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
301-790-0103
Digital Information Display
Menu Display
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ps840
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Re: Recommended Screen size for menu boards?

Post by ps840 »

Trent S wrote:Hello Catrina,

We generally recommend no smaller than 42" screens because they allow for a good-sized menu offering without making the menu items too small to see. Depending on how busy your location is, we will sometimes install larger screens so that individuals in the back of the line can still see the menu clearly.

Menu items (their actual names and prices) should be 1 inch tall for every 10 feet you are standing away from the screen. If your lines stay relatively short, then you may be able to use a 42" screen - depending on the size of your menu offering. Common menus that we see are anywhere from 8-20 items; if your menu is larger, you may want to get a larger screen unless your lines stay short.

Also - there are some tight locations in which a 55" or larger just looks too big - and other large locations in which a 42" or smaller looks too small. This matter is all in your opinion and the image you'd like to create for your guests.

Regarding prices - we have found that the price of a 42" screen lands in the "sweet spot." What do I mean by this? Two Industrial Quality 42" screens can be obtained for less than the price of a single Industrial Quality 55" screen. Having two screens, of course, gives you a lot more flexibility and coverage (especially if your location forms multiple lines).

Finally - you'll need to make sure that the screen (or screens) physically fits where you intend to display it.

Thanks for your post, and please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help!
So the only reason for a larger screen is for sight? The resolution isn't necessarily any better?
Sergey K

Re: Recommended Screen size for menu boards?

Post by Sergey K »

Hello ps840,

Screen size is important to provide more space on the monitor to display information. A larger screen makes viewing a lot easier from a distance and allows for people to locate them quickly. Monitors with a higher resolution may not show a significant difference when viewed from about 10ft away. If the screen is setup for close viewing, a higher resolution displays will show image/text in greater sharpness and detail.

I have a link below that compares the New iPad vs iPad 2 (Retina). Both will have the same screen size but have different resolutions. Up close, you can see how the high resolution iPad has better clarity and viewing experience. If you look at these iPads at about arms length, you will not see much difference between the two.

This image below show a simple comparison of a dot. As the resolution goes higher, you start to see much more details in the images.

Image
Source: http://www.imore.com/ipad-ipad-2-retina-display-tests

Let me know if you have any further question.

Kind Regards,
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