Guide
LED screens for events in Cairo: what to decide before you book
A screen is often the largest single item on a stage. Five decisions shape whether it looks right on the day: where the audience sits, whether it is indoors or outdoors, its size and shape, the content that will play on it, and the time needed to build it.
1. Start from the audience: pixel pitch and viewing distance
Pixel pitch is the distance between the centres of two neighbouring pixels, in millimetres. The smaller the number, the closer people can sit before the screen looks grainy. A common rule of thumb: the nearest row should sit at least as many metres away as the pitch in millimetres. A 2.6 mm screen suits a front row about three metres away; a 3.9 mm screen suits about four metres.
For a conference hall where the first row is close to the stage, a finer pitch is worth it. For a large hall or an outdoor stage seen from far away, a coarser pitch gives the same result on the day.
2. Indoors or outdoors: brightness and weather
Indoor screens are made for controlled light; outdoor screens are much brighter so they stay readable in daylight, and their cabinets are sealed against dust and rain. An indoor screen placed outside in the afternoon will look washed out, and an outdoor screen in a dark hall usually has to be turned down.
For an event that starts in daylight and ends after sunset, plan the brightness for both, and ask for the screen to be tested at the time of day the main moment happens.
3. Size and shape follow the cabinets
An LED screen is built from cabinets, commonly 50 × 50 cm or 50 × 100 cm. The final width and height are multiples of the cabinet, so a screen is designed around them rather than cut to any size. A 16:9 shape matches most presentations and videos; a wider shape suits a stage backdrop, with content made for it.
Decide early whether the screen hangs from a truss or stands on the floor. Hanging needs rigging points and a check of how much load the ceiling of the hall can take; a ground stack needs a level, solid base.
4. Content made for the screen
The resolution of the screen is its width and height in pixels, not the resolution of a television. Ask for it as soon as the size is agreed and give it to whoever designs the content, so slides and videos are made at the right shape. Send the content a few days before the event, play it on the screen during the rehearsal, and keep a copy on a second device.
5. What to confirm before you book
- The pixel pitch, the size in cabinets and the resolution in pixels
- Indoor or outdoor screen, and how it is protected from weather
- Hanging or ground stack, and who checks the load limits and access at the venue
- Power: the load, the source, and a backup plan
- The processor and the inputs for laptops, cameras and video playback
- Build and test time inside the access hours of the venue
- A technician on site for the whole event
Questions we are asked
- How early should an LED screen be booked?
- As soon as the date and venue are fixed. Busy seasons and large outdoor events take the larger screens first, and the size and position also affect the stage design.
- How long does it take to build a screen on site?
- It depends on the size, the access to the hall and whether the screen hangs or stands. Plan the build, the test and a full content run before doors open, and agree the access hours with the venue in advance.
- Can the same screen work indoors and outdoors?
- Not usually. Outdoor screens are brighter and sealed against weather; indoor screens are finer and made for controlled light. Choose by where the screen will stand on the day.
- Does Panda give LED screen prices online?
- No. The price depends on the size, the pitch, the days, the build and the venue. Send a short brief and we reply with a quotation for your event.