Indoor vs outdoor LED screen: what's the difference?
The difference comes down to brightness and protection. An indoor screen runs at 800–1,500 nits and has no water protection. An outdoor one reaches 4,000–6,000 nits, so it stays visible in sunlight, and has IP65 protection on the front: it's dust-tight and withstands water jets. Outdoors you also need a structure calculated for wind, protection for processing and power and, often, a generator.
Updated: October 2026. Mobile Event.
What are the technical differences?
Indoor | Outdoor | |
|---|---|---|
Brightness | 800–1,500 nits | 4,000–6,000 nits |
Protection | IP40 front, IP21 rear | IP65 front, IP54 rear |
Typical pitch | P1.9–P3.9 | P2.9–P5.9 |
Structure | On the floor or flown in the room | Calculated for wind, with ballast |
Power | The venue's supply, if it has enough capacity | Often a generator |
Protection for processing | Not needed | Enclosures and power distribution protected from water |
The nit is the unit of screen brightness: one candela per square meter. An office monitor has 250–350 nits. An outdoor LED screen in sunlight has 15–20 times more.
What does IP65 mean?
The IP code comes from the IEC 60529 standard and has 2 digits. The first shows protection against dust, the second protection against water.
6 as the first digit: dust-tight.
5 as the second digit: withstands low-pressure water jets from any direction.
A screen rated IP65 on the front and IP54 on the rear withstands rain during the event. An indoor IP40/IP21 screen is protected only against objects larger than 1 mm and against vertically falling drops.
How much brightness do you need outdoors?
It depends on the time of day and the sun. The values used at festivals:
Situation | Brightness needed |
|---|---|
Direct sun on the screen | 5,500 nits or more |
Screen in shade, daytime | 4,500–5,000 nits |
Evening and night | 1,000–2,000 nits |
At an event that starts at 8 PM, the outdoor screen runs at a fraction of its capacity. Maximum brightness matters for daytime events, and the orientation of the screen matters just as much: a screen facing west, at 5 PM in summer, gets the sun straight on its face.
Can you use an outdoor screen indoors?
It depends on the panel. Many outdoor screens have a large pitch, P4.8 or P5.9, and look visibly grainy to an audience sitting 3–4 m away.
Mobile Event's P2.9 and P3.9 panels are IP65-rated and work just as well indoors, with the brightness turned down. That means the same inventory covers a conference in a hotel ballroom and an open-air stage.
Reducing the brightness is mandatory indoors. A screen left at outdoor level blinds the front rows and overexposes the image on camera.
What else needs planning for an outdoor event?
Wind. The wind force on the screen grows with the square of the speed: at double the speed, the force is 4 times greater. The structure, the ballast and the maximum wind speed at which the screen stays up are set by calculation, before the event.
Rain. IP65 panels hold up, but the processors, cables and power distribution boards need separate protection.
Power. An outdoor screen draws up to 700–800 W/m² at peak. A 40 m² screen can call for 28–32 kW at peak. Mobile Event has its own generators of 50–150 kW.
Temperature. Check the operating range on the panel's spec sheet. Many rental panels are rated for -10 °C to +40 °C.
Permits. On public land, the event and the structures need approvals from the city hall.
Build time. Work goes slower outdoors: truck access, uneven ground, ballast.
For pitch and viewing distance, see the pixel pitch guide. For inventory, the LED screens page.
Frequently asked questions
How bright does an outdoor LED screen need to be?
For direct sun, 5,500 nits or more. In shade, 4,500–5,000 is enough. In the evening the screen runs at 1,000–2,000 nits, so maximum brightness only matters for daytime events.
What does IP65 mean on an LED screen?
That the front is dust-tight and withstands low-pressure water jets. The standard is IEC 60529. The rear of outdoor panels is usually IP54.
Can I use an outdoor LED screen at an indoor conference?
Yes, if the pitch suits the distance to the first row and the brightness is turned down. Mobile Event's P2.9 and P3.9 panels are IP65-rated and are used indoors too.
Does an outdoor LED screen work in the rain?
An IP65 screen works in the rain. The processing, cables and power distribution have to be protected separately, and in strong wind the screen is shut down past the threshold set by the structural calculation.
Do I need a generator for an outdoor LED screen?
Most of the time, yes. Peak draw reaches 700–800 W/m², and open-air venues rarely have enough power available.
