Comparing Watchfire W-series and XVS signs

Perhaps you’ve seen a Watchfire LED sign in action at a neighboring business or through an on-site demo. You’ve researched viewing angles, brightness and Ignite® OP software, but you may be unclear of some of the hardware differences between a W-series and an XVS model.

W and XVS signs have many similarities, making the W-series a solid Watchfire LED sign option. Both feature the same viewing angles, fully encapsulated LED modules and adjustable brightness. Both will make your business stand out with text, graphics, animation and video clips.

The differences between the two start at the video controller, where the XVS model takes it up a notch. XVS stands for Extreme Video System. With a video controller that offers more memory and configuration options, an XVS sign can deliver a faster refresh rate than the W-series. With a fiber-optic connection, an XVS sign can even display live video.  Watchfire XVS signs also feature whole-sign color calibration and can be configured to detect problems through Automated Sign Diagnostics.

Whole-Sign Color Calibration

Our whole-sign color calibration process has been in place on all XVS models since 2008. We use gold standard calibration technologies from Radiant Imaging, calibrating the whole sign after all modules are in place and all functions of the sign have been verified. The process is applied at both the pixel level and the module level across the entire LED sign to minimize the differences in color brightness between modules.  The result is stunningly vibrant images that feature smooth, true-to-life colors.

Automated Sign Diagnostics

All XVS signs can run the diagnostics tool on demand, but broadband-connected XVS signs can subscribe to the Automated Diagnostics Service. When this service is enabled, the sign maintains constant communication with the diagnostics server by sending uptime pings on a set interval – typically every 10 minutes. This allows the diagnostics server to detect when communication to the sign has been lost. 

Diagnostic information is collected and an email notification is sent if a hardware malfunction, power loss, computer reboot or Internet connection issue is detected.  These email notifications allow for faster response times for service calls. Because diagnostic information is also logged to the sign diagnostics server, a historical record can be stored and referred to throughout the life of the sign.

Seeing the Difference

Sometimes it’s just better to have a visual. Check out this video of a Watchfire 16mm XVS sign and see for yourself.

 

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