A video wall joins several displays so they act as one large picture. You see them in showrooms, lobbies, control rooms, sports bars and event stages. There are two ways to drive one: a video wall processor in a single box, or an AV over IP system in which a decoder behind each screen does the work. This guide explains when each one is right.
Video wall processor: simplest for one wall
A processor takes a source and splits it across several outputs, cutting the picture into tiles and correcting for the bezels so lines run straight across the gaps.
- 4KVW14: 1 HDMI input to 4 HDMI outputs, 4K60 4:4:4, with bezel correction and rotation. It drives a 2×2 wall or a 1×4 / 4×1 strip.
- 4KVW24: selectable HDMI or DisplayPort input to 4 outputs. It can be cascaded for walls up to 4×6.
Choose a processor when: the wall is in one place, the source sits near it, and you show one picture at a time. It is the lowest-cost and fastest way to build a 2×2 wall.
Note: a splitter is not a processor. A splitter repeats the same full image on every screen, while a processor cuts one image across the screens.
AV over IP: flexible walls and many sources
With AV over IP, every source has an encoder and every screen has a decoder, all on a Gigabit network switch. Each decoder can show its own source or a tile of a shared image, and the layout can be changed from an app.
- HDIP100E + HDIP100D: 1080p, video walls up to 8×8, controlled with the VDirector app.
- 4KIP200E + 4KIP200D: 4K30, video walls up to 8×8.
- 4KIP204E: four HDMI inputs in one encoder, for racks with several sources.
- 4KIP200M: a multiview receiver that shows up to four sources on one screen in quad, PIP or triple view.
Choose AV over IP when: sources and screens are far apart; you want to switch between several sources or show different content on different screens; you need more than one wall; or you expect to grow. The cable from the switch to each screen can be up to 100m, and more switches extend the system across a building.
Side-by-side
| Video wall processor | AV over IP | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One 2×2 or 1×4 wall | Large or multiple walls, many sources |
| Wall size | 2×2 to 4×6 (cascaded 4KVW24) | Up to 8×8 |
| Sources | 1 at a time (4KVW24: HDMI or DP) | Many, routed to any screen |
| Distance | HDMI length, or add extenders | Up to 100m per network run, any size with switches |
| Set-up | Web UI or front panel | Network switch plus VDirector app |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher, but scales |
Planning tips
- Use matching displays with thin bezels, ideally commercial video wall panels, and mount them on a proper video wall bracket.
- Measure the bezel width and enter it in the bezel-correction setting so diagonal lines don't break.
- For AV over IP, use a managed or good-quality unmanaged Gigabit switch with enough PoE budget if you power the units over the network.
- If a control room operator also needs keyboard and mouse control of the PCs on the wall, look at KVM over IP. See our control room guide.
Browse AV over IP and video wall processors. If you send us your wall size and sources, we'll suggest the components.