Over the years we have often been asked to help in finding quality screens on fast delivery or at a budget price point, and we have been able to supply many screens from China manufacturing clearance stock or former demo stock. These export quality screens are cleaned up, refurbished and pass our FAT inspection before shipment.
From late 2020 however, perhaps encouraged by low cost demand during the Covid-19 years, we began to see a lot of activity around low cost China used screens and were invited to inspect several of these.
The used screens on offer are usually brand name events style products which perhaps should offer some comfort however these are not manufacturing stock, not even original manufacturer’s demo stock but are being offered by brokers who are assisting China based rental companies to sell off unwanted stock. Of the product we have inspected the oldest has been in use since 2018 and all were manufacture for the local market not meeting international standards.
Further these used screens are not usually ready to ship so not a speedy solution to an urgent delivery schedule. The owner usually releases the screen to the broker following an order, it is then shipped to the broker’s facility where repairs such as LED replacement are done. Cabinets are cleaned, new flight cases may be arranged or old cases cleaned but otherwise the target is functionality. Spare parts may be limited, if available at all, while mechanical damage such as scratches, dents and damaged masks are not repaired or replaced.
Warranty is also very limited and often the older a product the more difficult it can be to locate replacement power supplies and receiver cards.
The facilities where the screes are cleaned up prior to shipment may also be limited in space with only a small screen install possible for FAT at any one time. This means that a full FAT takes much longer than would normally be the case with an original manufacturer.
Older screens are generally more power hungry than newer models, LEDs lose 10-15% brightness per year and screens lose uniformity with age, recalibrating to achieve uniformity even if possible loses another 15-20% brightness. It also costs the same to ship a used screen as it does a new screen. Overall whether a heavily used screen from the China events sector is a good investment is certainly questionable.
If considering such a purchase there are a lot of concerns to be addressed, the age, lack of spares, extent of physical damage, general performance and after sales service but I would highly recommend eyes on the screen as early as possible.
We can help with a professional inspection of your purchase, or better still let’s discuss your targets and we can help provide an affordable new or as-new screen to meet your budget complete with spares, warranty and FAT inspection.