Getting started.....

VIDEO DISPLAYS:  They are NOT the same. There is a reason that, when you drive up and down the highway, you notice a huge difference in display quality. The bad ones look bad for a reason- they are built cheaply with low quality parts and engineering. The good ones look good because they are new, or they are, indeed, built and engineered better. Come back in two years and see if that "good" display still looks good. If not, why not? Are you feeling confident that you know what red flags to watch out for? Are you listening to a sales pitch, or are you doing your due diligence research? How do you know if the specs are real or just exaggerated marketing ploys?

SCOREBOARDS: They are NOT the same. When was the last time your local scoreboard looked really red... or blue... or black?  Why are the digits so dim? Is the vinyl lettering peeling? Is your controller vintage 1980 technology? Why is X company's scoreboard 30% less money than Y's scoreboard?

SOUND SYSTEMS: They are NOT the same. Are there dead spots at your venue? Can you really understand the announcer?  When the music plays, does it sound like a transistor radio? Why are there 50 speakers hanging from the ceiling, and you still can't understand the words to the Star Spangled Banner? What does it take to make "killer" sound in your venue? 

1. Total Number of Lamps

2. Total Number of Pixels

3. Brand of LED lamp used

Most of your display costs are in the lamps themselves- be sure you get a bunch!

Powder Coated?

Total number of LED lamps per digit?

Steel or Aluminum Cabinets?

Top Grade Wireless Controller with USB connections and remote upgrade capability?

Demand a side-by-side shootout to hear the speakers in your venue.

What is the coverage pattern?

Is your speaker box six pieces of plywood with a hole cut in it for the speaker, or is there REAL engineering in the actual cabinet design itself?