Let's examine an actual case.
The organizers of an outdoor music festival in Hangzhou last year originally intended to purchase a number of LED displays, but the event was only scheduled for three days, and the estimated cost exceeded 600,000 yuan. In the end, they decided to hire an LED display, which cost less than 60,000 yuan and included setup, technicians, and weather protection. Even in severe rain, there were no issues, and the on-site effect was breathtaking.
This is the rental model's true worth. I'll start with the most typical situations below and walk you through each one step-by-step.
Prior to renting an LED display, be aware of these four factors:
I. When is renting an LED screen truly necessary?
1. Large-scale galas, music festivals, and concerts: the primary screen in the middle of the stage, the extended screens on either side, and occasionally even the floor must be tiled. Because the show concludes tonight and the venue must be vacated by tomorrow morning, these events demand extremely high brightness (outside must endure direct sunlight) and rapid setup and takedown.
2. New product launches, corporate debuts, and annual meetings: The boss requests that the displays be set up in an arc or created into a massive "backdrop." More significantly, the screen cannot show scanning lines (which would be instantly apparent with a camera) if there is a TV station or internet live feed.
Terminology Note: When the refresh rate is less than 1000 Hz, scanning lines, also referred to as "insufficient refresh rate," arise. The dark portions of the screen that are being refreshed will be captured by a camera shutter, producing black stripes. A refresh rate of at least 1920 Hz is usually required for rental screens.
3. Exhibition Booths, Pop-up Stores, Shopping Mall Atrium Events: Since booths only last two or three days, the screen must be lightweight, portable, and occasionally even cube or cylinder to draw attention. For these short-term events, LED screen rentals are most popular-use and return, no storage concerns.
4. The screen needs to be glare-resistant, windproof, and rainproof for sporting events, outdoor marathons, and street parties. It must not short circuit owing to water damage during rainy weather and be easily visible in direct sunshine.
5. Weddings, Birthday Parties, Private Parties: A lot of people rent an LED stage backdrop to play congratulatory films or wedding pictures, which immediately creates a joyous environment. It doesn't have to be very big-6–10 square meters would do-and it just costs one or two thousand yuan.
II. What occurs if you choose not to rent? Three main issues with purchasing your own screen
Problem 1: It's very costly, and you won't use it very often.
Over 300,000 yuan will be spent on a 100-square-meter outdoor screen with a P3.9 pixel pitch. The screen will sit in the warehouse gathering dust and taking up space if you only use it two or three times a year.
Terminology Note: The centres of two neighbouring LEDs are separated by 3.9 mm in P3.9, where "P" stands for Pixel. The finer the image, the lower the number, but the higher the cost.
Problem 2: You are responsible for setup, maintenance, and transportation.
The screen module and cabinet are the only things you purchase. To connect the power, you must locate a truck, erect scaffolding, hire an electrician, and modify the video processor. The entire event could be ruined by a minor issue.
Issue 3: Too rapid technological advancements
Next year, the P3.9 screen you purchase now will be P2.5. Customers will notice your screen's substantially lower clarity right away if you compare it to others.
III. In what ways does leasing address these issues? (Attached is a comparison table.)
In addition to purchasing hardware, renting an LED screen entails purchasing a whole "error-free display service."
The Leasing Model's Four Core Principles: Use Less to Do More: Renting a 100 square meter P3.9 outdoor screen for three days usually costs between 30,000 and 50,000 yuan (including setup and personnel). Better lighting technicians or performers may be hired with the money saved.
Everything is handled by a professional team: the rental business will send specialists to the location to set up the framework, hang the screen, wire the screen, change the colour of the screen, and even trim video footage to the proper aspect ratio. They will be there for the duration of the event; in the case that an LED fails, a replacement module will be put in five minutes.
Curved locks, rain coverings, and weighted counterweights are easily accessible from reputable rental businesses. They are also windproof and resistant to curved splicing. When you tell them, "I need a circular screen with an 8-meter diameter," they just take the curved cabinet out of their warehouse and put it together in half a day.
Rainproof outdoor LED rental screen solution: IP67 aviation plugs are used for the interface, a waterproof groove is added to the back of the screen, and a rainproof canopy reaches the top. The show won't need to be halted in light to moderate rain.
Select a resolution based on your requirements: choose a high-definition LED rental screen (P2.5 or P1.9) if you're close to the audience (3–5 meters); if you're farther away (more than 10 meters), choose P4 or P5.9 for better value. Cabinets from rental providers come in a variety of pixel pitches, so you may select the best one for your viewing distance.
How do you make decisions for various occasions? Everything is explained in a table.
| Activity type | Recommended pixel pitch | Brightness requirements (nits) | Precautions |
| Indoor press conference / annual meeting | P2.5 or P1.9 | 1500-2000 | Prioritize refresh rates of ≥1920Hz to avoid scanning patterns during live streaming. |
| Outdoor music festivals / sporting events | P3.9 or P4.8 | ≥5000 | A rainproof design and windproof bracing are required; an additional backup generator is recommended. |
| Exhibition Booth / Pop-up Store | P2.5 or P3.9 | 1200-2500 | Choose a lightweight case (each case ≤ 8kg) for easy relocation every day. |
| Wedding / Private Party | P3.9 | 1000-2000 | Usually, renting 6-15 square meters is sufficient. Make sure to ask if it includes a backdrop and control console. |
The "nits" in the table is a unit of brightness, which can be simply understood as "how bright the screen is". 1000 nits is sufficient under normal indoor lighting, while at least 4500 nits is needed to see clearly under outdoor sunlight.
IV. What is a rental LED display screen?
Instead of purchasing a screen, you may "borrow" a whole display system and servicing from a reputable business on a daily basis using LED display screen rental.
In particular, this comprises:
Screen cabinet (assembled parts, similar to building blocks)
Steel framework or quick-release frame (the screen-hanging frame)
Video processor (which transforms signals from cameras or computers into visuals that the screen can comprehend)
Network cables, aviation connectors, and cables
transportation, setup on location, technical troubleshooting, full-time event assistance, and subsequent disassembly and removal.
All you need to supply is a video signal (such an HDMI connection for a laptop or broadcast console) and a power outlet. The rental firm is in charge of everything else, including whether the resolution is enough, what to do in the rain, and whether there is an image delay.
"RMB/square meter/day" is the standard unit of measurement for LED screen rental costs. Indoor P2.5 screens cost about RMB 200–350, whereas outdoor P3.9 screens cost about RMB 300–500. The unit price decreases with the length of the rental time; typically, renting for three days or longer is the most economical.
An Actual Case Study: A Perfect Performance in the Rain
A 200-square-meter outdoor main screen was needed for a beer festival that took place by the sea in Qingdao in the summer of 2024. The P4.8 rainproof screen was rented by the organizers.
The next night, there was an unexpected deluge with winds as high as level 7. The outdoor LED rental screen exhibited normally for the duration of the event since the rental business had installed a rainproof system, which included a top rain cover, a back diffuser, and sealed interfaces. There were no disruptions for the 20,000 guests.
The cost of buying the screens, including shipping, scaffolding, spare modules, and engineer travel fees, would have exceeded 800,000 yuan, according to the organizers' post-event calculations. They didn't have to deal with subsequent warehousing and depreciation, and their leasing cost was less than 100,000 yuan.
To put it briefly, renting an LED screen relieves you of the burden of "buying equipment, learning the technology, and managing warehousing," freeing you up to concentrate solely on producing excellent event content.
