Bright sunlight can be one of the biggest challenges for outdoor digital signage. If you have ever walked past a digital screen on a sunny day and struggled to read it due to glare or low brightness, you are not alone. When a message is not visible, it is a missed opportunity that is only wasting energy, money and staff resources.
Yet, there are displays that manage to stay visible and effective even in full sun, as well as content creation tips and tricks that help your content stand out. That proves it is possible to get it right. The key lies in understanding what works and why.
Samsung’s Visual eXperience Transformation (VXT) platform, combined with its high-brightness LED and LCD displays, is one solution designed specifically to tackle these challenges. It can also support other display types, but for simplicity, this post focuses on Samsung’s ecosystem.
In this blog, you will find strategies for content design, an overview of display technologies built for high-brightness environments, and real-world case studies. The goal: to help you make outdoor digital signage that delivers your desired results, no matter the weather.
1. What Are High-Brightness Environments?
2. Recommended Brightness Levels by Application
3. Why Samsung VXT Matters for This Topic
4. Clarity in Any Light: All You Need to Know When Standard Screens Fail
5. LCD and LED: Key Differences and How to Choose the Right Outdoor Display
6. Best Practices for Creating Content for Bright Environments
8. Conclusion
High-brightness environments are locations where sunlight or intense ambient light makes content on the standard digital displays hard to see. These include:
To stay visible, digital signage in these settings requires displays that offer far higher nits of brightness than standard indoor displays. Samsung VXT supports high-brightness LED displays designed for exactly these kinds of environments, ensuring content remains clear and easy to read even in direct sunlight.
To stay visible in direct sunlight, outdoor displays need much higher brightness than indoor ones. This helps content remain clear even in harsh daylight. Your hardware supplier can help you choose the right level for your environment.
In shopping centres, showrooms, and similar spaces, displays do not need to fight off the sun. Moderate brightness is enough to ensure clarity without overwhelming the space. Ask your supplier what works best for your setup.
Live events often involve dynamic lighting—spotlights, low light or both. Displays need to stay visible in these changing conditions. A supplier can help match screen brightness to your event needs.
Displays in large venues need to stay readable from a distance and through various weather conditions. High brightness is often essential here. Work with your supplier to get the right fit for your location.
If you need help choosing the right combination of hardware and software, or if you want us to connect you with the right supplier, we can help you.
Samsung’s VXT is a cloud-based content management system (CMS) designed for digital signage. It is built to handle instant updates, dynamic content scheduling, and easy integration across one, ten, hundreds or thousands of screens. Not only works on Samsung but also on non-Samsung screens, and it shows good results for creating content for high-brightness environments. See more key Samsung VXT Features here.
In 2025, Samsung introduced major improvements to the Samsung VXT platform:
These updates, along with its core features, make Samsung VXT one of the most advanced digital signage platforms available today. It is also designed specifically for creating content that works well in high-brightness environments.
Standard screens struggle in direct sunlight or brightly lit environments, often leaving content washed out or unreadable. If your message needs to be seen outdoors or through a shop window, you will need both a high-resolution display, and a smart way to design your content too.
Samsung’s outdoor displays are designed specifically for visibility and durability in challenging environments. These characteristics include:
Samsung offers two main types of outdoor displays: LCD-based and LED-based, and both are compatible with Samsung VXT digital signage platform. The OHN and OHF Series are among the most prominent LCD outdoor displays. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display, a technology that uses a backlight to illuminate pixels. It is ideal for high-resolution content in controlled formats like totems, kiosks and wall-mounted signage. These displays are often enclosed and protected for use in public or semi-exposed areas.
By contrast, LED displays do not rely on a backlight. Instead, each pixel emits its own light, making them ideal for large-scale, high-brightness environments. Samsung's LED-based outdoor series, such as the XHB, XPR and XPR-B series, are built for stadiums, billboards and other big-format applications. These displays are designed for environments where extreme brightness, weather resistance, and custom shapes are needed. These LED displays are modular, weatherproof and designed for long-range visibility in any condition.
Samsung OHN Series
Samsung OHF Series
Samsung XHB Series
Samsung’s flagship outdoor LED display, built for high visibility and durability.
Samsung XPR Series
Flexible outdoor LED solution for a range of applications.
Samsung XPR-B Series
A streamlined outdoor LED display that’s easy to install and manage.
OHB Series
Samsung Colour E-Paper – Introduced in 2025
In early 2025, Samsung launched Colour E-Paper displays designed for static content in sunlit environments. Key benefits include:
While these displays do not support video, they are ideal for reducing energy use in static signage applications. Check out more about Samsung E-paper in the video below.
OMN / OMN-D Series (Semi-Outdoor)
To get the best results from your chosen display, and Samsung VXT in outdoor or high-brightness settings, your content needs to be built for clarity from the start. Here are some rules you can follow to achieve this.
Samsung VXT supports creating content that follows best practices for vibrant, high-brightness displays, but contrast is still key. Use strong differences between text and background to keep your message legible in sunlight. Avoid soft or pastel tones - bold colours work best. Every element on screen should hold up in full daylight.
With Samsung VXT, short and direct messaging works best. Fewer words, bigger headlines and clear calls to action help viewers grasp the point at a glance. Stick to one idea per screen to make full use of Samsung VXT’s visual impact without overloading your audience.
Even with Samsung VXT’s clarity, font choice matters. Stick to bold, sans-serif fonts that stay legible at a distance. Decorative or thin fonts can disappear outdoors. Always test your content from five metres or more, and if it is not instantly readable, adjust it before publishing.
Samsung VXT supports dynamic content, but do not overdo it. Use motion to highlight key points, not as decoration. Avoid flashing effects, which are harder to follow in bright light. Preview all animations on the actual screen in its final location to make sure they work as intended.
To get the most from Samsung VXT, always test your content where it will be seen. Check how it looks at different times of day and in direct sunlight. Adjust colours, contrast and layout as needed, and collect feedback from real users to make final tweaks.
If you're considering solutions built for visibility and simplicity, the Samsung VXT CMS P Series and Samsung VXT RM P Series models are worth exploring.
Challenge: Shinsegae, a major department store in central Seoul, needed an outdoor display that could deliver standout visuals in a high-traffic, sunlit commercial area. The goal was to attract more foot traffic and create a landmark visual experience in Myeongdong Square.
Solution: Samsung’s XHB Series LED display (P8) was chosen for its ultra-high brightness and durability. The massive 8K screen measures 71.8 metres wide and 17.9 metres high - covering over 1,200 m². With up to 8,000 nits of brightness, an IP66 rating for weather resistance, and HDR10+ support, the display delivers vivid, high-impact content even in full daylight. A 7,680Hz refresh rate ensures smooth playback with no flicker or moiré effect, critical for dynamic video and 3D content.
Result: The display turned the front of the store into a standout feature in Myeongdong Square. It now plays cultural and commercial content that grabs attention in one of Seoul’s busiest retail spots. The screen helps boost Shinsegae’s visibility and strengthens its brand presence in a competitive area, all of which can be achieved using Samsung VXT digital signage.
Read more here.
Photo 1: Shinsegae Outdoor Display
If you have ever squinted at a screen and walked away without reading it, you know how much potential is being wasted.
Thanks to the latest advancements in Samsung’s high-brightness display technology and the innovative Samsung VXT content platform, businesses can now deliver signage that remains visible, clear and compelling regardless of the lighting conditions.
Visibility is no longer optional. It is a requirement for effective communication, brand consistency, and customer engagement. Regardless of whether you are running a transport hub, retail space or stadium, you need the right approach. The right combination of hardware, content software and strategy ensures your messages are shown, seen, understood and acted upon.
Start with choosing the right display, design content that holds up in daylight, and use a platform like Samsung VXT to always be sure that your content is shown how it should be. Get in touch with your hardware supplier, or with us, for the best hardware plus CMS match. We will connect you to the right people if you need help.