Which Is Better For Podcasts: Video Walls Or Green Screen?

As technology becomes more advanced, production equipment previously only available in specialist studios has become increasingly available to productions of all shapes and sizes, from bedroom podcasters to elaborate stage shows.

The affordability and modularity of LED screens mean that video display walls constructed to any aspect ratio, scale or even shape have become available to all types of businesses, even those to whom video production is just part of their marketing work.

With more production capabilities comes greater expectations from audiences and a desire for more dynamism in the media they consume, particularly as short-form content requires a viewer to be grabbed immediately.

Whilst historically the only option for this was the use of digital background removal, typically through the use of green screen, video walls have become more affordable, more detailed and more suited to video production than ever before.

Is a large video display best for your production? It will depend on your production setup, your on-screen personalities and the nature of your content.

What Is A Video Wall?

A video wall is a large-scale video display used as either a large-scale digital billboard, part of dynamic staging for concerts and events, or a backdrop for television and (occasionally) film production.

Whilst that is not always the case, almost all video walls are modular, made up of potentially dozens of smaller screens that are perfectly synchronised to display a full-sized image or video.

These screens are linked together with a video wall controller unit, which synchronises, streamlines and provides consistent output playback.

What makes them effective is not only that they can be used to produce large video walls as theoretically large as the capacity of your controller units, but there is also a versatility and ease of control of the output.

Initially, video walls were significantly more primitive, consisting of an array of cathode-ray tube (CRT) television screens or monitors which were hooked up together and manually synchronised to produce a larger image or video.

Initially, they could only consistently show pre-recorded video, often expanded, divided into as many segments as there are screens and recorded onto a collection of laserdiscs which are loaded and played back in sync.

It was not only difficult to configure, but was also expensive, unreliable and relatively low in detail and framerate; video walls were notoriously difficult to record without causing issues with flickering, desynchronisation and differing brightness and contrast from the individual screens.

This can even be seen with particularly successful video wall setups, such as U2’s Zoo TV tour in 1992.

However, with the rise of digital video controllers, the versatility of video walls increased significantly, and the rise of colour LCD screens meant that video walls could be lighter, cheaper to produce and thus far easier to scale to the size needed for stadium shows.

This scalability means that they have become affordable enough for small-scale productions and even home studios. But are they better than the alternatives?

Is A Green Screen Better Than A Video Wall?

Video walls are the gold standard for advertising and live events, and it is very rare to see any major music concert, sporting event, product launch or awards ceremony which does not use a video wall arrangement.

For recorded productions, on the other hand, such as those designed to air on television, film or via streaming media, video walls historically were too expensive, and lacked the fidelity and capacity to be recorded to make them truly viable as a consistent backdrop.

The primary alternative in these cases, most famously seen with television news and weather forecasts, was the use of chroma key technology, often known as blue screen or green screen.

A video composing aid, chroma key is where a presenter or performer is recorded in a room with a bright and consistent shade, who can subsequently be isolated in the resulting footage and added to another background.

Whilst this previously required specialist hardware and a dedicated studio, chroma key technology has improved to the point that almost any modern computer and many smartphones can do it. 

It is a versatile option, as much of the stage dressing can be customised for various shows, and a wide range of visual media can appear on the display.

Is A Video Wall Better Than A Green Screen For Content Production?

There will always be a place for both chroma key and video walls, but which is the right choice for your production will often be based on the little details.

Because a video wall can not only be seen by the audience but also by the subjects of the video, they have the opportunity to look at it and interact with it, particularly if the video wall has some kind of interface or touch-screen technology.

Chroma key composition has many limitations owing to the colours used to make the technique work effectively. People in the production cannot wear clothing that has a similar shade to the backdrop.

For example, if you are wearing a green top or even have green eyes, they could potentially appear invisible once composited in. 

Rather infamously, the 2002 Spider-Man film, which featured the eponymous blue-and-red garbed superhero and a villain called the Green Goblin, needed to use two separate sets of chroma key backdrops for its composite shots.

As well as this, even lighting is required to avoid the presence of shadows and avoid having a large colour range that needs to be chosen and removed.

Alongside this, green screens can be uncomfortable to work in, particularly for actors and presenters used to practical effects and set dressing. A bright colour and the lights needed to keep it even can be difficult to get used to.

Are There Any Other Alternatives To Video Walls?

For still images, it is still possible to take advantage of matte paintings, a huge backdrop typically painted on glass sheets. Whilst largely superseded by digital alternatives, it can sometimes still see use in productions with a consistent backdrop.

As well as this, digital projection was traditionally the way to create a large image, and was used for the initial JumboTron video walls used in stadiums.