Dynamo LED Displays hired and installed five 2mm pixel pitch LED screens in the Harrods shop windows for the launch of the Oculus Quest 2 headset, from 5 m × 3 m down to 3 m × 2 m. Each screen had a central section stepped 0.5 m forward for depth, installed over three evenings behind vinyl-covered glass.
Updated October 2026. Case study first published November 2021.
Project facts
| Client | Meta (then renamed from Facebook during the install), launching the Oculus Quest 2 headset |
|---|---|
| Venue | Harrods, Knightsbridge, London: five display windows on the street frontage |
| Screens | Five 2mm pixel pitch indoor LED screens with black-face LEDs and a dark resin surface: 5 m × 3 m, two of 4 m × 2 m, two of 3 m × 2 m |
| Build | Central section of each screen brought forward by 0.5 m (3 m × 1.5 m on the largest, 2 m × 1.5 m on the others) for a stepped 3D effect |
| Playback | Five media players and five LED video processors, one set per window |
| Install | Three evenings, with the windows covered in vinyl until the reveal |
| Scope | LED screen hire, structure, installation, commissioning and de-rig by Dynamo LED Displays |
The brief: five windows, five virtual worlds
Harrods dresses its windows as a single campaign, and for the Quest 2 launch each of the five windows was built as a different landscape seen through the headset: jungle, desert canyon and so on, with the oval Quest motif framing the screen and a headset on a plinth in front. The agency needed a moving backdrop in each window that could be read through the glass from the pavement at night and in daylight, and a screen that could be shaped to the set rather than hung flat. The screens came from Dynamo’s LED screen hire fleet because the windows only run for a few weeks.
What Dynamo installed
2mm black-face LED with a dark resin surface
Window screens are viewed from a metre or two through glass, so the pitch has to be fine and the surface has to stay dark when the content is dark, otherwise the screen reads as a grey rectangle in daylight. Dynamo used 2mm panels with black-face LEDs and a resin-coated surface, the construction described on our resin-protected LED page, which gives deeper blacks and a surface that can be wiped down after the window dressers have finished.
Five screens, each with a stepped-forward centre
Each screen was built in two planes: a full-size rear wall and a central block brought 0.5 m forward on its own frame, so the set pieces and the headset could sit around it and the landscape appeared to come out of the window. On the 5 m × 3 m screen the forward block was 3 m × 1.5 m; on the 4 m and 3 m screens it was 2 m × 1.5 m. The processor treats the two planes as one canvas, so the content runs across the step without a join.
Three evenings behind the vinyl
Harrods windows are installed out of hours and out of sight, so the glass was covered with vinyl and the screens went in over three evenings: frames and rear walls first, then the forward blocks, then cabling, processors and media players, with each window tested before the dressers moved in. The crew returned after the campaign to de-rig and return the panels to stock.
Current Dynamo options for a shop window LED screen
For a hired window screen today Dynamo would specify the DRE Series indoor rental cabinets, which are 496 × 496 mm, 9.2 kg and front serviceable. The figures below are from the DRE Series datasheet. For a permanent shopfront screen see LED shopfront displays.
| Model | Pixel pitch | Cabinet resolution | Brightness | Refresh rate | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRE P1.55 | 1.55mm | 320 × 320 px | 800 nits or more | 1,920 to 3,840 Hz | Windows viewed from the pavement at arm’s length |
| DRE P1.93 | 1.93mm | 256 × 256 px | 800 nits or more | 1,920 to 3,840 Hz | Window and in-store launch screens, as used here at 2mm |
| DRE P2.58 | 2.58mm | 192 × 192 px | 800 nits or more | 1,920 to 3,840 Hz | Deeper windows and atrium screens viewed from further back |
See the pixel pitch guide for choosing a pitch from the viewing distance, event rental LED display panels for the cabinets themselves, and our post on window advertising with LED screens for brightness and content advice.
Related Dynamo retail and launch projects
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak exhibition at Harrods
- Interactive LED displays for Beats by Dre at Harrods
- Glossier pop-up on Regent Street
- LG G4 launch LED video wall, London
- 27 LED tickers in the Harrods windows
- Retail LED video walls for the Dixons Carphone flagship on Oxford Street
LED screen hire for shop windows: frequently asked questions
What pixel pitch does a shop window LED screen need?
Fine. People stop a metre or two from the glass, so 1.5mm to 2.5mm keeps the LED structure invisible and text and faces sharp; the Harrods Quest 2 windows used 2mm. A coarser pitch works only for a window read from across the street. Finer pitch costs more per square metre, so size the screen to the window rather than filling the whole opening.
Can an LED screen be shaped around a window display?
Yes. LED screens are built from cabinets on a frame, so they can step forward, wrap a corner or leave a gap for a prop. At Harrods each screen had a central block brought 0.5 m forward so the set dressing sat around it. The processor maps the content across both planes, so the picture is continuous even though the surface is not flat.
How long does it take to install LED screens in shop windows?
The five Harrods windows were installed over three evenings, working after closing with the glass covered in vinyl. Frames and rear walls go in first, then any forward sections, then cabling and commissioning, and each window is tested before the display team dresses it. Smaller single-window jobs are usually done in one night.
Is it better to hire or buy an LED screen for a window campaign?
Hire for a campaign of a few weeks, as with the Quest 2 launch: the screens, frames, processors and media players come as a package, Dynamo installs and removes them, and there is nothing to store or maintain afterwards. Buy for a shopfront screen that runs all year; our LED shopfront page covers that option.
Will a window LED screen be visible in daylight?
Yes, if it is specified for it. Indoor rental cabinets at 800 nits or more are bright enough behind glass in most UK high-street windows, and the black-face LEDs with a dark resin surface used at Harrods keep contrast up when the sun is on the glass. For a south-facing window in full sun a brighter outdoor-rated cabinet may be the safer choice.
Get a quote for LED screen hire in a shop window
Send us the window sizes, the dates, the content you plan to run and a photo of the frontage, and we will come back with a pixel pitch, a build plan and a written hire quote. Get a quote or call 020 3489 9878.
