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Break-even calculator · free

LED screen: rent it or own it? Find out after how many events buying pays off

Both options are in our group: VEX Systems sells and installs LED screens, Media Rental rents them out. That is why we calculate honestly, both ways. Enter the size, the number of events per year and the rental rate, and you will see the threshold above which your own screen costs less than renting. You can change every assumption.

Calculator

Your numbers

Start with the size and the number of events per year. We suggest the rest from market data and our catalogue; everything can be changed.

Screen

cabinet 50 × 50 cm
10.0 m²

Use

12
11224364860

Every time the screen is switched on counts: a conference, a concert, a trade fair day, a gala. A venue where the screen is permanently installed means 200+ days a year, so move the slider all the way.

Rental

350 PLN/m²/day
150350550800

Market: roughly PLN 250–500 net per m² per day indoors (pixel pitch 2.6–3.9 mm), depending on the date and the city. Further days of the same event are counted at 50% of the rate.

Advanced assumptions
what the rental company adds to the per-m² rate
transport, installation, technician: the owner pays for these too
service, parts, storage, insurance
resale of the used screen

Which one when

When to rent, when to buy

There is no single right answer, only the right answer for your calendar. Below are situations where one option clearly wins.

Rental

Renting makes sense when

  • you need the screen for one event or a few a year,
  • every event has a different stage and a different screen size,
  • you have no storage for flight cases and no crew for installation,
  • you want transport, installation and a technician in one price,
  • the budget is per project, not an investment,
  • you are still checking which pixel pitch and size really suit the venue.

Purchase

Buying makes sense when

  • the screen works regularly: a conference room, a club, a showroom, a stage at a venue,
  • the number of events per year exceeds the break-even point from the calculator (usually from a few to a dozen or more),
  • the content and branding are to be yours, without booking dates,
  • you have space for the flight cases and people to set up the screen (or you order installation from us),
  • the screen is to be a fixed asset of the company (confirm depreciation with your accountant),
  • you want one set matched to one venue, not whatever equipment happens to be available.

Full cost

What your own LED screen really costs

The price of the set from the configurator is the start of the list, not the end of it. An honest calculation of ownership looks like this:

Included in rental

What you get in the rental price, and what you do not

Rental sells peace of mind: the complete set arrives with a crew and leaves after the event. The rate covers the equipment with flight cases, the processor and cabling, transport, installation and dismantling, a technician at the event and usually insurance of the equipment. No capital is frozen in cabinets, and there is no storage.

What is not included: the screen is not yours, so every further use costs the full rate, dates have to be booked in advance (the peak is September–November and May–June), and the size and pixel pitch depend on what the rental company has in stock. For a company that shows content every day this stops adding up, and that is exactly what the calculator measures.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions: renting or buying an LED screen

How much does it cost to rent an LED screen for one day?

Roughly PLN 250–500 net per square metre per day for an indoor screen with a pixel pitch of 2.6–3.9 mm, depending on the date, the city and the size. A 4 × 2.5 m screen (10 m²) usually costs PLN 3,000–5,000 net per day plus transport, installation and a technician, i.e. about PLN 1,000–2,000. Rental companies charge less for further days of the same event, most often half the rate. Media Rental will prepare a real quote for a specific date.

From how many events a year does it pay to buy an LED screen?

With typical figures (a 10 m² set for about PLN 120,000–135,000 net, rental at PLN 3,500 per day plus about PLN 1,500 for transport and installation, 5 years of use, 4% of the price per year for service, storage and insurance, 20% of the price on resale), the break-even point falls at 7–8 events a year. If rental is cheaper or you do not count the resale value, the threshold moves up to a dozen or more. Above the threshold your own screen costs less; below it, renting is cheaper. The calculator works this out with your numbers, because rates and running costs differ from venue to venue.

Does VEX Systems rent out LED screens?

No. VEX Systems sells LED screens from its B2B catalogue, installs and commissions them and integrates them with an existing AV system. Rental for individual events is handled by Media Rental, a brand of the same group. That is why the calculator works both ways: both answers stay in the family.

Can I rent a screen first and then buy it?

Yes, and it is often the most sensible order. The first event on rented equipment shows what size and pixel pitch you really need in your venue, how much space the flight cases take up and how long installation takes. With that knowledge, buying in the configurator is an informed decision: you choose the model and size for real use, not from a catalogue.

What happens to an LED screen after five years?

It still works. Manufacturers state an SMD LED lifetime of around 50,000–100,000 hours, i.e. many years of event use. The set from the configurator includes spare cabinets (5%, at least 2 pieces), so a single failure does not stop the screen. What does drop is the resale value: after 5 years it is usually 20–30% of the purchase price, depending on condition, pixel pitch and whether the cabinets worked indoors or outdoors. The calculator includes this value in the cost of ownership.