Frequently Asked Questions

Back in 2014, we set out to do one job for one school: Quincy Notre Dame in Illinois. That was the whole plan. But that project went so well that Quincy High School and Quincy University came calling, and within 90 days they'd bought seven more boards. That's when we knew we had something.

So we spent the next year on the road, talking to schools all over the Midwest. What did they love about their vendors? What drove them crazy? We heard the same thing over and over: they wanted SUPERIOR SERVICE. A company that would actually answer the phone. Return the text. Respond to the email. Show up when they said they would.

That's what we built. That's still what drives every one of us today.

Want the full story? Watch the opening video in DigiDeck.

Over 1,300 completed projects across 40 states. When you look at total LED square footage installed each year in the K-12 and small college market, we're the third-largest company in the country. Right behind Daktronics at #1 and Nevco at #2.

Straight answer: every LED display sold in America starts in China. Ours included. Nobody's the exception. Where companies separate themselves is what happens next. Some guys assemble everything overseas and hand you a sealed box. We bring the cabinets in and test and assemble the full display right here in the U.S.

In late 2025, we decided that wasn't enough. We set out to overhaul three things at once: the product itself, our supply chain, and the quality standard we deploy to the market. That led us to partner with a handful of the best manufacturers and engineer a fully custom package built specifically for DS. Every detail that matters is dialed in: LED and chip brand, power supply type, brightness rating, life cycle, warranty. All balanced against price.

The result is a product our whole team stands behind. It's engineered to deliver a truly Uncommon experience for our K-12, college, university, and minor league sports clients.

We've grown from a September 2014 startup to over $50M in annual revenue and more than $200M in total revenue. Home base is a 54,000 square foot facility. We've got over 50 employees across all departments, and we've expanded into curriculum, media, and capital business units so we can serve schools more completely.

Come see it. Any school considering us is welcome to visit our facility and showroom in Columbia, IL, or we'll meet you at a completed project anywhere in the country. We also keep a long list of references in every state we do business, and they'll tell you the honest truth about what it's like to work with us. Ask them anything.

We don't use the word better. There are a lot of good people and a lot of good products in this industry, and we won't negatively-sell the competition. There's enough of that in the world already.

What we will tell you is that we set out to be Uncommon. That means being a consultant first and a salesperson second. Quality product, thoughtful design, software that's genuinely easy to use, an industry-leading warranty and service model, and clear communication on expectations and price from day one.

Add it all up and you don't just get a scoreboard. You get a partner for the long haul.

Our 10mm LED, hands down. It produces more than 281 trillion colors, 10,000 NIT of Ultra-High-Output brightness, and a 20+ year life cycle in a sports application. If a venue needs even higher resolution, we've also got 6.6mm and 3.8mm. All three are built on the same 37.795" x 37.795" cabinet and all three carry an 11-year warranty.

Our 3.9mm. It hits the sweet spot for indoor sports with beautiful resolution, perfectly built for the space. Need to push it higher? We offer 2.6mm and 1.8mm. Our two standard cabinet sizes (39.38" x 19.69" and 19.69" x 19.69") give us the building blocks to design almost any layout you can dream up.

Yes, and we design and manufacture all metal high grade digital tables in 8- and 10-section configurations, so we can hit any length or layout you want.

Yes. Screens from 43" to 85" with a range of design and mounting options.

Yes. Full sound system design, engineering, and installation for both indoor and outdoor venues. We're a national provider of Electro-Voice and Danley.

Yes. Front-end systems built to your exact spec: 4- to 8-camera video switchers, wired and wireless cameras, and every accessory that goes with them.

In most cases, yes. As long as your current structure passes inspection and the new board stays within the same footprint and windload (signage included), we can put it to work.

Yes. It's actually one of our specialties as we offer 50-state licensed engineering services, steel fabrication, construction, and installation. We specialize in monopole structures with catwalks and safety packages, engineered for the right balance of design, quality, and life cycle.

Depends on the scope, but we're usually complete (including training) in 3 to 6 days from arrival.

Depends on the scope, but we're usually complete (including training) in 2 to 7 days from arrival.

Here's what we love about this question: we're one of the only companies in the industry that gives you a choice. Most vendors lock you into their software. We don't. Two great options. Pick what fits.

ProScoreboard (PSB) is our computer-based, multi-sport platform. It plugs right into traditional console controllers and integrates seamlessly with Daktronics, OES, All-American, Electro-Mech, and Fair-Play. Comes with a full custom template builder, so your scoreboard can look and behave any way you want. Great fit for high school, college, and pro sports applications.

Scorevision (SV) is considered to be the best software in the industry, especially for high schools. It's 100% cloud-based, so you're not managing everything from the press box. It runs on iPad: one for game operations, one for fan engagement, ads, and everything in between. Scorevision also gives you SV Capture (an easy-to-use live video and replay system), SV Stream (game streaming), a school Fan App, and more.

Both are outstanding. Both make game day smooth. And both work seamlessly across our displays however you want to use them.

$7,500 per venue, per year. Multi-venue or district-wide? We evaluate discounts case by case.

$2,500 per venue, per year. Multi-venue or district-wide? We evaluate discounts case by case.

Yes. Our LED and processing are essentially software-agnostic, so we play well with just about anything. Want to keep your Daktronics software? No problem. Prefer Motion Rocket, Click Effects, ScoreView, ScoreBird, or something else? We'll make it work.

Two reasons. First, we run our own in-house network operating center and tech support. Real people, picking up the phone in Illinois. Second, we're part of the Field Nation network, which gives us access to more than 50,000 techs across the country, typically within an hour of every install we've done. And because our displays are built with only four components (LED module, power supply, cabling, and receiving card), they're inherently easy to service. Our last 12-month service model has resulted in unparalleled results, ensuring our displays are in consistent operation.

Since 1/1/2024, here's what we've averaged:

• 89 seconds from your call to a live person in our NOC
• 7 minutes to diagnose the issue
• 60% of issues resolved remotely
• 40% resolved onsite within 23.8 hours

That's the standard we hold ourselves to.

Yes. A lot of schools want to be trained to handle their own service, and we're happy to set that up. We'll even compensate you for your time under our onsite labor warranty and any extended warranty program you have with us.

An 11-year parts warranty covering every single component, plus a 3% onsite spare parts package so you're always ready if something needs attention. That's genuinely industry-leading.

A 7-year parts warranty covering every single component, plus a 3% onsite spare parts package for future service.

Yes, and it's popular for a reason. It's essentially an insurance policy on your investment and gives you real peace of mind. Outdoor projects can extend labor coverage up to 11 years; indoor up to 7.

Yes. Terms from 1 to 10 years, and we can wrap in more than just the scoreboard. We've financed smart boards, classroom equipment, new buildings, turf, lights, and more. Whatever's on your wish list, let's talk.

We do both. Financing runs 1 to 10 years; leasing runs 1 to 7.

The trade-off is straightforward: leasing keeps you in warranty and on the newest equipment, with payments coming out of your operations budget instead of capital. It's usually faster and easier to get approved. However, the school will not own the equipment.

Financing typically comes from your capital budget and gives you full ownership.

Both are good paths. We'll help you figure out which one actually fits your situation.

Yes, and this is one of the ways we really help schools win. Three paths, depending on how hands-on you want to be:

• School-managed program. We build the sponsorship program from the ground up, then hand it off to you. You manage it, you keep 100% of the revenue.
• DS Media managed. We do all the work: market research, build, launch, and ongoing management. 50/50 revenue share, with a minimum 5-year contract term, on any outright scoreboard purchase.
• Fully managed advertising program. A lower revenue-share model where DS Media helps pay down the scoreboard itself. This one gets evaluated school by school.

Different paths, same goal: help you get the scoreboard you deserve without breaking your budget.

Yes. DS Education is a full division dedicated to it. That includes DS Academy (our comprehensive curriculum), plus professional development for teachers and support building forward-looking student career pathways. We also offer "Classroom in a Box," which is exactly what it sounds like: a ready-to-go classroom equipment and buildout package built for hands-on learning.

Yes. Every digital sale includes a full creative suite of animations, customized and branded for your school and built around the sports you actually play. Plus general animations like the national anthem. If you want to go bigger, our Gold and Platinum upgrade packages run $2,500 to $5,000, and a lot of our schools upgrade every year to keep their game-day content feeling fresh.