Short answer: The price of an SMD screen in Pakistan depends mostly on its pixel pitch, whether it is indoor or outdoor, the brand, and its total size in square feet. Structure, installation, the controller and the dollar rate are added on top. A finer pitch means more LEDs per square foot, so it costs more. The only reliable number is a written quote for your exact site.
You will see “per square foot” prices on OLX and Facebook. They are useful as a rough start, but they rarely say what is included. This guide explains each part of the cost, so you can compare two quotations line by line.
Why do SMD screen prices vary so much?
Prices vary because “SMD screen” covers very different products. A P10 outdoor sign and a P1.9 boardroom wall are both SMD screens. The second one has about 26 times more pixels in every square metre.
| Pixel pitch | Pixels per square metre | Pixels compared with P10 |
|---|---|---|
| P10 | 10,000 | 1× |
| P6.67 | about 22,500 | about 2.3× |
| P3.9 | 65,536 | about 6.6× |
| P2.6 | 147,456 | about 15× |
| P2.5 | 160,000 | 16× |
| P1.9 | about 262,000 | about 26× |
Pixels per square metre = (1000 ÷ pixel pitch in mm)². Most P3.9 panels are really 3.91 mm, P2.6 is 2.604 mm and P1.9 is 1.953 mm.
More pixels mean more LEDs, more driver chips and finer boards. That is the main reason the price rises as the P number falls. Read our pixel pitch guide to pick the largest pitch that still looks sharp from where your audience stands. That is usually the biggest saving you can make.
What are the main cost factors?
| Cost factor | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| Pixel pitch | Finer pitch means more LEDs per sq ft |
| Indoor or outdoor | Outdoor needs high brightness, IP65 sealing and stronger cabinets |
| Brand and LED quality | Branded LEDs, calibration and same-batch modules cost more but last longer |
| SMD or COB | COB fine-pitch screens cost more than SMD at the same pitch |
| Refresh rate and grey scale | 3,840 Hz or 7,680 Hz screens need better driver ICs |
| Controller or processor | Bigger screens and 4K input need more capable hardware |
| Steel structure | Wall mount, rooftop frame or pole, plus wind load for outdoor |
| Installation and cabling | Labour, power distribution and data cables |
| Spare modules and warranty | A good quote includes spares from the same batch |
| Import duty and dollar rate | Screens are imported, so the PKR price moves with the exchange rate |
How much more does an outdoor screen cost than an indoor one?
An outdoor screen usually costs more per square foot than an indoor screen of the same pitch. The reasons are practical:
- It needs much higher brightness to stay readable in the sun, usually 5,000 nits or more.
- The front must be sealed against dust and rain (IP65), and the power box must be sealed too.
- The structure has to carry wind load, which needs engineering and more steel.
- It runs for long hours in heat, so it needs better cooling and power supplies.
Our indoor vs outdoor SMD screen guide explains these differences in detail.
Why can a cheap SMD screen cost more over time?
A low price per square foot often hides costs that appear later:
- Dead pixels and failed modules that need replacing within the first year or two.
- Colour patches, because modules from different batches age at different rates.
- No matching spares. A new module from another batch shows up as a visible square.
- Higher electricity bills from less efficient LEDs and power supplies. See SMD screen power consumption.
- No real warranty once the seller has moved on.
A branded screen costs more on day one but usually costs less over five to ten years. Absen, for example, rates its A25 outdoor series at less than 1 kWh per square metre per day and a service life of up to 10 years.
Is renting cheaper than buying?
For a one-off event, yes. For a screen you will use every week, buying usually works out cheaper over time. Our rent or buy guide shows a simple break-even sum you can do with your own numbers.
How do you get an accurate SMD screen quote?
Send the supplier these details. With them, you get a quote you can compare fairly with others.
- Location: indoor, outdoor, or semi-covered (for example a marquee).
- Size: width and height you have in mind, in feet or metres. The SMD screen size guide helps here.
- Viewing distance: how close the nearest viewers will stand.
- Use: advertising, events, shop display, meeting room or control room.
- Hours per day: this affects the choice of LED, power supply and cooling.
- Mounting: wall, pole, rooftop, ground stack or hanging.
- Content source: laptop, USB, media player, cameras or a cloud system.
Then check that every quote lists the same items: screen, controller, structure, installation, spare modules, warranty period and after-sales support.
Where can you get an Absen SMD screen price in Pakistan?
Irfan Corporation is the authorised Absen distributor in Pakistan, with offices in Karachi and Islamabad. The team does a site survey and prepares an itemised quotation. Browse the Absen SMD screen range or contact us for a quote.
New to SMD screens? Start with what is an SMD screen.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the pixel pitch, indoor or outdoor use, the brand and what is included. Prices also move with the dollar rate. Ask for an itemised quote based on your size and viewing distance, rather than relying on a general per-square-foot figure.
A P2.5 screen has 160,000 pixels per square metre. A P4 screen has 62,500. More pixels mean more LEDs and electronics in the same area.
Not always. Check whether the quote includes the steel structure, cabling, controller, installation, spare modules and warranty.
SMD screens are imported, so the rupee-dollar exchange rate and import duties affect the final price in Pakistan.
It can be risky. Older modules may not match available spares, and their brightness may already have dropped. Ask for the brand, the age and the number of spare modules before you buy.
About this guide: Written by the Absen Pakistan team at Irfan Corporation, the authorised Absen distributor in Pakistan, with offices in Karachi and Islamabad. Product details come from Absen’s official specifications. Last updated: 19 October 2026.