Interactive Whiteboards vs. Large Format Displays: Which is Better for Your Boardroom?

The display is the focal point of any modern boardroom. It’s where presentations come to life, where financial data is scrutinized, and where remote team members make their appearance. When it comes time to choose that display, businesses are often faced with a key decision: should you invest in a cutting-edge Interactive Whiteboard, or is a high-quality, standard Large Format Display the smarter choice?

While they may look similar from a distance, their functions, user experiences, and costs are vastly different. An Interactive Whiteboard is an active, collaborative tool you can touch and write on. A Large Format Display is a passive, high-quality screen for viewing content.

Choosing the wrong one can lead to an expensive piece of technology being underutilized or, worse, a boardroom that fails to meet your team’s collaborative needs. This guide will compare these two technologies head-to-head to help you determine which is the right fit for your boardroom culture.

What is a Large Format Display (LFD)?

A Large Format Display (also known as a commercial display) is essentially a bigger, more robust version of the high-end TV in your living room. Its sole purpose is to display content from an external source—like a laptop, a video conferencing system, or a wireless presentation device.

You should choose an LFD if your primary use case is presentation and viewing.

Strengths of a Large Format Display:

• Exceptional Image Quality: LFDs are built to deliver the best possible picture. They excel at showing crisp 4K video, detailed presentations, and vibrant colors.
• Simplicity and Reliability: Their function is simple: turn on and show a picture. This makes them incredibly reliable and easy for anyone to use without training.
• Cost-Effective: For a given size, a high-quality LFD will almost always be significantly less expensive than an interactive whiteboard of the same size.
• Brightness: They are often brighter than interactive displays, making them a better choice for rooms with a lot of natural light.

Weaknesses:

• Passive Experience: It’s a one-way street. You can’t interact with the content on the screen. Any collaboration has to happen on the source device (the laptop).
• No Built-in Whiteboarding: If you want to brainstorm or annotate, you’ll need to use a traditional dry-erase whiteboard on another wall, splitting the room’s focus.

What is an Interactive Whiteboard (IFP)?

An Interactive Whiteboard, more accurately called an Interactive Flat Panel (IFP), is a large-format touch screen with a built-in computer. It is both a display and a collaborative device. You can present on it, but you can also walk up to it and use your finger or a stylus to write, draw, and manipulate the content directly on the screen.

You should choose an IFP if your primary use case is active collaboration and brainstorming.

Strengths of an Interactive Whiteboard:

• Active Collaboration: This is its superpower. Multiple people can walk up to the board and co-author documents, annotate over presentations, or brainstorm on a limitless digital canvas.
• All-in-One Solution: It replaces the need for a separate display, a dry-erase whiteboard, and sometimes even the in-room computer.
• Save and Share Your Work: Unlike a traditional whiteboard, you can save your entire brainstorming session as a PDF or image file and email it to the team with a single tap. Nothing gets erased and forgotten.
• Engaging for Hybrid Teams: When integrated with video conferencing, you can share the digital whiteboard with remote participants, allowing them to see the annotations in real-time and even contribute from their own devices.

Weaknesses:

• Higher Cost: The touch technology and built-in processing power make IFPs significantly more expensive than LFDs.
• Requires Training: While modern IFPs are becoming more intuitive, there is still a learning curve. Teams need to be trained on how to use the software effectively to get the most out of the investment.
• Potential for Underutilization: The biggest risk is buying an expensive interactive board that ends up being used as just a passive display 99% of the time.

The Verdict: Match the Tool to Your Meeting Culture

The decision between an Interactive Whiteboard and a Large Format Display comes down to one simple question: How does your team actually collaborate?

• Choose a Large Format Display (LFD) if: Your meetings are primarily presentation-driven. A leader stands at the front and presents information to the group. The focus is on clear, high-impact visuals and video. You can pair it with a traditional whiteboard on another wall for occasional brainstorming.
• Choose an Interactive Whiteboard (IFP) if: Your meetings are dynamic, hands-on workshops. People get up, move around, and work on problems together. The focus is on co-creation, brainstorming, and annotation. You have a collaborative culture and are willing to invest in training your team.

For many traditional boardrooms, a large, high-quality Large Format Display paired with a simple wireless presentation system remains the most reliable and cost-effective solution. However, for creative agencies, engineering firms, and forward-thinking companies that thrive on hands-on collaboration, an Interactive Whiteboard can be a transformative tool that unlocks a new level of productivity.