How Is A Video Wall Different Than A VMS Client?

A video wall is typically a combination of hardware/software which allows you to combine many screens into a single logical display.

Milestone's Smart Wall feature is a multi-monitor capable feature to dynamically update one or more displays based on events/presets, or manually by operators.

You don't need a video wall product to use Smart Wall, and when used right, you get some of the effect of a video wall.

You can also combine the use of a video wall and a Smart Wall (or similar) product. For example Milestone has an integration with Barco.

A true video wall will allow the use of disparate inputs, either local or network to be placed in virtually any layout, across many monitors, positioned and controls from one or many remote positions. 

In short, if I load Smart PSS on a client capable of attaching 4 monitors, I can place cameras connected to it in many layouts, limited by SmArt PSS and the PC/Network capability/resources.  This is controlled by one client PC and operator.

In a true smart wall, I could send images from several products, properly rescaled as needed, into positions controlled by the smart wall controller.  Anyone with access to the smart wall software could adjust the inputs, outputs, positioning if allowed.  In addition, one or more servers could be dedicated to one or more monitors, enhancing processor and network functionality.

As pointed out, a real video wall is controlled by a dedicated special controller. In the past such device was the good old analogue matrix being able to show any of 32/64/128 analogue cameras on any of the 8/16/32 monitors all of them connected on this single device. In today's digital world this device is replaced by decoders or digital matrixes - IP devices with various inputs (analogue PAL/TVI/CVI/VGA/HDMI/SDI) and various outputs (HDMI/DVI/VGA/BNC). One such device could send video to up to 10-12 or more screen displays in many freely customizable layouts and screen designs. It many cases it is also capable of hardware video decoding for IP streams which is a plus.

The PC controlled video wall has limitations (some of them coming from the PC OS, some of them from the client software) - up to 4 screens on 1 PC client, preset screen layouts that are not freely customizable, etc. It is a cheaper, easier and more straightforward way to do a monitoring center, but in practice in 90% of the cases it would be good enough except for big enterprise systems or specific vertical markets and applications where true video walls were used even in the past (e.g. casinos, city surveillance, etc)

I read about Milestones smart wall and watched a video. I think I have a good understanding now. A video wall basically has a lot more flexibility and function.

For a homeowner with a large home, who has a safe room, has limited interest/desire in using software, and just wants to watch his 30ish cameras, I do not think a video wall is the correct solution. I think a PC with 4 HDMI is the better solution, and just open multiple viewing windows.

This is going to be pretty much set it and forget it.