These screens are also very vulnerable to being vandalized since they're so accessible. I can think of several things that can be done to them pretty easily, I won't itemize the options so as not to give anyone ideas, but I think you've all got pretty good imaginations and experience to think of what can happen yourselves.
The drawbacks seem obvious enough, vandalism risk, encroachment into passenger space on sometimes crowded platforms, not very visible to many riders (you have to be standing almost in front of the screens and facing backwards towards the wall, back to the tracks).
While the paybacks seem less than obvious.
The TTC in many stations has shifted Ads at side platform stations from the centre columns to the side walls. Aside from marring any attempt at cohesive architecture/design, these ads are almost certainly read a great deal less.
Passengers naturally want to face the track, not the wall; and passengers in passing trains for the most part won't get clear, unobstructed views either, because of the locations of seats, standing passengers and window partitions/doors etc.
I'm thinking this shift was because either the TTC or the Ad company didn't want to have to book time on track level, with the third rail turned off to change posters out.
Swell, so go digital, great idea; but stick the screens where they belong. Track time only needs to be booked to swap out a broken screen, or for a once a year replacement of a film that will go over them to address brake dust accumulation.
