Want the Biggest TV for your Media Room? Here is the Answer...
For the most immersive home theatre experience, a front projection system (separate video projector and large screen) remains the ultimate video display technology, especially for private home theaters where you can control the lighting environment. But, what about more casual spaces, such as your Family or Great Room that doubles as a Media Room where you want to watch the TV in a brighter environment? It is in these situations that a large flat panel TV is a great choice, and maybe the fairly standard 65" size isn't cutting it. Well, we have some solutions for you...
To kill the suspense, I'll tell you right now the largest flat panel TV on the market is the 152" plasma TV offered by Panasonic (which is mighty huge!). Here is the rundown on large flat panel TV options available today.
First, the incredible Panasonic TH-152UX1 plasma TV. This 152" diagonal screen size TV weighs nearly 1300 pounds and has the surface area of about nine 50" flat panel TV's (hint, you will want to brace your walls to handle the weight). It boasts more than 4 times the pixels of conventional high-definition displays with its 4096 x 2160 resolution. It is 3D capable and has a slightly wider aspect ratio of 17:9 which complies with the DCI standard for digital cinema. The picture height is nearly 6'. A TV this large doesn't come cheap, it is $499,995 (believe it or not, this is only the 2nd most expensive TV we sell). There is at least one in stock locally, so call us today if you want one, these are not in mass supply.
The previous screen size champ until the 152" came along is the 103" plasmas available from Panasonic and Runco. It has a slightly larger picture than four 50" displays. Like the 152" TV above, you can get 3D at this screen size, and trust us, 3D looks much better on larger screens. 3D is meant to be viewed on larger screen sizes...the 3D effect really loses its punch when viewed on smaller TV sizes unless you sit very close to the TV. Prices for this class of TV can vary from around $40K up to nearly $100K for the top-of-the-line Runco 103". And yes, you can see the picture quality difference on the higher-end TV's like the Runco, they use superior video processing to make sure the picture, regardless of the input source, looks as good as possible. We've installed a few of the Runco's, and picture is simply stunning. You can see one in action by scrolling down to the 3rd video at this link > Media Room videos.
Panasonic also manufactures an 85" plasma TV, also available in a 3D version. To give some perspective, this TV is roughly the same size as four 42-inch displays. This TV weighs around 260 pounds and is about 3.9" thick. Like most TVs these days, this one is made with glass that minimizes glare on the screen surface. Prices range from approximately $25K to nearly $40K for the top-end 3D ready model. Like all Panasonic plasma TV's, the picture is excellent.
In September of 2011, Sharp released their Largest flat panel TV yet at 80". This TV has surpassed its recent predecessor, which was a 70" TV. The Sharp flat panel 80" TV features LED backlighting and has built in WiFi. This allows users to access Netflix through the TV.
Mitsubishi tops out at 92". Smaller versions are available in 73" and 82" screens, and all are 3D ready. The only "catch" with the Mitsubishi's is that they are rear-projection technology (think of the "big screens" that existed before the plasma TV boom). They are deeper (18" - 25" deep) and the picture will noticeably dim at wide viewing angles. They are cost-effective for a large picture, though.
Samsung makes a 82" LCD, but it is an expensive professional model (over $60K) with a touch-screen overlay meant for commercial and digital signage solutions.
Final thoughts: Prices change with time, so please call us at 866-692-8489 for the most current pricing. Also, please see one of our prior blog posts about new projection screen technology that makes using a front projection system possible in brighter rooms by clicking the following link > Enjoy the Home Theater Experience Even if you Don't Have a Batcave.
