Panasonic TH103PF9UK Plasma TV Review
Calling the Panasonic TH-103PF9UK huge would be an understatement.
With a jaw dropping 103-inch diagonal display, this unit is about the
size of your wall, and weighs just as much. Like all plasma screens,
it’s incredibly thin and looks even more so when viewed at an angle.
The overall dimensions are 8 feet by 5 feet by 5 inches and
weighs close to 500 pounds!
Now that
we’ve established that it’s a big screen, what does it look
like? Big is easy. Big and beautiful is hard to do.
The remarkable picture quality is achieved by
100% digital image processing with 16-bit Gamma control. This provides
for reduced image noise with incredible true contrast performance.
This is a true 1080P Plasma display with a native resolution of
1920x1080 so the picture looks smooth and natural, even very close.
Very close on a display of this size is within 10 feet, but the
picture holds true to within a foot or two. Black levels are
impressive, as are colour saturation and brightness. In fact, this
unit looks as good as the smaller sizes. No small feat given the
engineering involved.
Because this is a professional plasma display,
you have access to all of the controls to tweak the display for any
environment. For use in a TV studio, Panasonic has provided for a
one-button white balance adjustment. Just make sure you’ve set the
colour temperature to “Low” or this option won’t be available.
We
demoed two sources – HD-SDI and HDMI, using the standard expansion
cards designed to fit in the entire line of Panasonic professional
plasma displays. To the eye, the HD-SDI appeared more vibrant, but
this may have been due more to the source quality and not any
deficiency with the HDMI. Pictured is the jack pack showing the HD-SDI
card and HDMI card. No SD, please!
You can
schedule routine maintenance to occur automatically to reduce (if not
eliminate) the possibility of phosphor burn (after-images). Not
surprisingly, the TH-103PF9UK can also be set up for operation as part
of a plasma wall of up to 16 units in a 4x4 configuration. The only
other regular maintenance you may require is periodic cleaning of the
fan vent ports of the back as they can collect dust. If even one of
the fans fail it will shut down your plasma screen until it’s cleaned
or replaced. Your installer should be able to provide you with this
service.
The first thing you’ll notice about the controls
is that they work exactly the same way as every other Panasonic plasma
monitor. The chief difference is the size. Have I mentioned that this
is an absolutely gigantic plasma display?
The TH-103PF9UK takes full advantage of
Panasonic’s line of accessory cards. You can also set the display to
operate as part of a LAN, integrate a CAT5 transmission system, or use
one of the optional PC cards for the ultimate in digital signage and
remote IP control.
Note the bulk grade component cables – no Monster Cable here!
This isn’t a cheap display. Even
for a large company this screen represents a sizeable investment. Like
the display itself, the price is big too. Rest assured, your yearly
salary is well spent, if you’re the sort of person that spends this
much on the best large screen display in the world.
Buying this plasma screen isn’t quite as simple
as simply placing your order and waiting for it to arrive. You should
allow for a site survey and potential renovations on your installation
location. If you’re wall mounting the TH-103PF9UK, we recommend either
building the wall to suit or heavily modifying the existing wall to
accommodate. This typically entails installing either 6x6 wall studs,
or providing for a suspended installation off a structural element in
the ceiling and setting it into the wall.
You should also provide for access doors on the
opposite side of the wall for servicing. The enables easy access to
the rear panel in the event of component failure. You do NOT want to
have to send this back for service! It’s important to emphasize that
the installation procedure can be quite involved and is not to be
approached lightly. It’s important to talk to a qualified installer if
you are genuinely interested in this product.
PROS
- Largest plasma screen in the world
- Incredible picture
- Easy to use and maintain
- Familiar user interface
- Designed to last
CONS
- You have seen the price tag, right???
- Installation can be expensive and involved,
and may involve a road closure, gantry crane, and up to 8 people
just to move it
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