TV for commercial setting...

restaurantowner -- Wed, 08/08/2007 - 13:16

Hello,

I am looking to buy some new TVs for my restaurant and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations.

I have heard there are commercial grade Plasma TVs that have a larger transformer for extended life. I can't seem to find information on these.

Also I am not totally convinced that Plasma is really the route I want to go.

I am hearing about LCOS and DLP and think the price saving would be substantial.

I am posting this question because my situation differs from a home install in these important factors:

1. Time on. The units will be on for about 18 hrs a day at least 6 days a week if not seven.

2. Dust and smoke. Lots of smoke and particles in the air all the time.

3. Varying lighting situations. Changing light levels in the room as the night progresses

4. Price. Unlike a home install I would be looking to install two to three units so price is a factor (more affordable the better).

I would appreciate any advice that you could offer or if you could simply point me in the right direction that would very helpful. I thank you for taking the time to read my post.

scottwilkinson -- Thu, 09/27/2007 - 18:21

Interesting situation; I've often wondered about TVs in such settings. RPTVs would certanly give you bigger screens for less money, but they take up more space than flat panels and the dust and smoke might be a problem. Also, you'd have to change the lamp every few thousand hours of use, which costs several hundred dollars. (3000 hours of use translates to about 6 months at 18 hours per day, 7 days a week.) Between DLP and LCoS, I'd go with DLP; there is some question about degradation in LCD panels (which form the heart of LCoS displays) over time.

Most plasmas and LCDs are rated at 60,000 hours (Panasonic recently started rating its plasmas at 100,000 hours), which translates to about 9 years at 18 hours per day, 7 days a week. Between the two flat panel types, I'd definitely go with LCD to avoid burn-in (especially if you keep the same channel on a lot). However, this is usually the most expensive option, especially for larger screen sizes.

There are commercial-grade displays, but I don't know much about them or who makes them. I do know that Sanyo makes them, and I assume that most of the major manufacturers have commercial divisions.

Scott Wilkinson
Video Editor
The Perfect Vision