By Dick Tan
Are flatscreen digital TVs edging out the projector as the preferred means to a cinematically large picture at home? Well, it would appear so, except for the cost.
While conventionally large digital TVs of between 50″ – 65″ have plunged in price, with a basic 60″ LCD TV available for just under RM5,000 the truly large TVs of 70″ and above, and recently Sharp”s 90″ monster, while certainly paving the way, is at RM68,888 still a long way off from dethroning the projector for sheer size at a relatively affordable cost.
There is practically no real restriction to how large a projector/screen option can achieve and this freedom to expand on projector picture size is a crucial advantage and as mentioned earlier, can be had for a relatively modest outlay. RM6,000 will today get you a 1080p resolution projector/screen combination with size ranging from 60″ diagonal – 200″. You buy a 60″ digital flat screen you are restricted to that size, period, yet one cannot overlook the waves that Sharp”s 90″ wide LC-90 LE 740X is making. Its the harbinger of good things to come.
If you can afford its asking price the LC-90LE740X will mean you are no longer required to dim the room to watch a really big picture. The LC-90LE740X can easily operate in room full of light, in the dark if preferred or in a room with normal lighting.
With a real estate at least at least twice that of a 65″ flat panel or as Sharp touts in its literature, 299% more screen size than a 52″ unit, the LC-90LE740X is an LCD design featuring full LED backlight with a certain degree of local dimming capability where the output of the backlight is controlled to give the best black/contrast possible.
Native resolution is 1080p and Sharp claims that, in spite of its extreme size the full HD resolution will allow an optimum viewing distance of no more than 3.40 metres . This means you do not have to live in mansion to own the LC90LE740X. Can one sit further back? Certainly, in fact I would recommend it for a slightly more relaxed and comfortable viewing experience. As for the “right in your face” effect a slightly longer distance may mildly reduce the perceived sized of LC-90LE740X but it will , on the other hand, result in a slightly higher perceived resolution. Similarly a slightly longer viewing distance will be beneficial to 3D viewing which the LC-90LE740X is capable of. We suggest experimenting with a distance of between 4 – 5.5metres for optimum viewing.
With up to four HDMI 1.4 inputs the LC-90LE740X is quite possibly the largest production flat panel TV available. This means you should be able to purchase it off the shelf. There are of course larger flat panel TVs to be had but those require specific and special order and needless to say a waiting period with a vastly higher cost. If you have the dough and the patience why not but if your needs are immediate the LC-90LE740X appears to be your meal ticket to big screen nirvana without the effort a two piece projector system will entail.
