"industrial" vs "consumer" plasma displays

[BAA]

Any thoughts on the pros and cons of using an "industrial" plasma display as opposed to a "conumer" display for home theater use?

 

[The Dukester]

Basically it boils down to what you are looking for in the display. The industrial units are like base model cars with no frills...you add as you want/need. They typically have no speakers or OTA receivers and you add (spelled buy) cards to connect cable boxes, etc.

By contrast, most consumer models have a built in tuner and speakers. It all comes down to how you are going to use the unit. If you will always use the receiver for sound and only want to hook up sat or cable plus want to save some bucks, go for the industrial unit. Otherwise you may want to pony up the difference for the consumer model.

 

[BMXTRIX]

It is also important to note that some professional models are now going with cheaper video processors since professional applications typically require a PC hookup more often than a video hookup and the viewers of video are less critical if it doesn't look awesome. I believe Panasonic has gone this route with their pro vs. consumer displays and the consumer models have better video processing on board.

Not that speakers matter at all if you are going with a surround system.

Not that you can have a home theater using a plasma.... unless you find an 80" or larger plasma. It's just a big TV under 80".

The most notable cards that you may not find on a pro plasma are the HDMI card and the component video card.

 

[liborman]

Consumer vs Commercial Displays

I recently purchased a Pioneer commercial display to replace my Pro Elite. While it is correct that this display did not come with video card, necessary a/v inputs or speakers, I added an Aurora upscaling video card with DVI, and the picture is far superior to my previous "consumer" model. Additionally, I saved several thousand dollars which I was able to put into other components. I highly recommend this method.