Home Theater Review

Installation of a 103-inch plasma is no small feat, even when compared to installing a 65-inch HDTV. Beyond the need for a top AV installer (the only way to buy Runco is through an authorized dealer), you will also need to consider the structural integrity of the wall where you might hang this beast. It's not uncommon to need to reinforce the wall before installation. Additionally, power requirements call for your electrician to put in a dedicated 240-volt service for this giant HDTV.

High Points
Reports from the recent CES trade show say the Runco set solves many of the issues that people complain about on the $70,000 Panasonic set, although it is very likely the "glass" comes from the same source (however, this isn't confirmed). Runco's video processing deals with a lot of the problems like "stair-stepping," which causes visible distortion, most noticeably on the set's perimeter. The Runco set is far better than other 100-inch HDTVs at providing a beaming, bright, smooth HDTV picture and, for this kind of money, you should expect no less.

Low Points
The set is gigantic and, compared to a projector and screen, represents a poor value, as you can have a better looking HDTV for far less than half the money, beamed onto a screen that is twice the size of a 103-inch plasma. With that said, not every room can accommodate a projector and for those who want their video big, there is no other way to go, especially if you want it to look spectacular.

Conclusion
This is America and bigger is always better. Runco understands this and crosses all the Is and dots all the Ts in getting to what is the absolute best-looking, large HDTV in the world. If you have the room and the money, this is the HDTV to use for making a statement. To be clear, you will be making a big statement.

Additional Resources
• Read more plasma HDTV reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore Blu-ray player options in out Blu-ray Player Review section.