Direct View LED vs a 2009 Sanyo Single Chip LCD (900 ANSI-lumens)

I thought I would do a quick case study on a question I am asked frequently. “John, I am thinking about .9 mil pitch direct view LED, but I also have the option of this Sanyo projector that I found underneath some file boxes in the storage shed. Which one has better performance?”

Well… that is a tricky question. First off, when was the Sanyo re-lamped last time? Also, do you have the remote? It is never as easy as just looking at the spec sheets. We have to perform a fair amount of research as system designers to really know what is best. In this case, the customer wanted a 10-foot-wide image with a minimum view distance of about 6 feet. Hmm.

The Sanyo has filters that need to be cleaned often. That is a strike against the Sanyo. But the SANYO does indeed have S-video input…so strike one against the .9 mil LED.

So, the count is even. 1 Sanyo. 1 LED.

Now let’s talk about RF Interference. Are there a bunch of baby-monitors in the space? If so, Strike TWO LED. A major LED wall can result in poor baby monitor performance.

So now things are not looking so good for LED. Strike two. Only one more to go.

The next question is not so obvious, but one, as integrators, needs to be asked. “Do you need to actually SEE the image?” Strike two Sanyo.

So, we are all tied up again. It is a toss-up. As an AV designer, even I am unsure how to proceed. So, let’s continue to assess this customer’s needs. This customer apparently needs to see the image, so that really throws a wrench into the design. So now as designers, we ask a question that is the true key to what is best. “Do you need audio?” The answer was YES! That solves it. The 2009 Sanyo has a built-in speaker.

So, as you can see, and you can share this with your customers, AV is part science, part art. Ask the right questions early and save yourself a ton of heart-ache long term.

Just a little “tech tip” from in the john