The Basics:
For the person who has 103 diagonal inches of wall space and a wad of cash burning a hole in a pocket, the 103-inch XP-103DHD is the pinnacle of Runco’s plasma lineup. This is a two-piece system that consists of the 103-inch plasma monitor, which does not contain any TV tuners, and a separate DHD controller that houses the connection panel and video processing.

The DHD controller uses Runco’s ViViX II processing to scale all sources to the panel’s 1080p resolution. Features include 16-bit processing and advanced ISF calibration modes that your installer can configure for both daytime and nighttime viewing. The system has five aspect ratio options (16:9, 4:3, Letterbox, Cinema, and VirtualWide), as well as an Input Position menu that allows you to fine-tune the image’s horizontal/vertical position, height, width and overscan (from one to 10 percent; there is no zero-overscan option).

The controller’s connection panel includes two HDMI inputs that accept 1080p/60 and 1080p/24, one component input and two RGBHV inputs. It also has RS-232, IR and three 12-volt trigger ports. A single HDMI output sends all signals to the plasma monitor, which has a DVI input and an RS-232 control port of its own. Both the speakers and the tabletop stand are optional accessories.

The Upside:
While we have not reviewed this plasma monitor, reports from the recent CES tradeshow say this Runco incarnation solves many of the issues that people had with Panasonic’s 103-inch plasma, although it’s very likely that the plasma glass comes from the same source. Runco products are only available through custom installers, who will handle all of the advanced setup and installation that this product demands.

The Downside:
This TV certainly requires the utmost care in installation, and it will consume a lot of power; its power requirements demand a dedicated 240-volt line. This is a monitor only, requiring that you bring your own audio system and TV source, which at this price point is pretty much a given anyhow.

Conclusion:
A 103-inch flat panel is a statement product, and Runco is a statement brand.  You can certainly find better value and an even bigger screen if you go the front-projection route. However, if you need a huge-screen HDTV system in a room that’s not conducive to front projection, the XP-103DHD is one of the top-performing solutions – and will make a big statement indeed.

Manufacturer	Runco
Model	PlasmaWall XP-103DHD Plasma HDTV
Reviewer	AVRev.com

Diagonal Screen Size	More than 56-inches
# of HDMI Inputs	2
# of Component Video Inputs	1
HDMI Version	1.3
Native Resolution	1080p
Refresh Rate	60Hz

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