When it comes to business, first impressions count. And there isn’t much in life guaranteed to make more of an impression than Panasonic’s TH-103PF10EK. [IMG 79150/] Why? Because measured corner to corner, this plasma screen comes in at a truly mind-blowing 103in.

It’s hard to describe just how much of an impact a screen of this enormity has unless you’re standing, jaw agape, in front of it. But to try and put in terms you might vaguely comprehend, its 103in screen would comfortably home no less than four 50in plasma or LCD TVs.

There’s no doubt, then, that whatever visuals your business decides to run on this leviathan of screens will be seen. The only question is if the screen has anything more than simply enormity going for it. After all, while size helps, it definitely isn’t everything…

Given the bewildering array of different connection types used in the digital signage world, it’s a relief to find the 103PF10EK adopting a modular approach to connectivity. For alongside fixed connections of a D-Sub PC port, 9-pin D-Sub serial port and audio ins and outs, the screen carries three separate bays for optional external connection boards.

A cool 13 of these boards are available, covering pretty much everything we could imagine anyone needing. Check out the specification box for a full list. The screen’s other key specifications kick off with an inevitable full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, and a good – by digital signage standards – contrast ratio of 5000:1.

The screen is also compatible with a fearsome array of video and PC formats (check out the Specifications section), and Panasonic’s professional division has tried very hard to make the 103PF10EK adaptable to the needs of different users.

Among the ‘professional’-grade features on offer are the option to use it vertically rather than horizontally, a dual picture mode, a digital zoom function, a built-in video wall image enlarger, and a thoughtful weekly command timer that lets you, say, increase the screen’s volume at specified times to compensate for some regular environmental factor.

The only potential area of concern regarding the 103PF10EK’s specification is a slightly uninspiring – for plasma - claimed brightness level of 1000cd/m2 that could concern people looking to place the screen in a very bright environment.

As we start assessing the 103PF10EK’s performance, one further feature warrants an immediate mention: a Super Cinema Mode. This mode, claims Panasonic, has been perfectly tuned to deliver a reference monitor level of colour reproduction, suggesting right away that Panasonic believes its screen to be unusually good at presenting video content.

And so it proves. Running a selection of HD video content, either from Blu-ray or embedded into digital signage software, the screen produces results that are nothing short of mesmerising – like having a full-blown Odeon cinema in your work place.

There are two main reasons – aside from its sheer size – why the 103PF10EK is so much better with video than most of its pro-screen rivals. First, it’s actually capable of producing a convincing black colour, avoiding almost completely the grey wash over dark scenes or image parts that plagues so many professional displays.

Second, its colours exhibit a rare subtlety of palette and blend, avoiding digital signage’s tendency to favour gaudiness and aggression over tonal finesse.

More minor video successes include the screen’s freedom from the motion blurring phenomenon that can trouble LCD-style screens, which in turn helps it make HD video look blisteringly sharper. Even standard definition doesn’t look as messy as you might expect.

This all makes the 103PF10EK exceptionally qualified if the material you want to show on it contains a lot of naturally-shot video, such as TV ads or promotional videos.

The only significant problem with the 103PF10EK’s display capabilities, in fact, is a predicted lack of brightness. Computer graphics and text aren’t driven off the screen as potently as they tend to be by smaller (especially LCD) rivals, a potential issue if there’s a lot of ambient light around, or the material you want to display is predominantly graphics based.

It probably sounds faintly absurd to be suggesting that a 103in screen could ever fail to catch the eye, but the slightly muted look to the 103PF10EK’s pictures does prevent PC text and graphics ‘screaming’ off the screen as some of you might like them to.

There are a couple of more prosaic points to consider before ordering a 103PF10EK, too. First of all, it costs a terrifying £50,000, which means it’s probably automatically out of reach of any small businesses.

Then there are the practical issues associated with installing such a monster screen. The screen itself weighs 220kg, meaning you’ll need a seriously reinforced, possibly custom-built wall to support it. And the optional floor stand Panasonic does for the screen increases the total weight to a crushing 350kg. Getting the thing into your required display space needs exceptional access, too.

The funny thing about the 103PF10EK, though, is that once you’ve seen it in action, you kind of forget about its foibles. For at its best, it’s combination of sensational video image quality and sheer magnitude is so utterly mesmerising that passers by won’t be able to stop themselves from pausing, turning and ogling this giant in their midst – along with whatever information you’ve got running on it, of course.

Author: John Archer

Panasonic TH-103PF10EK: 103" plasma display review