Apr
1
Keeping Specifications in Perspective
Filed Under Equipment
I’ll try my best to keep this as simple and to the point as possible, although that might be an overly optimistic goal considering the subject matter. I want to talk about specifications and expectations a bit, specifically with regard to displays (LCD, plasma, projectors etc.) but I suppose it applies just as well to any piece of gear.
Firstly manufacturers fib about product specifications all the time. Some manufacturers are worse than others but at one time or another just about every one of them has done it. Still think you can make informed buying decisions based on specifications? If so then that’s fine too, just keep in mind that you’ll get better results doing this comparing manufacturer (a) to manufacturer (a) on specs than (a) to (b). It’s entirely possible (a) and (b) used two completely different methods to arrive at that specification.
This brings me to my next point, sometimes specifications are the last thing someone wants to hear about. I’ll give you an example. Recently I had a client in our showroom and we had just finished looking at two very different projectors, one retailed for about $2k and the other for $5k. While we were wrapping up (in the 2k room) a customer came in and started raving about the $2k projector, adjectives and praise were tumbling out of his mouth a hundred miles an hour.
Did the second customer really want to hear about the projector in the next room with 5.5k more contrast and 2.25 times the resolution? Turns out no, but I offered to show him anyway. He got a lot less interested when he heard the price, he was still raving about the image quality of the $2k projector. My point is specifications are relative and, simply put, nothing can replace seeing something in person with your own eyes. Regardless of how it measures you need to see it to appreciate it.
Comments
Leave a Reply
Newsletter
Archives
