“It’s a commercial display, that’s why”

After we sent out a bundled quote a short time back, including software, player hardware and display hardware, I had a conversation a little while back that went something like this,

“Geese, your LCD cost is a little more than double what I could get at Costco!”

“True, but it’s a commercial display, they’re more expensive for a lot of reasons…”

“So what, the cost is prohibitive for my particular project.”

“Go to Costco then.”

“But I want something that has better brightness and a longer shelf-life…”

“Sounds like you’re looking for a commercial display.”

It may sound very circular and a bit nutty, but the conversation was not to dissimilar to several others I’ve had with other potential customers. Believe me, there is a big difference between commercial and consumer LCDs. That difference is made-up for in the price.

I’m a big fan of saving money and doing things as scrappy and as cheaply as possible, but if you truly want greater functionality, better longevity and enhanced features, then you typically have to pay for it. That is, unless there is some sort of catch.