Plasmas are about $5000.
I'd string together 15, 20 inch LCD's for that price (assuming $300) and buy a computer capable enough to drive them at that resolution. Go with the DVR route and it'd be neato!
(Looking at $2000 for a computer... Sli definetly).
Check AVSforum, as this would require a bit of trickery (and you can get the opinion on the current LCD vs. Plasma debate).
Note: I did a little mockup in paint, you'd want 16 LCDs to, I guess, keep the resolution neutral (4 by 4 LCDs on the side and bottom as opposed to three on the bottom and five on the side).
Not sure how to calculate the resolution on that.
Note 2: It'd require 15 video drivers (ports) for that. Absolutely no idea how this would work (I've seen several large arrays of LCDs before though. Thus there is a commercial solution somewhere out there (sure is hideously expensive. Also sure there is a way to "relatively" inexpesively drive this).
Note 3:
http://www.plastk.net/highres/24mon/
http://www.plastk.net/highres/50mon/
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/archive/ ... /6665.html
http://www.plastk.net/highres/9mon/
The setup would be possible for 9, 20 inch LCDs and quite reasonable if they were run off one server (video cards and system architecture would be the limiting factor, one computer would limit the cost (appears possible)).
Resolution would be far higher than any projector or plasma based solution. Initial cost of infrastructure for the array could be negligible; in the long term, power cost, would be high.
I could do this setup with only a small amount of research. Interesting from a hardware point of view.
If screen real estate is important, I'd go projector. Higher end systems are quite impressive in terms of size and clarity (resolution will suck though). I've seen homebuilt projectors that cost nearly nothing (relative. Requires an LCD and a good ol' high school projector).
Interesting to pursue this. I'd suggest a projector over Plasma, and the large LCD array if its a project that interests you.
Again check with AVS. Those guys are fucken nerds when it comes to pointless visual technology.