Display 11.3"
Native resolution: 1024 x 768
Maximum resolution: 1280 x 1024
Response time: 40 ms
Dot pitch: 0.3871
Contrast: 350:1

Is the response time acceptable or too high to be steered clear of?

are you sure that the native resolution is 1024x768? if thats the actual dot pitch, that screen would have to be 15" long and more than 11.3 in diagonal (if each pixel is.3837 mm x 1024 = 15" (roughly)
as for the respone time, well, you wouldnb't want to play games on it but movies and such....probably tolerable....some panels look ok at that response time , some don't.... but I've seen people use 50ms monitors..... I wouldn't pay a lot for it though...

I think I may about the dot pitch figure there. I asked for the dot pitch and was told it's 0.107(H) x 0.372(V) so I calculated it as: square root of (H square + V square). I just read the definition of dot pitch and I'm not sure if I'm right.

But even then, are you sure that's the correct way to calculate length? Dot pitch is measured diagonally and you're multipying it with pixels measured horizontally (1024). But if we go with the horizontal DP given there (0.107), this monitor should be 4.31" (0.107*1024) wide!!

Doesn't make any sense. I think it's an unreliable figure in the first place. We can't arrive at 11.3" diagonal in any way. Btw, I'm talking about this car monitor listed for $180.

well, generally the pixel pitches I've seen are squarish....usually it gets you close to it(look at standard 15" lcds and do the calcs on them) anyway...with shipping you're talking over 200$..seems to me you could find something better than that or a least the same that is on the compatible monitor list(there may be FFC issues with this one etc) .....if its the inputs you like, then I'd first search for a 15" lcd tv......

and compare that one to this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-CAR-DESKTOP-TFT-LC...1QQcmdZViewItem

looks identical to me...specs are different..... I see this all thre time on ebay...identical products with different specs....you know somebody is either, "stretching" the truth or....

for 40ms response you're overpaying .....

I basically like the small size factor. I'd go for a 10" monitor if I can find one of a reasonably high resolution. There are lots of car monitors even 7" ones that proclaim upto UXGA resoluitons but I'm more skeptical now. If you look at the fine print they have contrast ratios of 150 or other unreliable specs as in this case.

Though I think I might still build a smaller PJ with one for these monitors sometime later... just for watching TV. A 4" LCD monitor with DVD player for less than $100 is too hard to ressist!

yeah...on that other ebay item I sent , it may be different(different model number, but that doesn't mean much ;-) it says 1024 is max... and on yours it says that 1024 is "recommended" ..... don't foget that with a smaller screnn you will get less light thru it than with a bigger screen too(though you can use a pre-condenser to compensate), but your throw is better witha smaller screen...

Can you explain that last bit about getting less light through with a smaller monitor? I think i read somewhere that with a smaller monitor I don't have to use such a big lamp and 250 W one would be enough. What's a pre-condenser and how's the throw better? Sorry for asking so many questions but I'm a new here.

well, think of lcd as a pipe.... if one pipe is 2" wide it will let thru only that much water... if you have a pipe that is 50% wider then that pipe will let thru 50% more water.... same thing with light..... now for smaller screens you can add a pre-condenser which is a glass lens you put between the bulb and the rear fresnel, really close to the bulb.... and you can use a shorter focal length fresnel...neither of these work as well with 15" monitors as with say 8" monitors for various reasons... as for the bulb power, I would guess what they mean is that with a smaller screen you probably aren't going for as big of a projection? thats just a guess though and probably has more to do with resolution than actual lcd size...for example, a psone screen is only good up to about 60" diagonal screen, you wouldn't project a 10 foot image with it becasue its just 320x240 pixels....... I think lilliputs are maybe svga? but I could be wrong....

Umm, not sure how true this is. Don't the projectors in cinema halls use tiny 1" LCDs?

yeah, so do commercial pjs, those are way different bulbs and refelctor setups... I was speaking of the standard DIY projector setup..... thats why I mentioned that you can use "non-standard" equipment with smaller lcds...but using the LL setup, theres only so much light available...so in standard setup (400 wat MH bulb, ikea reflector,220mm rear fresnel) bigger window = more light

Then I agree. Seemed like you were laying out a general rule.