plasma vs LCD Options

[schwab]

looking into getting a TV, 42"-52" area, flat screen obviously...i wont be using it for games much mainly watching movies/TV/football....anyone have any recommendations for what brand or between plasma or lcd?

price range is less than 2000

[pebkac]

LCD is more expensive than plasma but gets you better picture quality. I'd reccommend an LG or samsung. Also, don't get sold on a crappy 720p television. Go with a 1080p.

Also, don't be afraid to try haggling with the salespeople a bit. You'd be surprised at what the markup is on most HD televisions.

[Seeker]

i can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p and most broadcasts are done in 720p so you don't get a full 1080p picture even with the 1080p TV

if you're into sports then you want to go with 720p because ESPN and all major sport networks broadcast their HD in 720p because that's the best format for sports, and lcd is the best tv type for sports

if you plan on watching more movies and making a home theater then go with 1080/plasma

[THECHICKEN]

I prefer plasma (though it all depends on the tv) because they seem to look crisper and they have much better viewing angles (all viewable angles really).

But you can get both lcd and plasma at that size for that price. Just go to a big tv store and take a look at what you like better (comparing side by side).

[impala454]

there are no 1080p broadcasts out yet, but make sure you get one that has it because they are coming. currently only HD-DVD, blu ray or a PC is the only way you're getting 1080p. you will notice a difference between 720p and 1080i. ESPNHD is 720p and discovery HD is 1080i so check them out if you can.

LCD & plasma are virtually identical now. the old difference was price, LCD used to cost a lot more but they've come down a lot and now pretty much match plasma in price. other old outdated differences are stuff like: people used to say plasmas burn in like crazy, that's not really the case anymore, people used to say LCDs have crappy viewing angles and have motion blur, that's not the case anymore. they're virtually identical from the couch. the only real differences left are that plasmas tend to weigh a little more and run hotter.

do NOT go to a store and compare TVs side by side to determine picture quality. it's absolutely worthless, as unless you're going to a high end home theater store, there's not a damn store in existence that has them set up properly. go in there to figure out which ones fits your stand or has a nice looking bezel or whatever, or to check out financing deals (best buy has the best financing).

personally i like the samsung LCDs, unlike most manufacturers they actually produce the LCD panels they use. they also use very good internal scaler chips. their LCDs and displays in general have a great track record.

most of all, don't fall for the BS that manufacturers and salesmen will give you. every company comes up with their own BS "technology" that they try to make sound appealing. Just an example: toshiba has ones they call "ClearFrame Anti-Blur Technology", "Pixelpure 3G Digital Video Processing", etc etc. All you care about is that it's 1080p, make sure that it physically says on the box 1920x1080 somewhere.

[impala454]

also take a look at the AVS forums' two forums:

LCDs
Plasmas

there will be tons of great info, just take what they say w/a grain of salt as people tend to come there only when they have issues w/their new set.

[Testm0nkey]

seriously, its a television

i never understood this fascination
if one or the other had xray vision to see through the football players pants then i could understand but guys... they dont have that yet

[schwab]

hell why not, i dont splurge on anything else, im sleeping on a blow up mattress, and making enough money to afford it. Im not buying a new car because im content with my 95 chrysler....so i just want something nice that i would use.

as far as everyone else, thanks for the info, i went to best buy the other day and looked but they weren't too helpful as far as info on the tvs....i am guessing 1080 is fairly new, and that most channels will be converting their hd eventually to that...and if that is the case i would want that.

[impala454]

yeah just don't take 1080 on the box at face value. almost any new TV can "accept" a 1080p signal. what you want to see is that it says 1920x1080 somewhere on it.

[Seeker]

just remember that whatever you buy will be obsolete in about a year when OLED and SED tv's come out

[dauss]

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/2007/08/08/the...hdtv/index.html
LCD: 40" or less. Plasma: larger than 40".

Stay away from value brands. They're basically disposable TV's.
http://hdguru.com/?p=107

[Seeker]

i like lg and samsung for lcds and panasonic for plasmas

[impala454]

Stay away from value brands. They're basically disposable TV's.
http://hdguru.com/?p=107

this is bullshit. they're just comparing warranties, not the actual sets. with LCDs, almost all panels are made by about 3-4 different manufacturers. i know that vizio and westinghouse have both recieved great reviews as good bargain priced LCDs. I personally have a symphonic 36" LCD I got extremely cheap last black friday and have never had any problem at all, and HD channels (while maybe not as good as my samsung DLP) look great on it.

the main beef with the lower priced sets are simply that they won't look as good as the better brands. they use cheaper scaler processors and might possibly have backlights that don't last quite as long. but quoting a 1 year warranty or bad customer service as a reason is dumb. find me some TVs that have a parts & labor warranty longer than year at all. imho it is worth getting a brand like samsung, but because of the better scaler and better variety of inputs and features.

schwab, i think you're good to go with a panel, whatever you choose. it's a good buy because if you decide to get something bigger later, you could always mount the panel in your bedroom or somethin real slick like.

[Seeker]

i agree, there's nothing wrong with westinghouse

[pysex]

yeah and listen to impala when he says don't go to the stores and compare side by side

i don't know how many times i've been in different stores and seen horrid horrid hd pictures because they set it up all wrong

[koreanp1e]

This is totally technically irrelevant, but if you think 1080i is coming, and want to prepare for it, don't buy 1080i yet. save that money and buy 780 instead. It is a rule of thumb, you always go with what they are capable of at present than paying extra for the future in buying digital instruments.

[impala454]

yeah and listen to impala when he says don't go to the stores and compare side by side

i don't know how many times i've been in different stores and seen horrid horrid hd pictures because they set it up all wrong

and then they'll have the one super expensive sony in the corner set up properly with a blu ray or HD-DVD and people go "wooooow"

[pysex]

and then they'll have the one super expensive sony in the corner set up properly with a blu ray or HD-DVD and people go "wooooow"

lol

[cmac]

http://www.secondact.com/c=CRW0FPA2WrfZ9Yt...oduct/HPT4254RB

[Mommy]

I want a Pioneer plasma.... mmmm sexy

[impala454]

http://www.secondact.com/c=CRW0FPA2WrfZ9Yt...oduct/HPT4254RB

it's not 1080p though. that resolution they list isnt even correct for that TV.

[cmac]

still a good price.
which is better hd dvd or blu-ray?

[Seeker]

hd-dvd by a longshot

[cmac]

not to derail the thread but where does dlp fit into all of this?

[Seeker]

i have friends that hype up dlp and love it, but dlp to me seems like the picture is faded or washed out and it's not viewable from every angle

dlp's are way cheaper but you get what you pay for... a bulky tv with a blurry picture. also, you need to have your room completely dark for optimum viewing

[impala454]

i have a 61" samsung DLP and have to this date never seen a better picture. DLPs can have issues from the factory like bowing, but they will replace or fix your TV if that's the case. they're definitely the best bang for the buck.

also, the DLPs are very configurable, the factory settings tend to suck. with the proper settings, there is no better picture out there short of a $5k+ DLP projector + screen setup.

[impala454]

just a couple pics this guy posted of sega ralley revo on xbox 360 on his 61" samsung DLP... friggin awesome

[cupcake]

hell why not, i dont splurge on anything else, im sleeping on a blow up mattress, and making enough money to afford it. Im not buying a new car because im content with my 95 chrysler....so i just want something nice that i would use.

I would probably "splurge" for a bed. then again I am banged the fuck up...

[FORSAKENR320]

I would probably "splurge" for a bed. then again I am banged the fuck up...

and old

[pysex]

I would probably "splurge" for a bed. then again I am banged the fuck up...

grandpa...can you tell us a story

[Rocky]

You haven't lived until you look at a Sony featuring Motionflow while watching something on blu-ray.... trust me, its a whole new world of TV.

Expensive though.


After seeing a lot of the SXRD rear project tvs, I think sony is making much better looking TVs right now. I used to be all about the Samsung - but now I'm planning on a 60" Sony when the new model comes out

[Seeker]

sony? don't be a fucking sellout

[cupcake]

grandpa...can you tell us a story

when I was a kid, we had a 24" zenith that was in a wooden cabinet the size of an armoir...and we had 4 channels one of which was fucking "U"...and we liked it!!!

the "remote control" was me or my brothers sitting by the TV flipping the channels for my dad.

asshats

[Mommy]

haha funny shit. My mom tells me stories like that too...

[cupcake]

hey what the fuck man!?

I'm not that frickin old. shit just progressed slow until the early 80's. I was 8 or 9 when we got remote control and cable. I didn't grow up handcranking the damn phone or anything...

[Testm0nkey]

my parents have an old tv like that built in and shit. well maybe not that old. we've had it since i was 5. my parents watch that over sony lcd they have thats sitting unplugged in their closet.
admittedly its a really good tv (the old one)

[cupcake]

can you imagine moving with that bastard?

not really a "college apt" type tv...

[impala454]

hey what the fuck man!?

I'm not that frickin old. shit just progressed slow until the early 80's. I was 8 or 9 when we got remote control and cable. I didn't grow up handcranking the damn phone or anything...

how old are you anyways?

[cupcake]

32

yes, I remember the year 1980.

[Mommy]

My mom is early 40's.... youre only like 12 years younger than my mom. Thats why i compared you two. I guess in that same sense though, you are only 10 years older than I am. technology started progressing like crazy starting in the early 80's though

[cupcake]

so...um...is your mom hot?

I kid...nah got a cassette walkman in 85 and by 89 had to get a frickin CD player...it's like terminator 2, where technology evolves with multiplicity.

that's why I don't buy shit anymore...it's outdated as soon as I get it. I love you PS2!

[impala454]

damn and i thought i was old on here with my 2 months of existence in the 70s

[cupcake]

you ain't far behind...once you hit 25, this shit goes fast.

[impala454]

yeah no crap... feels like i was 25 like last year or somethin

i'll soon be the token 30 year old guy that every family member asks if i'm married yet

[GOB]

ha, my grandparents have a tv just like that


pretty sure theirs is 30+ years old

[cmac]

impala, is it worth the wait until superbowl time to buy an hdtv?
aren't the prices cheaper then?

[impala454]

yep they're definitely cheaper... but the biggest thing is if you're gonna finance it or not. keep your eye open at best buy, they usually have the best financing (3 years if you catch em at the right time)

[cupcake]

wait til the weekend before the superbowl to get a lazy boy too. they throw those things away then...

[zetec]

Westinghouse sucks for games.

[dauss]

Looks like the same deal with computers. It's never good time to buy one. I hear that the prices are going to drop big time after thanksgiving and another drop after xmas, but the truth is, as soon as you buy one, they'll come out with a better, bigger, and cheaper one.

[impala454]

well of course, but still, the sales are around those times of year. plus the companies know this and try to get their latest and greatest out around those times. they really are the best times to purchase.

[Black Bear]

Personally I like the Las Cannon over the Plasma cannon. Sure the plasma cannon can take out groups of bunched up troops, but it lacks the strength to knock out heavy armor. The las cannon on the the other hand...huh?

Oh! You're talking about televisions. My mistake.

[FORSAKENR320]

Personally I like the Las Cannon over the Plasma cannon. Sure the plasma cannon can take out groups of bunched up troops, but it lacks the strength to knock out heavy armor. The las cannon on the the other hand...huh?

Oh! You're talking about televisions. My mistake.

i was wondering forever who you were, now i finally know, mike