Plasma Or Lcd?

E

eddieb

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Messages
104
Hey guys,
I was wondering if i can please get an input from someone about flat screens. i'm interested in buying one, and i have no idea as to which technology is better. any recommendation will be appreciated, thanks.
 
Maserati or Lamborghini?

What a great LBYM thread! :p
 
I have a 42" plasma TV, LBYM or not, and it was worth every penny to me! Sometimes you just gotta splurge on something big to give you the heart to pinch the rest of those pennies until they squeak. ;)

To the OP, I would also suggest going someplace like Circuit City so that you can actually see and compare the TV you are interested in, with others. They may not have the same settings as one another, but still it is pretty easy to see which ones are fabulous and which ones aren't. You probably want to get one with a picture that you really, really like (at least, I did).

By the way, the CNET review of my TV was right on the money, both on positive and negative aspects. They said the remote was non-intuitive, and they were right - - it is kind of a pain in the neck. That was really all they could find wrong with it, though, and I haven't found any other problems with it either. Although I really like Consumer Reports, they didn't get around to rating my TV until several months after I bought it.
 
Both types of tvs today are great, but if I was in the market for a new one, it would be plasma. They consume slightly more power and are a tad heavier, but the wider viewing angle and more true black give it the edge--at least for anything 40+ inches that is being used as a primary tv.
 
Like Want2retire, I have a 42" plasma TV. I love it. But I must confess that I did not really dig too deeply into the whole plasma/LCD debate when I purchased it. Upon walking into the store I found that I liked the picture better on a Plasma TV than on a LCD TV. Somehow it looked sharper and more vibrant (I don't know if this is backed up by actual facts, but that's how it appeared to me, which is all what mattered). I just made sure to choose a brand I trust (Panasonic), and that it was on sale and voila...

The funny thing is that our 42" TV now looks kinda small! I guess we got used to it and it doesn't feel like a large screen anymore! I wonder how we lived with a 20" TV for so many years! Aaaaahhhh, we're getting spoiled...
 
Plasma displays currently offer better overall picture quality than LCDs. Plasmas have superior viewing angles, brightness uniformity, better black levels and shadow detail.

The one area where LCDs excel is in overall brightness. This can be importantant if you typically watch TV during the daytime in a brightly lit room. However, in my opinion, for the typical home viewing environment, plasma displays are plenty bright and generally a better choice. Also, for displays larger than 40", plasmas tend to be less expensive. We have both types of displays, with our main display being a 50" plasma. Currently, the two best plasma display manufacturers are Panasonic and Pioneer, with Pioneer having the best overall picture quality and also being more expensive.

You can do a lot more research on LCDs and Plasmas here: AVS Display forum
 
FIREdreamer said:
The funny thing is that our 42" TV now looks kinda small! I guess we got used to it and it doesn't feel like a large screen anymore! I wonder how we lived with a 20" TV for so many years! Aaaaahhhh, we're getting spoiled...
Click to expand...

I feel the same way! :2funny: I am planning to get a bigger TV at some point, maybe one of those 60" Toshibas. The older I get, and the worse my vision gets due to age, the bigger I want my TV to be and the less I care about resolution.
 
IBWino said:
The one area where LCDs excel is in overall brightness. This can be importantant if you typically watch TV during the daytime in a brightly lit room. However, in my opinion, for the typical home viewing environment, plasma displays are plenty bright and generally a better choice.
Click to expand...

My plasma TV came with a power swivel base. All I have to do is hit an arrow on the remote, and it magically swivels to the right or left as desired. This could be helpful for turning it against the sunlight if it was hard to see in the daytime, but I have never felt the desire to use it for that. I just use it when I decide to sit in another part of the room.
 
I have a 40" (and a 32") Sony Bravia LCD, and I love them both. Plasma was the best picture and may still be, but LCD's have closed the gap and continue to do so. LCD's are lighter, use less power, can be used as PC monitors (not sure if plasma's can). As I recall, LCD's are a better cost effective choice from about 42" and smaller and plasma's are a better cost choice for larger sizes. But do your research as suggested. If you're going to watch sports or other fast moving programming, check refresh rates too. Some of them blur like mad and you can't tell in the store if they're showing some slow moving graphics. Good luck...

Note: I assume you have (or will have) HD programming. I wouldn't buy any large TV if it wasn't HD anymore. No reply necessary...
 
Midpack,
Good point on the motion handling and blur. Historically, plasmas have handled motion much better than LCDs, however, LCD manufacturers have made significant improvements in recent years. As for LCD displays, I think Sony makes the best, albeit the most expensive.

Unfortunately, the worst place to evaluate and compare displays is at big box retailers. They typically use the manufacturer's default settings, which are set for maximum brightness with garish color to attract attention. Once you get the display home and view it over an extended period, you soon realize that these same settings look terrible.
 
I still don't get it, pay 2 or 3K for a TV?? Huh??

Why? You are told HDTV is the next best thing since white bread. But quite frankly, a 19 inch color TV works just fine. Do you really need to see the zits on a talking heads face??

Again the sheeple are told what to buy and are hoodwinked into thinking they just gotta have it.
 
newguy888 said:
I still don't get it, pay 2 or 3K for a TV?? Huh??

Why? You are told HDTV is the next best thing since white bread. But quite frankly, a 19 inch color TV works just fine. Do you really need to see the zits on a talking heads face??

Again the sheeple are told what to buy and are hoodwinked into thinking they just gotta have it.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are ready for Venezuela Newguy!
 
Notmuchlonger said:
Sounds like you are ready for Venezuela Newguy!
Click to expand...


Did you see 60 mins sunday about the poor kids in venezuela playing classical music? It really was interesting. Hey I like it here in the states, fun to watch the show. Stuff like 3.40.9 gasoline and 23 cars lined up at a bojangles drive through waiting for a biscuit and coffee! Pretty stupid if ya ask me.
 
newguy888 said:
Did you see 60 mins sunday about the poor kids in venezuela playing classical music? It really was interesting. Hey I like it here in the states, fun to watch the show. Stuff like 3.40.9 gasoline and 23 cars lined up at a bojangles drive through waiting for a biscuit and coffee! Pretty stupid if ya ask me.
Click to expand...

Ya but they dont have 49 incher plasma tv's buddy!
 
newguy888 said:
I still don't get it, pay 2 or 3K for a TV?? Huh??

Why? You are told HDTV is the next best thing since white bread. But quite frankly, a 19 inch color TV works just fine. Do you really need to see the zits on a talking heads face??

Again the sheeple are told what to buy and are hoodwinked into thinking they just gotta have it.
Click to expand...

Well, for us, it's simply more enjoyable to watch movies on DVD on a screen that looks bigger than a postage stamp from 12 feet away.;) We rarely go to the movies, maybe once a year. We prefer to make a list of the movies that interest us and then rent them on DVD later. Much cheaper, and we can pause to go to the kitchen or bathroom, and there are no annoying people talking or eating loudly (other than ourselves).:)
 
LCD has some other advantages over plasma.

It does not have the burn-in problem that plasma does. So if you watch a lot of a channel with a constant image, like cnbc or something, it can permanently put that image on your screen. LCD is immune to this.

Also, plasmas naturally get dimmer over time. This takes several years of consistent usage, though. So as your plasma gets dimmer, an LCD set would have had the same consistent brightness.

Plasmas also cannot be moved as easily, as they are very sensitive to being turned upside down. LCDs have no such restriction. This was a huge boon for me a month ago when I had to move my 46inch LCD.

The viewing angle on LCD is not as good, but for me, this wasn't an issue. The difference is very little and unless you are sitting more than 45 degrees off center, you won't see it. This is probably a bigger concern for those of you with huge living rooms ;)

All that being said, you really can't go wrong with either type. They are both fabulous. So try one out in a store and see what you you feel gives the best picture quality.
 
NinjaPigeon said:
LCD has some other advantages over plasma.

It does not have the burn-in problem that plasma does. So if you watch a lot of a channel with a constant image, like cnbc or something, it can permanently put that image on your screen. LCD is immune to this.

Also, plasmas naturally get dimmer over time. This takes several years of consistent usage, though. So as your plasma gets dimmer, an LCD set would have had the same consistent brightness.

Plasmas also cannot be moved as easily, as they are very sensitive to being turned upside down. LCDs have no such restriction. This was a huge boon for me a month ago when I had to move my 46inch LCD.

The viewing angle on LCD is not as good, but for me, this wasn't an issue. The difference is very little and unless you are sitting more than 45 degrees off center, you won't see it. This is probably a bigger concern for those of you with huge living rooms ;)

All that being said, you really can't go wrong with either type. They are both fabulous. So try one out in a store and see what you you feel gives the best picture quality.
Click to expand...


With all due respect, much of what you wrote is simply not true. Burn-in has not been a significant problem for several years and is no worse than on a standard CRT based TV. We've owned a plasma for five years and have absolutely no visible signs of burn-in or image retention. FYI, LCD displays can also suffer from image retention. In either display type, image retention disappears quickly when the displayed image is changed.

Plasma displays now have a 100,000 hour to half brightness rating (over 30 years at 8 hours a day usage), which equals or exceeds the current rating of the CCFL backlights used to illuminate most LCD displays.

Plasmas can be transported as easily as LCDs. For both display types, it is highly recommended that you transport them upright, as there is some risk of cracking the glass panel if laid flat.

Both display types have their merits, and anyone considering either should take time to do some basic research before making a decision. One is not likely to get good advice from the usual salesperson at a big-box store.
 
newguy888 said:
I still don't get it, pay 2 or 3K for a TV?? Huh??
Click to expand...

My 50" Vizio was only $1500, in real terms less than the old CRT it replaced. It seems to me brightness falls off by half, 30 degrees off axis on a LCD, though I wouldn't mind a smaller one for an office or bedroom. I think viewing angle is probably more important in a smaller room where seating has to be spread out more relative to the TV orientation. In a large room it is easy to put the TV at one end and the seating all at the other. It depends on how much seating is involved though as an office or bedroom doesn't offer much.
 
IBWino said:
Both display types have their merits, and anyone considering either should take time to do some basic research before making a decision. One is not likely to get good advice from the usual salesperson at a big-box store.
Click to expand...

This was my point about the Cnet and Consumer's Reports web pages. The Reviews on their sites are nice (I suppose) but the articles are invaluable. Granted, they are extensive and quite time-consuming but you won't be able to say "I didn't know what I was getting into" if you spend some time at it.

And while I am on the subject: Our "main" television set, a 42" Sharp Aquos (LCD), cost around $1,500 (last September) -- we also have a couple smaller Digital HD TVs. I don't feel, then or now, that was a very large sum for what I got. (I agree that 42" does seems much smaller today than a couple months ago, however.) My big complaint economically is the cost of the Surround Sound system that became "necessary" as the result of the TV purchase. It (much too) quickly shot past the cost of the TV set. I still am looking for a HD-DVD player/recorder that I can afford. Nevertheless, it does "feel" worth it.

And, for what it is worth, I do save a huge chunk of change by not subscribing to a cable/satellite service. Living in Denver gives me access to a plethora of Digital High Definition channels using a thirty year old roof-mounted antennae.

19" CRT. Hrrrumph!
 
hey guys, thanks for your responses. i saw a good deal on a 42" plasma online, and i think i'll go with that. take care all
 
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