TVs - Plasma vs. LCD vs. Standard Def
#1
09-19-2006, 12:23 PM
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 3,556
TVs - Plasma vs. LCD vs. Standard Def
Alright Folks.. who know's there TVs?
I've been researching a lot but is the price of LCD/Plasma worth it?
Plasma is kinda out of the question for they are alittle too much money but more importantly too large, smallest they pretty much come in is a 42". I'm looking for more of an 32" (maybe 37")
So, an LCD 32" with built in HD, 32" standard tube TV with HD or a regular 32" TV (all flat screens)
Basically, is there a large enough difference in quality with an LCD w/ HD compared to a standard def with HD.
Also, is there a difference in LCD and a regualar TV when NOT watching HD?
An LCD 32" I'm expecting to pay around 1050 for a quality one, Standard def with HD around 650-750 and a regular tube around 400.
Any input for those who know?
I've been researching a lot but is the price of LCD/Plasma worth it?
Plasma is kinda out of the question for they are alittle too much money but more importantly too large, smallest they pretty much come in is a 42". I'm looking for more of an 32" (maybe 37")
So, an LCD 32" with built in HD, 32" standard tube TV with HD or a regular 32" TV (all flat screens)
Basically, is there a large enough difference in quality with an LCD w/ HD compared to a standard def with HD.
Also, is there a difference in LCD and a regualar TV when NOT watching HD?
An LCD 32" I'm expecting to pay around 1050 for a quality one, Standard def with HD around 650-750 and a regular tube around 400.
Any input for those who know?
#2
09-19-2006, 12:30 PM
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Well heres the Diff.
Anything under 42" is an LCD, once its 42" or over its a plasma.
I bought a 42" plasma from www.newegg.com which I just love. Its a Panosonic, so clear, it didn't come with speakers but that wasn't a problem becasue i knew i was going to buy my own reciever and home theatre in a box. My tv was $1,299 if im correct shipped. Cant go wrong for a black 42" plus its hanging on my wall.
Over allw ith TV plus speakers and wall mount i spent about $1,800.
i also use it at Times as one large computer monitor.
Now i give it like 5 minutes before Jack comes in here, disagrees, tells me my equipment is crap, and tells you to spend like $100,000 on a TV and speakers.
Anything under 42" is an LCD, once its 42" or over its a plasma.
I bought a 42" plasma from www.newegg.com which I just love. Its a Panosonic, so clear, it didn't come with speakers but that wasn't a problem becasue i knew i was going to buy my own reciever and home theatre in a box. My tv was $1,299 if im correct shipped. Cant go wrong for a black 42" plus its hanging on my wall.
Over allw ith TV plus speakers and wall mount i spent about $1,800.
i also use it at Times as one large computer monitor.
Now i give it like 5 minutes before Jack comes in here, disagrees, tells me my equipment is crap, and tells you to spend like $100,000 on a TV and speakers.
#4
09-19-2006, 12:47 PM
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 3,556
Well LCD's now make them over 50" but are hella expensive.
Also, the TV will only be like 15-18 feet away from me so isn't a 42" too large??? This is for an apt, so I have to deal with the dimensions.
Also, the TV will only be like 15-18 feet away from me so isn't a 42" too large??? This is for an apt, so I have to deal with the dimensions.
#5
09-19-2006, 12:52 PM
Go with DLP. Plasma's still don't have the shelf life that make them worth it. We have 5 Plasmas here at work, and one DLP. Hooked up to the same receiver the DLP looks much cleaner side by side. Also, we have had the DLP for a few years longer than the Plasmas, and still looks good as new.
Also, a hell of a lot lighter as well (easier to hang on a wall).
Also, a hell of a lot lighter as well (easier to hang on a wall).
#6
09-19-2006, 12:56 PM
my uncle bought a plasma a month ago. cost him around 5 grand so i assume its a good brand. anyway if he leaves it on one channel for too long, it burns the image in the screen so you can still see it when he changes channels. for example if you were watching the history channel for too long, the little H in the bottom right hand corner would be burnt into his screen. he took it back and got an LCD and loves it. don't know if this happens to all plasmas but thats what happened to his.
#7
09-19-2006, 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by phil_the_thrill
my uncle bought a plasma a month ago. cost him around 5 grand so i assume its a good brand. anyway if he leaves it on one channel for too long, it burns the image in the screen so you can still see it when he changes channels. for example if you were watching the history channel for too long, the little H in the bottom right hand corner would be burnt into his screen. he took it back and got an LCD and loves it. don't know if this happens to all plasmas but thats what happened to his.
#8
09-19-2006, 01:28 PM
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Originally Posted by SpinMedia
Well heres the Diff.
Anything under 42" is an LCD, once its 42" or over its a plasma.
I bought a 42" plasma from www.newegg.com which I just love. Its a Panosonic, so clear, it didn't come with speakers but that wasn't a problem becasue i knew i was going to buy my own reciever and home theatre in a box. My tv was $1,299 if im correct shipped. Cant go wrong for a black 42" plus its hanging on my wall.
.
Anything under 42" is an LCD, once its 42" or over its a plasma.
I bought a 42" plasma from www.newegg.com which I just love. Its a Panosonic, so clear, it didn't come with speakers but that wasn't a problem becasue i knew i was going to buy my own reciever and home theatre in a box. My tv was $1,299 if im correct shipped. Cant go wrong for a black 42" plus its hanging on my wall.
.
LCD > Plasma. IF you have the money.
LCD is very expencive and also slightly more prone to BURN IN than plasma, and the viwing angle is not quite as good as plasma.
LCD does have a better pixel refresh rate, weighs less, consumes less energy, produces less heat, sharper picture, and darker black levels.
Plasma is FAR cheaper about 1/2 price, comes in all sizes 40" and higher, still has an excellent picture, and can also have an extremly sharp picture. The HALF-LIFE is near 100,000 hours. When plasma first came out it was around 30,000 hours. Meaning that now, after 100,000 hours of use the TV will be at its half life or half-brightness. That means an average plasma will last you 10-12 years of average use before it would need to be replaced.
Plasma's do NOT need to be recharged, that is a load of crap. Nor do the displays need to be replaced in 5 years.
Honestly, the picture quality difference between plasma and LCD is marginal.
When i was shopping for a TV i was deciding between a Panasonic Plasma 42 EDTV and HDTV.
I was standing about 10 feet back looking between the ED and HD. i couldnt tell a difference untill i was about 4-5 feet away. So i decided to save 800 bucks.
If you go with plasma do as spin and i did and get a PANASONIC, they are way ahead of the plasma game and are several generations of displays ahead of thier market.
And HD is HD is HD. All TV's put the same resolution out if they are 1080i capable, or better yet 1080p cabable. LCD's do have a faster pixel refresh than plasma, but it is not enough of an advantage to pay twice as much.
PLASMA FTW!!!!!!!
#10
09-19-2006, 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Rabbit
Go with DLP. Plasma's still don't have the shelf life that make them worth it. We have 5 Plasmas here at work, and one DLP. Hooked up to the same receiver the DLP looks much cleaner side by side. Also, we have had the DLP for a few years longer than the Plasmas, and still looks good as new.
Also, a hell of a lot lighter as well (easier to hang on a wall).
Also, a hell of a lot lighter as well (easier to hang on a wall).
60,000+ half life is too short for you?
5 hours of watching a day = 14,000 days = 38 years
i dunno.... 38 years before half life? seems good to me.
then again, if yer a true TV junkie that is only 19 years if you watch 10hrs a day
the lifespan on plasma's is no longer an issue. they got that licked.
DLP is great for HD and movies and all, but standard def stuff looks like **** on it, plasma has about the BEST standard def pic next to CRT
plus there are few DLP's that can hang on walls.
#11
09-19-2006, 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by SpinMedia
Yeah i couldn't tell the diff between EDTV and HDTV so i just went ahead and got the EDTV and used the rest of the money for a nice sound system for it .
he was bithcing cause i was thinking about EDTV
10 feet away i asked him which tv was HD and which ED. He pointed to the ED and said obviously THAT one is HD.
lol.......
42 inches and under at more than 7 feet away, HD is pointless. The bigger the streen the more the need for HD.... on a 42 inch plasma i just dont think it is worth it cause the EDTV looks so goddamn good,...
#14
09-19-2006, 01:44 PM
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Originally Posted by SpinMedia
"Yeah thats what im saying. My roomate drove my stang back when i was lookin for tv's and brought back the pathfinder." what does that have to do with anything ? 
???
???
#16
09-19-2006, 02:46 PM
Jack Touched Me...I Cried
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Tallahassee, FL/ Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 3,751
If I could just jump in here, not to hijack the thread or anything but we seem to have a few experts here, so... My roomates and I bought an xbox360... we don't have an HD tv infact the living room tv is a 36" tube TV, yes I know it's ancient...
newho I'm thinkin of throwin down some money on a new tv, we're sitting about 6-10 feet away at the farthest in the Living room and we wana be able to confortably see the tv, ie so I can snip better in The Outfit or Ghost recon,...
What are my options, I'm also not tryin to spend a Whole hell of a alota money, i'm only makin a few bucks a week...
newho I'm thinkin of throwin down some money on a new tv, we're sitting about 6-10 feet away at the farthest in the Living room and we wana be able to confortably see the tv, ie so I can snip better in The Outfit or Ghost recon,...
What are my options, I'm also not tryin to spend a Whole hell of a alota money, i'm only makin a few bucks a week...
#19
09-19-2006, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by B-rett
screw u shane the tv i took here is a pos afta watchin everything on the 55" hd i now cant see **** on this screen.....i gotta concentrate 2 read the scores lol
SONY FTL!!!!!!!!!!!!
PANASONIC FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#20
09-19-2006, 03:14 PM
DLP is ****...
Its actually quite low end, Sony has a higher end DLP that blows the normal DLP right out of the water (more mirrors). Current DLP sucks with fast movement, the frame rates get REAL choppy.
I bought a westinghouse 32" HDTV from best buy and its damn nice..HD is crystal clear, 179 degree viewing radius, and SD isnt that bad when expanded to full screen aspect ratio.
just remember the input matters, if you use componant video its not that great, DVI is a step up, but get an HDMI box and so forth, blows componant right out of the water.
My Westinghouse came w/ a good price, I think its only, like $850 right now..
But what jack said is true, Panasonic LCD technology is DAMN good...that was what I was going for in my TV, but I decided not go spend that much on it, mainly because I didnt have the available funds
.
Personally, I would go with LCD, as Plasma, in my opinion, isnt worth the money when LCD technology is jumping up and getting better and better. Now when the plasma prices come down, thats a different story.
Its actually quite low end, Sony has a higher end DLP that blows the normal DLP right out of the water (more mirrors). Current DLP sucks with fast movement, the frame rates get REAL choppy.
I bought a westinghouse 32" HDTV from best buy and its damn nice..HD is crystal clear, 179 degree viewing radius, and SD isnt that bad when expanded to full screen aspect ratio.
just remember the input matters, if you use componant video its not that great, DVI is a step up, but get an HDMI box and so forth, blows componant right out of the water.
My Westinghouse came w/ a good price, I think its only, like $850 right now..
But what jack said is true, Panasonic LCD technology is DAMN good...that was what I was going for in my TV, but I decided not go spend that much on it, mainly because I didnt have the available funds
.Personally, I would go with LCD, as Plasma, in my opinion, isnt worth the money when LCD technology is jumping up and getting better and better. Now when the plasma prices come down, thats a different story
.
#23
09-19-2006, 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by SpinMedia
youg uys dont know about this right here
lol... he is using a monster power conditioner... ugh... he should be using something of quality like PS Audio
No clue what his speakers are. too bad... i;d be curious to see what all he is running....
#24
09-19-2006, 03:21 PM
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Posts: n/a
just cut and paste. it is a good link.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMineax...3oDMTA4NDgyNWN 0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12bav1peq/EXP=1158790494/**http%3a//www.kwaudio.com/images/Starlight%2520Theatre.jpg
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMineax...3oDMTA4NDgyNWN 0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12bav1peq/EXP=1158790494/**http%3a//www.kwaudio.com/images/Starlight%2520Theatre.jpg
#25
09-19-2006, 03:25 PM
Originally Posted by Jack The Ripper
just cut and paste. it is a good link.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMineax...3oDMTA4NDgyNWN 0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12bav1peq/EXP=1158790494/**http%3a//www.kwaudio.com/images/Starlight%2520Theatre.jpg
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMineax...3oDMTA4NDgyNWN 0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12bav1peq/EXP=1158790494/**http%3a//www.kwaudio.com/images/Starlight%2520Theatre.jpg
#26
09-19-2006, 03:48 PM
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 3,556
Ok, what about this....
If I'm 15-18 feet away in a relatively small section of viewing shall I go 32" or 42" (plasma/LCD dont matter)
If I went 42" I would get plasma and 32" I would LCD.
How much does the Contrast Ratio matter and color. I've seen a lot of LCD's with say 1,000:1 - 5,000:1 contrast ratio. Plasma's were in the neighborhood of 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Also color, many werew 16.7 million (something) and others were like 9.1 billion (I think this was for LCD)
Also, I noticed Plasma gives off less heat and also uses way more energy.
Is the amount of energy a Plasma consumes make any difference at the end of the month? (dumb question)
I've seen that Westinghouse at Bestbuy and I thoguht it was pretty damn nice. I really want to make sure I get a good SD reception/picture quality. I'll have digital cable but I'll be pissed if a SD channel isnt really any better than a tube.
Discuss....
If I'm 15-18 feet away in a relatively small section of viewing shall I go 32" or 42" (plasma/LCD dont matter)
If I went 42" I would get plasma and 32" I would LCD.
How much does the Contrast Ratio matter and color. I've seen a lot of LCD's with say 1,000:1 - 5,000:1 contrast ratio. Plasma's were in the neighborhood of 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Also color, many werew 16.7 million (something) and others were like 9.1 billion (I think this was for LCD)
Also, I noticed Plasma gives off less heat and also uses way more energy.
Is the amount of energy a Plasma consumes make any difference at the end of the month? (dumb question)
I've seen that Westinghouse at Bestbuy and I thoguht it was pretty damn nice. I really want to make sure I get a good SD reception/picture quality. I'll have digital cable but I'll be pissed if a SD channel isnt really any better than a tube.
Discuss....
#27
09-19-2006, 04:08 PM
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Originally Posted by whitethunder46
Ok, what about this....
If I'm 15-18 feet away in a relatively small section of viewing shall I go 32" or 42" (plasma/LCD dont matter)
If I went 42" I would get plasma and 32" I would LCD.
How much does the Contrast Ratio matter and color. I've seen a lot of LCD's with say 1,000:1 - 5,000:1 contrast ratio. Plasma's were in the neighborhood of 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Also color, many werew 16.7 million (something) and others were like 9.1 billion (I think this was for LCD)
Also, I noticed Plasma gives off less heat and also uses way more energy.
Is the amount of energy a Plasma consumes make any difference at the end of the month? (dumb question)
I've seen that Westinghouse at Bestbuy and I thoguht it was pretty damn nice. I really want to make sure I get a good SD reception/picture quality. I'll have digital cable but I'll be pissed if a SD channel isnt really any better than a tube.
Discuss....
If I'm 15-18 feet away in a relatively small section of viewing shall I go 32" or 42" (plasma/LCD dont matter)
If I went 42" I would get plasma and 32" I would LCD.
How much does the Contrast Ratio matter and color. I've seen a lot of LCD's with say 1,000:1 - 5,000:1 contrast ratio. Plasma's were in the neighborhood of 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Also color, many werew 16.7 million (something) and others were like 9.1 billion (I think this was for LCD)
Also, I noticed Plasma gives off less heat and also uses way more energy.
Is the amount of energy a Plasma consumes make any difference at the end of the month? (dumb question)
I've seen that Westinghouse at Bestbuy and I thoguht it was pretty damn nice. I really want to make sure I get a good SD reception/picture quality. I'll have digital cable but I'll be pissed if a SD channel isnt really any better than a tube.
Discuss....
At that distance i would go at LEAST 42 in plasma.
The higher the contrast ratio the better the picture and more vibrant it will be. Def plasma.
Plasma's are heavier, and the wallmounts are not cheap, but if you go on overstock.com you can find cheap wallmounts for 80 bucks or so, which is where i got mine, normally it ran for like 150 or something.
the heat generated by the plasma is way more than LCD, but not much more than a regular TV or a reciever. So that is no biggie.
The energy bill? eh... the LCD takes very little power, the plasma takes a bit more. The difference in your energy bill between the two might be 1-2 dollars with heavy use. It is yer AC, Heater, Oven, Dishwasher, and Dryer that really suck out the juice. So i wouldnt even worry about that.
The SD on plasma is as good as it gets unless you go with Tube.
It is better than on LCD as well. Not really sure why, plasma is just more fogiving to SD signals.
Most of the TV i watch is on SD. i only have about 10-15 HD channels and of those only 4-5 i might watch and usually nothing is on. lol
Dont get me wrong, LCD is awesome, but it is just too damn expencive compared to plasma for the minimal gains.
#28
09-19-2006, 04:44 PM
I have 3 year old Sony 40" XBR its a flat CRT 250lbs and it has been great to me. TV is about 9 feet away plus viewing angle is very important as love seat is very closeand everything looks awesome from every angle. The main thing is that bigger is not always better get something that meets your current needs as viewing distance is important as far as size. Later on when you have a bigger place get a bigger set which will cost less since prices come down every year .
#29
09-19-2006, 07:37 PM
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 3,556
If a tube TV is better than a plasma with SD signals...... why don't I just get a nice Samsung flat screen with HD tuner???
#30
09-20-2006, 06:37 AM
I love my 36" Sony Trinitron as well. Only $400 a few years ago, and is great. You don't have to go HDTV, like Jack said on TV there aren't that many channels available right now. If a few years there will be a **** load more and that's when I plan on getting a HDTV, but until then my current TV is fine with me.