Plasma vs. LCD tv's

[HawkShot99]

My old tube tv finally crapped out on me. It is a 32" Magnavox..........

So I need a new tv. What makes the LCD flat screens better than the Plasma's? I am on a budget and want to know if the extra money is really worth it.

Also what do you think of Vizio? Anyone have one? I hear lots of good about them, including a article in consumer reports.

 

[HIGHMARK]

What makes the LCD flat screens better than the Plasma's?

I'd like to know the same thing. I really want a new flat panel to replace my 52" bigscreen. Someone told me that a plasma is only good for a couple of years. Were they just talkin**** or what?

 

[Burndown1]

My panasonic 50 is warrentied for 3 years. Panasonic told me they will live approx. 100,000 hrs. mine is a Plasma 720. So far so good.

 

[Bubbles]

Plasma is like having another heat source in the house, unless you are the type of guy that can tell the differce in 50 million shades of black get the lcd

 

[Bubbles]

ohh and plasma don't like to be moved and cannopt be typed on its side.

 

[alrevedup]

Where we live (above 7000ft.) the plasma does NOT work well and makes a buzzing noise. Those are general comments from friends who have plasmas here.

We went with the Sony Bravia LCD. 2 years and it has been great. If you go with a LCD, look at the max DPI of the unit. 1080 is the best resolution.

Good luck!!!

 

[Backcountry]

Plasma is my choice.

Yes there is a difference in blacks. Watch something like No Country for Old Men on a plasma- then watch it on a LCD. Huge difference. Black is the absence of light- a LCD requires backlighting to display an image. Plasma just doesnt illuminate pixel(s) to create blacks.

All the misinformation about plasma life is flat wrong. 100K hours is a long long long life for a TV. Burn-in isnt nearly the issue it used to be.

 

[HUNDO]

I've got a 42" Vizio LCD and the picture is pretty good. Spend a little more and get one of the top rated models.

 

[Ex-Member]

Plasmas don't work too well above 2k ft due to pressure differences. They do also generate a significant amount of heat compared to LCDs. Their main advantage is a blacker black, but contrast ratio is roughly equivalent to an LCD.

My parents have a Sharp Aquos, the room its in has several large windows and there's hardly any glare or washout when it's bright outside, and when the room's dark it's still a good crisp picture.

LCD would be my choice.

 

[Rob1334]

The difference between chossing if you are to get an LCD or a plasma should boil down to the type of room you are going to put it in or the viewing angle.

If you have a darker room with not many light sources entering such as windows, go with the plasma. The colors will show a lot better than an LCD. Plasma screens will show glares, so the LCD would be a good choice if you're dealing with that. Also, LCD can be viewed from the side at better angles, so if your seating is not ideal an LCD would be a good option.

As for life of a tv, they have become close to equal in the later models. One of the early turnoffs was the burned image. This has been fixed in recent plasma's as they now have circualting gas chambers, creating a very low chance of ever having this happen. Just double check that it has that technology on it.

When looking for the quality output on it, 1080p is the highest, but Vizio doesn't support that high of resolution last time I checked, I could be wrong. 480i is what regular cable tv is broadcasted in, that is your base. (480 individual (i) lines of picture) 720 starts your high def. picture, 720 lines of individual or "scan" (progressive scan I believe, or 720p). then you get 1080 in both i or p. Note, 720p and 1080i is about the same, but 1080p you will notice some difference with the right components, as you will need either blue-ray or HD DVD format to really see the difference.

Also, make sure you check the prcessor on the TV, 120mhz is what I have so that shadow images don't show up when I use an xbox 360.

Vizio is a good brand for the price. Granted you won't get all the features of a highend tv, but for the price they are definately a good deal. Just make sure ahead of time that it matches what your current or future plans are for your entertainment system. Make sure you have all the outputs you want or need. Then, go with the biggest size that proportionally fits your space and in your wallet.

Another good place to check is Sears for tv's, I got a 52" Samsung 1080i plasma for $1499, about $400 cheaper than Bestbuy for the EXACT same model.

 

[Goldenwest]

Like stated above, if the room has alot of light coming in go with LCD. If it's a darker room the plasma would be my choice. The heat is more off a plasma but works good for us here in West Yellowstone as the winters are cold. If above 4k you have to go with a high altitude plasma. We have a high altitude LG 44" in a darker living room and love it.................

 

[HawkShot99]

Thanks for the replys.

I live right around sea level, so the altitude thing is of no concern for me.

As for 720p,picture quality, that is what the tv I was considering is. To be honest, I am happy with the picture qualiy of my 9 year old tube tv. When i go over to my friend's house that has a 52" 1080 something or other, it looks nice, but not THAT much better for what he [paid for it.

42" PLASMA

That is the tv I was looking at getting.

Or if LCD is that much better.......
37" LCD

 

[ruffryder]

480i is what regular cable tv is broadcasted in, that is your base. (480 individual (i) lines of picture) 720 starts your high def. picture, 720 lines of individual or "scan" (progressive scan I believe, or 720p). then you get 1080 in both i or p. Note, 720p and 1080i is about the same, but 1080p you will notice some difference with the right components, as you will need either blue-ray or HD DVD format to really see the difference.

FYI, the "i" stands for interlaced.

wiki interlace

 

[Rob1334]

FYI, the "i" stands for interlaced.

wiki interlace

Thanks, ya wasn't sure the real name for it, had to go to a meeting here for work and no time to look it up.

The other thing is I think people are blowing the heat given off by the screen out of proportion. It won't turn your house in to an oven by any means, I barely notice any heat coming off of mine and my basement stays right at around 68 degrees, whether it is on or not.

Finally, something you will notice is that a lot of your old channels that you watch are not going to be as clear as they were on a regular tv. The detail of a plasma or an LCD is so much more that it will display inperfections of regular broadcasted signal. Make sure that you don't have a source going to it that is split a million times to other rooms before it reaches the tv, and make sure you are using the best cables you can, not so much brand wise but an HDMI cable going from your DVD player is a lot better than average AV red/white/yellow cables.

Another good investment is to get a upconvert dvd player. They are not all that expensive, but you will get a lot better quality out of your DVD's you own without having to go buy a new media library. Not sure on what DVD is formatted to(480p? or 720i????other??) but the picture improved on my tv when I got a decent upconvert player from Walmart.

 

[MACH]

It is a personal preference if you ask me.

I personally went with the LCD only because it was cheaper.

Also some may say contrast, and blacks, and whites are different between plasma and LCD. To a point that is true, BUT if you buy a nice TV whether it be plasma or LCD get the damn thing properly calibrated! Why flip the cash for a nice TV when it still won't look as good.

As for the life span those numbers are based on calibrated TVs as well. A calibrated TV will not work as hard and not put off as much heat and use less energy and look 10x better then pulling it out of the box.

Believe me I have had 2 LCDs done and the difference is worth the money.

1080p is great if you ever plan to buy a blueRay player, if not i would stick with a 1080i or 720p. HD TV will only be displayed in those formats, and will NEVER go to 1080p.

Look for something with 120Hz refresh as well it is awesome!

I would look into the Samsung TV's or the Sony XBRs. The XBR is a little more money but you get the same features in the Samsung for less money.

 

[Blu Du]

i bought one of each at sams club. lcd has less glare. they are visios made completly in cali. buy us.

 

[HawkShot99]

i bought one of each at sams club. lcd has less glare. they are visios made completly in cali. buy us.

What models did you get? Any thing else besides less glare on the lcd?

 

[94fordguy]

Funny, I just bought a Vizio yesterday as my old tube tv gave out a few weeks ago.

I looked at several different brands (Sharp, Samsung, and Sony) and for the price I thought the Vizio had very good picture quality in the 720i market.

Looks pretty good set up with NO glare (I had that problem really bad with my old tube) and Price was good $599 at Costco for the 32", I believe the 37" was $749, but that was just too big for my bedroom...


Now I'm gonna upgrade Directv to HD programming because as stated before, it's not quite as clear as the tube with the standard digital service...but still good


My $.02, good tv

 

[Blu Du]

What models did you get? Any thing else besides less glare on the lcd?

i bought the 37" lcd For $750 and the 50" plasma for $1200. the plasma definatly has more glare from the sunlight. the pictures seem to be the same , the plasma has a little brighter colors.

 

[HawkShot99]

Well I went to all the TV places tonight. I have decided I am getting a Vizio Plasma. Just need to decide 32" or 42".