Originally posted by: LegendKiller
LCD still has a long way to go before it reaches Plasma. Sure, it can hit 1080p, but the level of detail, black levels, overall brightness, even-ness of color, quality of the backlight...etc.
You can go on and on. I think people really haven't seen an LCD compared to the newest gen of Panasonic or Pioneer plasmas.
I don't think you've seen the a plasma compared to the newest gen of Samsung or Sony LCDs.
I am not saying they are overall better than the 8G Pios (last year's Pannys maybe) but LCD has definitely gotten its act together this year and the plasma makers should be concerned about their future and dwindling market share.
Black levels are there with LCD, as is evident with the Samsung 71 series. Sammy 81 series really has black levels nailed beyond what even 8G Pios can dream of, but IMO LED backlighting needs to get some of the kinks ironed out before I can really endorse it.
Brightness goes to LCD hands down, especially in any kind of normal lighting. Plasma needs a dark room to become beneficial and frankly not all of us live in caves. Whites on plasma are not white at all, especially in any sort of average lighting.
Color's not even an issue anymore with this year's batch of LCDs scoring better in many accuracy tests (compare the Sammy 4665 with the Pio 5080 geek boxes at CNET). The coveted Pio 5080 has some documented issues with greens and over-saturated red and blue primaries. Color accuracy has always been a strong point for plasma but now I'd say LCD and plasma are in parity there.
Backlight eveness is still a problem with LCD, especially in models over 50". We'll have to see how LED backlighting and local dimming zones work out over the next year. The technology looks promising but too nascent to endorse based on the first iteration, so I'll give you that one.
Then there's all the stuff that just sucks about plasmas. Heavy, hot, buzzing, flickering, dim ming, screen door effect, and how can I forget IR. Here's what happens when you play Bioshock for too long on your $3000 Pioneer 5080:
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/bbzzdd/5080-ir.jpg
I want a set I can watch, not one that I have to babysit with a 100-hour burn-in procedure following with routine screen wipes and de-IR procedures.
I don't want to sound like an LCD fanboy, because I think both technologies, when you add up the sum of all their faults and benefits come out about even. But all the plasma-superiority you hear on forums may have been valid in 2005, but today it's mostly bullocks.