LCD or Plasma

[imported_griffis]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: griffis
Hey all,

Currently in the market for a new tv and want to see what you recommend. I have heard of horror stories of Plasma's blowing out after a year and I have heard of dead pixel issues with LCD's. What's the best to buy and where's the best place to buy at?

Elaborate. Budget? Seating Distance? Room Lighting? Viewing Angles?

$1500 42" plus, 8 FT, Two table lamps, Directly in front of and a 45 degree

Does that help give more concrete answers?

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: griffis
$1500 42" plus, 8 FT, Two table lamps, Directly in front of and a 45 degree

Does that help give more concrete answers?

I see three options with that budget.

1) 50" Panasonic 720p Plasma
2) 42" Panasonic 1080p Plasma (700u series)

Or if you can swing an extra $500 or so..
3) 50" 1080p Panasonic plasma (700u series)

The only thing that should steer you away from plasma is if you have a light source (i.e. windows) which is uncontrollable and would shine directly on the TV for much of the day. Of course, this can and should be controllable with window treatments of some sort.

 

[imported_griffis]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: griffis
$1500 42" plus, 8 FT, Two table lamps, Directly in front of and a 45 degree

Does that help give more concrete answers?

I see three options with that budget.

1) 50" Panasonic 720p Plasma
2) 42" Panasonic 1080p Plasma (700u series)

Or if you can swing an extra $500 or so..
3) 50" 1080p Panasonic plasma (700u series)

The only thing that should steer you away from plasma is if you have a light source (i.e. windows) which is uncontrollable and would shine directly on the TV for much of the day. Of course, this can and should be controllable with window treatments of some sort.

What is the true value of 720P vs. 1080P?When will this make a difference?
Also, I do have windows in my living room, although they are always covered with blinds.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: griffis

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: griffis
$1500 42" plus, 8 FT, Two table lamps, Directly in front of and a 45 degree

Does that help give more concrete answers?

I see three options with that budget.

1) 50" Panasonic 720p Plasma
2) 42" Panasonic 1080p Plasma (700u series)

Or if you can swing an extra $500 or so..
3) 50" 1080p Panasonic plasma (700u series)

The only thing that should steer you away from plasma is if you have a light source (i.e. windows) which is uncontrollable and would shine directly on the TV for much of the day. Of course, this can and should be controllable with window treatments of some sort.

What is the true value of 720P vs. 1080P?When will this make a difference?
Also, I do have windows in my living room, although they are always covered with blinds.

True value?

720p = 1280x720
1080p= 1920x1080

Is that what you mean?

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: griffis

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: griffis
$1500 42" plus, 8 FT, Two table lamps, Directly in front of and a 45 degree

Does that help give more concrete answers?

I see three options with that budget.

1) 50" Panasonic 720p Plasma
2) 42" Panasonic 1080p Plasma (700u series)

Or if you can swing an extra $500 or so..
3) 50" 1080p Panasonic plasma (700u series)

The only thing that should steer you away from plasma is if you have a light source (i.e. windows) which is uncontrollable and would shine directly on the TV for much of the day. Of course, this can and should be controllable with window treatments of some sort.

What is the true value of 720P vs. 1080P?When will this make a difference?
Also, I do have windows in my living room, although they are always covered with blinds.

True value?

720p = 1280x720
1080p= 1920x1080

Is that what you mean?

...and, cue Spidey...

 

[cmdrdredd]

1920x1080 is a better picture. That's the simple way to put it. Regardless of whether you notice it, you're getting more information on screen at once.

 

[drifter106]

spent about 4 months researching our next HD purchase. Spent a lot of time over at avs forums (wealth of information). Oldest son bought a sharp lcd before I made my purchase. Middle of Aug. we ended up getting a Pio 5080. Comparing the 46" lcd to my plasma...MOST definitely content that I went with the Pio.

On another note...I knew in purchasing this TV I would give up not having 1080p (could of had it if I had went with something else) but I wanted the features that the new Kuro offered. With our viewing distance (8 to 10 ft) you can't tell the difference.

Points of emphasis in achieving the ultimate PQ...


1. High Quality Source (dish, cable, OTA.. strength of signal is very important)
2. Contrast Ratio
3. Color Saturation
4. Color Accuracy
5. Resolution (so many people think this is the determining factor but are sorely mistaken)

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

...and, cue Spidey...

I've been staying out of this one just to watch all the FUD.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: zinfamous

...and, cue Spidey...

I've been staying out of this one just to watch all the FUD.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: drifter106
spent about 4 months researching our next HD purchase. Spent a lot of time over at avs forums (wealth of information). Oldest son bought a sharp lcd before I made my purchase. Middle of Aug. we ended up getting a Pio 5080. Comparing the 46" lcd to my plasma...MOST definitely content that I went with the Pio.

On another note...I knew in purchasing this TV I would give up not having 1080p (could of had it if I had went with something else) but I wanted the features that the new Kuro offered. With our viewing distance (8 to 10 ft) you can't tell the difference.

Points of emphasis in achieving the ultimate PQ...


1. High Quality Source (dish, cable, OTA.. strength of signal is very important)
2. Contrast Ratio
3. Color Saturation
4. Color Accuracy
5. Resolution (so many people think this is the determining factor but are sorely mistaken)

most relevant post in this thread
:thumbsup:

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: drifter106
spent about 4 months researching our next HD purchase. Spent a lot of time over at avs forums (wealth of information). Oldest son bought a sharp lcd before I made my purchase. Middle of Aug. we ended up getting a Pio 5080. Comparing the 46" lcd to my plasma...MOST definitely content that I went with the Pio.

On another note...I knew in purchasing this TV I would give up not having 1080p (could of had it if I had went with something else) but I wanted the features that the new Kuro offered. With our viewing distance (8 to 10 ft) you can't tell the difference.

Points of emphasis in achieving the ultimate PQ...


1. High Quality Source (dish, cable, OTA.. strength of signal is very important)
2. Contrast Ratio
3. Color Saturation
4. Color Accuracy
5. Resolution (so many people think this is the determining factor but are sorely mistaken)

too bad gaming on plasma sucks hardcore. Which is very important to me.

 

[drifter106]

To be honest Eric I thought the same thing for a while. Have tried my sons xbox a few times for 2 or 3 hrs per setting and have had no problems. Have followed many a thread in regards to image retention on these new plasmas and based on what I have read it seems that they have made burn in and image retention a thing of the past (with the orbiter AND a proper breakin, the chances of burn in have been greatly reduced). Sooooo, with that thought in mind I ended up getting a DVI to HDMI cable to run from my pc to the plasma and will get it a whirl (should be here from monoprice Fri).

 

[ElFenix]

i dunno why everyone says not to get a plasma if the room is bright. i never had a problem with my plasma in my south facing living room in the last apartment. watching it in the middle of the day with the blinds open was fine. it was perpendicular to the window, which probably has everything to do with it.

so, elfenix's top tech tip: don't point your tv at your windows

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: drifter106
spent about 4 months researching our next HD purchase. Spent a lot of time over at avs forums (wealth of information). Oldest son bought a sharp lcd before I made my purchase. Middle of Aug. we ended up getting a Pio 5080. Comparing the 46" lcd to my plasma...MOST definitely content that I went with the Pio.

On another note...I knew in purchasing this TV I would give up not having 1080p (could of had it if I had went with something else) but I wanted the features that the new Kuro offered. With our viewing distance (8 to 10 ft) you can't tell the difference.

Points of emphasis in achieving the ultimate PQ...


1. High Quality Source (dish, cable, OTA.. strength of signal is very important)
2. Contrast Ratio
3. Color Saturation
4. Color Accuracy
5. Resolution (so many people think this is the determining factor but are sorely mistaken)

too bad gaming on plasma sucks hardcore. Which is very important to me.

WTF are you talking about? Gaming on a Pioneer is about the best there is.

 

[LS20]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
1920x1080 is a better picture. That's the simple way to put it. Regardless of whether you notice it, you're getting more information on screen at once.

that's the wrong way to put it.

correct:
1920x1080 is getting more information on the screen at once.
seeing a better picture or not depends whether you notice it.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i dunno why everyone says not to get a plasma if the room is bright. i never had a problem with my plasma in my south facing living room in the last apartment. watching it in the middle of the day with the blinds open was fine. it was perpendicular to the window, which probably has everything to do with it.

so, elfenix's top tech tip: don't point your tv at your windows

It really is only a major issue if the light source is directly behind the display. You're right that it is not a big deal. Most CRT's always suffered from this issue so it is nothing new.

But, both technologies (and it's not really the technology but the screen) handle ambient light differently. Plasma has a tendency to reflect the light while an LCD panel absorbs the light. Regardless of the technology, the brighter the room, the more degradation of the picture. So, while LCD just washes out a bit under strong light, Plasma can suffer from dramatic reflections making it harder to watch under strong lighting compared with LCD.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
1920x1080 is a better picture. That's the simple way to put it. Regardless of whether you notice it, you're getting more information on screen at once.

Very wrong. It would essentially be saying that a car A is better than car B b/c it's got twice the horsepower. There is so much more to a car just as there is so much more to a quality picture. Sure if all else is equal, I'll take 1080p. However, I'll take a Pioneer 5080 every time over any LCD.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i dunno why everyone says not to get a plasma if the room is bright. i never had a problem with my plasma in my south facing living room in the last apartment. watching it in the middle of the day with the blinds open was fine. it was perpendicular to the window, which probably has everything to do with it.

so, elfenix's top tech tip: don't point your tv at your windows

It really is only a major issue if the light source is directly behind the display. You're right that it is not a big deal. Most CRT's always suffered from this issue so it is nothing new.

But, both technologies (and it's not really the technology but the screen) handle ambient light differently. Plasma has a tendency to reflect the light while an LCD panel absorbs the light. Regardless of the technology, the brighter the room, the more degradation of the picture. So, while LCD just washes out a bit under strong light, Plasma can suffer from dramatic reflections making it harder to watch under strong lighting compared with LCD.

my understanding was that Plasma had reflection problems b/c of the giant glass panel. Is this not that simple an issue?

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i dunno why everyone says not to get a plasma if the room is bright. i never had a problem with my plasma in my south facing living room in the last apartment. watching it in the middle of the day with the blinds open was fine. it was perpendicular to the window, which probably has everything to do with it.

so, elfenix's top tech tip: don't point your tv at your windows

It really is only a major issue if the light source is directly behind the display. You're right that it is not a big deal. Most CRT's always suffered from this issue so it is nothing new.

But, both technologies (and it's not really the technology but the screen) handle ambient light differently. Plasma has a tendency to reflect the light while an LCD panel absorbs the light. Regardless of the technology, the brighter the room, the more degradation of the picture. So, while LCD just washes out a bit under strong light, Plasma can suffer from dramatic reflections making it harder to watch under strong lighting compared with LCD.

my understanding was that Plasma had reflection problems b/c of the giant glass panel. Is this not that simple an issue?

Panasonics and Pioneers use an anti-reflective coating to combat the glare. The Panasonic TH-50PX77U does an exceptional job of reducing glare. The new Pioneer Kuros also do a great job (Elites even better). Now it's still glass, so it will not be as good as the LCD matte screen, but the newer LCDs like the Samsung 81 series use a reflective coating which helps colors look more vivid; however, it's like a freakin' mirror. SUPER reflective. More so than the new plasmas. So it's not always as simple as making a general statement like, "plasmas are worse at dealing with glare than LCDs."

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i dunno why everyone says not to get a plasma if the room is bright. i never had a problem with my plasma in my south facing living room in the last apartment. watching it in the middle of the day with the blinds open was fine. it was perpendicular to the window, which probably has everything to do with it.

so, elfenix's top tech tip: don't point your tv at your windows

It really is only a major issue if the light source is directly behind the display. You're right that it is not a big deal. Most CRT's always suffered from this issue so it is nothing new.

But, both technologies (and it's not really the technology but the screen) handle ambient light differently. Plasma has a tendency to reflect the light while an LCD panel absorbs the light. Regardless of the technology, the brighter the room, the more degradation of the picture. So, while LCD just washes out a bit under strong light, Plasma can suffer from dramatic reflections making it harder to watch under strong lighting compared with LCD.

my understanding was that Plasma had reflection problems b/c of the giant glass panel. Is this not that simple an issue?

I pretty much said that in bold . Sorry if it was confusing.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Panasonics and Pioneers use an anti-reflective coating to combat the glare. The Panasonic TH-50PX77U does an exceptional job of reducing glare. The new Pioneer Kuros also do a great job (Elites even better). Now it's still glass, so it will not be as good as the LCD matte screen, but the newer LCDs like the Samsung 81 series use a reflective coating which help colors look more vivid; however, is like a freakin' mirror. SUPER reflective. More so than the new plasmas. So it's not always as simple as making a general statement like, "plasmas are worse at dealing with glare than LCDs."

In all fairness, until a few of months ago when new models were introduced, this was overwhelmingly the case. But it is true that these properties are really just a result of the screen and not inherent to Plasma or LCD technology.

 

[Auric]

Yeah, but glass is inherent to Plasma ergo so is the reflection problem. Whereas with LCD, reflective screens are optional. Though as with various RPTV's I don't understand the attraction apart from protection, for which IQ is generally sacrificed. I suppose in an ideally lit fuhrerbunker, the aforementioned vivid quality may appeal to some without suffering from reflection but it would still arguably be unnatural and certainly unfilmesque.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: drifter106
To be honest Eric I thought the same thing for a while. Have tried my sons xbox a few times for 2 or 3 hrs per setting and have had no problems. Have followed many a thread in regards to image retention on these new plasmas and based on what I have read it seems that they have made burn in and image retention a thing of the past (with the orbiter AND a proper breakin, the chances of burn in have been greatly reduced). Sooooo, with that thought in mind I ended up getting a DVI to HDMI cable to run from my pc to the plasma and will get it a whirl (should be here from monoprice Fri).

I always see some form of ghosting on plasma displays. Newer ones included. I don't notice it as much/at all on an LCD. For TV and movies the Plasma is bar none the top tier (even 720p sets). However, The ghosting is still a problem for me.

I'm going to have to attempt to use my xbox 360 on my uncle's plasma to determine if it's my imagination or not.

The one big factor for me is price. You typically find LCD sets for less money than Plasma given the same size. I'm looking into a new TV and I'm leaning toward LCD for this reason. I can get 42" 1080p LCD for about the same price as 37" 720p plasma.

Still playing the waiting game though... gotta save that cash up first. No CC for me...used it too much already this year

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
1920x1080 is a better picture. That's the simple way to put it. Regardless of whether you notice it, you're getting more information on screen at once.

Very wrong. It would essentially be saying that a car A is better than car B b/c it's got twice the horsepower. There is so much more to a car just as there is so much more to a quality picture. Sure if all else is equal, I'll take 1080p. However, I'll take a Pioneer 5080 every time over any LCD.

At what price? See LCD is typically very much cheaper than plasma given a specific size screen. Not everyone has room for 50" and not everyone can afford $2k on a TV :laugh:

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
1920x1080 is a better picture. That's the simple way to put it. Regardless of whether you notice it, you're getting more information on screen at once.

Very wrong. It would essentially be saying that a car A is better than car B b/c it's got twice the horsepower. There is so much more to a car just as there is so much more to a quality picture. Sure if all else is equal, I'll take 1080p. However, I'll take a Pioneer 5080 every time over any LCD.

At what price? See LCD is typically very much cheaper than plasma given a specific size screen. Not everyone has room for 50" and not everyone can afford $2k on a TV :laugh:

Not true. At 42" and up quality Plasma is cheaper than quality LCD. There is not much below 42" for plasma anyway due to mfg constraints.