OT: Plasma/LCD/DLP

Guys im looking to get a new TV. Its very confusing with all the options. I was wondering if anyone could give me input on what they own and what they think of it.

Thanks
RC

my parents have both a very large plasma and a very large LCD .. i can BARELY tell the difference and for the large variance in cost i would certainly go with the LCD over the plasma .. jmo

glenihan said:

my parents have both a very large plasma and a very large LCD .. i can BARELY tell the difference and for the large variance in cost i would certainly go with the LCD over the plasma .. jmo

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What brand is the LCD? Ive seen some good and bad looking ones.

Thanks
RC

I have a Sharp Aquos LCD and a NEC DLP projector, I also worked for NEC doing tech support for plasma monitors out of college, so I have been exposed to all three. I would go with the Samsung DLP if you're going for a big screen. If you're going for a 32" range, go with the Samsung, Sharp, or LG LCD TV's.

jawbreakerkid said:

I have a Sharp Aquos LCD and a NEC DLP projector, I also worked for NEC doing tech support for plasma monitors out of college, so I have been exposed to all three. I would go with the Samsung DLP if you're going for a big screen. If you're going for a 32" range, go with the Samsung, Sharp, or LG LCD TV's.

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JBK do you know if the Samsung DLP is 5th generation? I have heard to make sure.

RC

They judge these by brightness over TV half-life.

Plasma = 18000-24000 hours total life
LCD = 55000-65000 hours total life

These are round about numbers but as you can see LCd has a longer life. Basically half life of these like say 9000 hours on a Plasma you would need to turn the brightness all the way up to make it as bright as it was when you bought it new. So, looking at LCD, you would have up to 32000 hours of use before you would need to run it up. This is the one main reason NOT to buy a demo. Demos are on all of the time, and when they go to sell them they do turn the brightness all the way up to compensate for the year of constant use the store put on it so basically you are screwed.

Plasma screens do have an advantage however, because liquid crystal (LCD) reacts alot slower unless you spend a large amount of money to buy a top of the line TV when getting into the larger sizes. What this means? A large semi good quality LCD (like 43") while watching a football game will sometimes appear blurry. Kind of like shaking a camera while taking a picture. Plasma does not experience this and that is why Plasmas are available in larger sizes by default at a cheaper cost. Now, if you are staying somewhere in the range of 32" or under your average LCD is perfect. Just remember to get a high quality one if you go into a larger size like 43"+. I do not have as much experience with DLP, but I can tell you this, Sony supposedly has the best one out there because of a multiple processor design so it of course will show less blur. But again, I am not sure and am just repeating what I heard.

I would say if you are going with 43" or under stick with a Plasma or LCD due to sheer size and quality compared to DLP. The choice would be with the larger sizes, which would all depends on your wallet and the size of the room.

Kaiser thanks. Any specific brands you recommend?

RC

RazorCuts said:

Kaiser thanks. Any specific brands you recommend?

RC

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There are a few that are pretty good nowadays. The difference will be when you figure out what type you would want. If it is plasma or LCD I would recommend checking out this site:

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com

Pretty comprehensive, yet they also explain things in laimens terms for people like us!

Noticing the blur on an LCD only happens for a select few people i believe. Not eveyone experiences that. Either way I would go with the LCD over a Plasma. Now If u want to get a bigger screen for the same money as a smaller LDC i would go with the DLP and have no problems. The LCD has brighter colors but the black isnt as sharp as the DLP. So, the trade off i think equals out. Pretty much i would go witht the DLP as you can get more bang for your buck. I mean there what 14" wide as opposed to 5". Thats not a big enuff difference to me. ANd if your thinking you want to put it on the wall i believe the warranty becomes void once you do that. In conclusion go with the DLP. Just as good and u can get a bigger screen for less money.

galaxy said:

Noticing the blur on an LCD only happens for a select few people i believe. Not eveyone experiences that. Either way I would go with the LCD over a Plasma. Now If u want to get a bigger screen for the same money as a smaller LDC i would go with the DLP and have no problems. The LCD has brighter colors but the black isnt as sharp as the DLP. So, the trade off i think equals out. Pretty much i would go witht the DLP as you can get more bang for your buck. I mean there what 14" wide as opposed to 5". Thats not a big enuff difference to me. ANd if your thinking you want to put it on the wall i believe the warranty becomes void once you do that. In conclusion go with the DLP. Just as good and u can get a bigger screen for less money.

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Not true as far as blur. The larger it is, the more noticable it is unless you buy really high quality. the liquid does not react fast enough changing from one color to another hence you get a blur. Granted, like I said, you wont notice it on 32 and under because they pretty much have that size and under working really well. But 42 & up you will notice it no doubt if your TV is not of a good quality. See, the larger the TV doesn't necessarily mean they add more pixels. Since they do not do that, the pixels must be larger obviously to compensate for the size difference. Since we are talking about a liquid here, it takes more time for the fluid to change color per pixel the larger they are because of the volume of liquid that has to change once charged. Which in turn renders you blur.

Also contrary to your belief, hanging on a wall does not void warranty of a plasma or LCD TV. Most TVs (99%) are made for VESA standard 75mm or 100mm which is a basic bolt pattern so that the mount may be universal and not the name brand of the company that made the TV.

Now, if you have a fireplace and you want to hang it above a fireplace, you have to make sure that the fireplace is thermo shielded for a TV above it. Most older wood burning are not. However most newer gas burning are certified.

glenihan said:

my parents have both a very large plasma and a very large LCD .. i can BARELY tell the difference and for the large variance in cost i would certainly go with the LCD over the plasma .. jmo

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Not sure if you realize this, but LCD is more money (most of the time) than plasma when you get into the larger sizes.

Also, just a warning. Stay away from Dell. I have a corporate account with Dell for computers so obviously I have bought a couple TVs from them. 2 of my 30 inch Dells have pixel lines, which is a line that stays a certain color and runs straight up the whole height of the screen, and 1 42 incher that the power supply went on 2 weeks out of warranty. Junk in my opinion, and my Samsungs are 5 times brighter. They're just a little enticing because of the cheap price.

I worked with plasmas and am not a big fan, however, the Panasonic plasmas look great, their contrast ratio is the highest in the industry, meaning the colors pop off the screen. BUT, you typically have to watch them in a dimly lit room becuase the picture tends to be a little darker. My LCD TV is a 32", I would never buy an LCD bigger than that, the prices are absurd. I say DLP is the best deal, and to me the picture is great. My prjector is a DLP and I have a 92" screen, and it looks so crisp. When you watch football in HD you can see the clouds reflecting off the helmets, it's incredible.

jawbreakerkid said:

My prjector is a DLP and I have a 92" screen, and it looks so crisp.

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Damn! Porn on that mofo must be like putting you in the game!

You would think it's cool, but a clit as big as your head is intimidating!!!