Plasma or LCD?

You don't need a TV, run doubles and kick ass in your next race.

...or not.

Plasma ftw

DLP! "It's the mirrors"

LCD's for low maintenance and durability...Plasma for a better cleaity and contrast ratio...usually the Plasmas have at least 10,000:1 where the LCD's are good to get 6000:1...however most LCD's can go 1080P without breaking the bank while Plasma 1080P's are quite a bit more expensive...also Plasmas are recomended to be cleaned once a year so you can get the continued clearity that you pay for but you also have to pay for a professional cleaning once a year too...personally I'd go with the LCD

it depends a lot on size though if you want over 46 go plasma if you want under 42 go LCD if you want anywhere between 46 and 42 its a lose but I'd give the nod to the LCD

finally if you aren't obsessed with the flat pannel go with a DLP or a 3 bulb LCD those are the cheapest and nicest pictures and they are the biggest size generally

Just to reinforce what has already been said above; unless you are obsessed with hanging a flat tv on your wall, go with DLP. It's a bigger and better picture for a cheaper price.

plasmas get pictures burned in them if they stay on the screen too long.

i would personally get a lcd.

LCD, because the power consumption of Plasma is retarded.

I was in the same spot this past fall. Had an ancient 29" inch box.

I bought a Sharp Aquos 37" LCD last August. Its great.

You can always go bigger. I just don't watch much TV to justify much more expense( watch live sports during NFL, NCAA BB and NBA playoff seasons).

Plasmas generate a lot of heat and will possibly burn out in a few years...

I would reccommend the 40 inch Sony Bravia KDL-40S2000 (720p). Can be found for cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-KDL40S2000-Bravia-Flat-Panel/dp/B000EP1IKW

Great TV - don't buy into the 1080p hype unless you plan on using 1080p sources (like Blu-Ray or HD-DVD or a Playstation 3 / XBox360), but even then you probably won't see results unless you're fairly close to the screen or go 50" + .

Several studies have been done on the plasma's use of power...it is HUGE!

Even when turned off, the plasma pulls a lot of wattage. It pre-warms the tubes so when you turn it on, you will get a nice picture right away without having to wait a minute or five (??) for it to warm up.

We're talking $250+ per year power costs just to have it sitting OFF in your living room! That includes the A/C to offset the heat it creates too. If you live in an apartment with all bills paid, disregard in that case.

...and by the way, DLPs don't look that great unless you are sitting directly in front of them. If you sit off to the side, you only get a ghost of the true picture. They are power hogs too although not quite as bad as the plasma.

LCD is usually your best bet in most cases!

Mike in HC wrote:

Plasmas generate a lot of heat and will possibly burn out in a few years...

What is the source of this??

I bought a Plasma (Panasonic) a year ago and am very happy with it. In my judgment, plasmas have the best picture. They should last 10-15 years depending how much you use them.

DLPs are nice too, but I believe the light has to be replaced on a more frequent basis, driving the cost up in the long term.

Anyway, there are plenty of consumer web sites that get into the weeds on this stuff and will give you a better basis for making an informed decision than you'll get on letsrun.

Thanks for all the responses...this is terrific information. I'm probably going to buy in the 42" to 46" range. My initial feeling was go with the LCD due to the price differences. But I had one sales guy tell me that the LCD can create a lot of glare in rooms with a lot of sunlight (which is what I have). He said the Plasma deals better with glare. Anybody have any thoughts on that?

Also, totally agree on the 1080p (or whatever it is). Everything I've heard/read says that so far, it's really not worth it. I don't have a Blu-Ray disc or PSIII.

I have a 42" phillips plasma that I've had for about 5 months. It's great - no problems as of yet. Havne't noticed any increase in power consumption on my electric bill either.

Current owner of a 46” 1080p LCD; I previously had a DLP projector until the bulb burned out after about 2000 hours. Here’s an overview on the various hi-definition options out there:

CRT

Pros: Inexpensive, great contrast ratio

Cons: Large and heavy, not available in large sizes, reflective glare on glass screen, burn-in potential

Plasma

Pros: Flat-panel, great contrast ratio, good nighttime performance

Cons: Expensive, reflective glare on glass screen, burn-in potential, delicate glass screen

LCD

Pros: Flat-panel, best daytime performance (low glare due to non-reflective screen), cheaper than plasma in small sizes, no burn-in potential

Cons: Potential backlight banding or unevenness, may have stuck pixels, plasmas have better contrast ratio and reaction time

Rear-projection (3-LCD or DLP)

Pros: Best value for very large sets, great contrast ratio, good nighttime performance, low glare due to non-reflective screen

Cons: Can’t be wall mounted, bulbs will burn out, low brightness poor for daytime viewing

A few comments on resolutions:

Unless you have or plan on getting a high-definition gaming system (XBOX 360 or PS3) or a next-generation disc player (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray), you don’t need a 1080p set. HDTV is broadcast in 720p or 1080i, and the latter resolution (while interlaced) will technically look better on a 1080p set. However, since you’ll spend most of your time watching regular TV (480i) and DVDs (480p), up-scaling everything to 1080p will not improve the quality. In fact, if you’re not going to get HD cable or satellite, don’t even buy an HDTV—get an EDTV (480p) CRT.

I prefer LSD

I have a 42" Panasonic plasma, and I love it. It's got a nice bright picture and very good clarity. I haven't noticed a tremendous increase in my power bill since I've had it, but we don't watch much TV, and run the power through a heavy duty power converter (which I'm told helps regulate the power drawn from the wall, and protects the tv).

I looked a tons of models before we made a decision, and knew that I wanted a plasma pretty early on. The LCD picture tended to be a little more pixilated, and was jumpy from time to time. It was a brighter picture for sure, but I wanted the clarity over the brightness.

I think you need to determine whether you like the picture of an LCD or a plasma better, then pick a size and price range, and go from there. When you do get set up, make sure you get HD right away, and then get the Discovery channel. It'll blow your friggin mind.

What Cold Brew said.

/thread

Seriously though, as someone who just spent a month's salary on a very nice TV. DLP, LCD, and Plasma techs all have their pros and cons, but all three have pretty reliable technology, that's clearly passed some posters (on this thread) by.

Screen burn in on Plasmas? Are you still stuck in the 90's?

Even Consumer Reports, a publication I loathe because of their all encompassing love of anything Honda and Toyota, have said that Plasma and LCD tv's are finally worth it, and that no significant reliability issues remain.

Go nuts. BTW, Samsung 40" 1080P LCD ... FTW! (Sony's are great too)

the LCD actually has less glare than the plasmas...this is because the LCD's are a liquid crystal display instead of just glass...if you want to try it out for yourself just go to a store and shut off an LCD and look at the glare then shut off a plasma and look at the glare its a huge difference

Suprise and Mytwocents...

Thanks for chiming in! I don't have firsthand knowledge and was only passing on info I have read and heard from others on the plasma power consumption.

However, can the increased power usage have been masked by the naturally lower power used by your AC/heater this time of year? Just wondering!

Wow! These "Which TV" debates rage almost everywhere and there's no consensus. I haven't bought a new-fangled TV yet as I watch so little (just an occasional movie) that $1000+ is not justified to move up from my 36" analog set. Since we don't use cable or satellite, I'll have to move up in --I think-- 2008 when the gov't has mandated all network broadcast signals be ONLY in HDTV.

I hope that everything will be sorted out by then. Yeah right, ha!