Help With Buying HD TV

[Avonlea]

my wife and i are going to be purchasing an HD tv next weekend. we would like to get around a 50 inch. wondering whether to go with the plasma or lcd.

if anyone has any advice, i'd sure appreciate it. thanks.

[cryo]

We have a 50 in. plasma and love it. LCD is still more expensive than plasma at the 50 in. size, and still suffers from trails left on the screen during fast motion that plasmas generally don't show, though that has improved a lot over the years. They are both great technologies, and LCD may end up winning the war, but a good rule of thumb is that above 42 inches, plasma is your best bet, while under that, LCD is the way to go.

BTW, the fears of screen burn-in on plasmas is a thing of the past with the several generations of plasma screens that have come over the past few years. There is nothing to worry about with plasma. The picture is still rated to last about 20 years or more.

You might want to do some basic "plasma vs. LCD" research that gives objective things to consider for each style.

BTW, there is a difference in picture quality among the different brands, so don't necessarily go for the cheapest one. We have had two Panasonics over the years, and they are always rated the best plasma pictures at the consumer price level. Also, be sure to actually watch HD programming, or you are wasting your money. HD is incredible.

[starwars1948]

My family still only uses the old CRT 20 inch televisions so I can't really give any advice but just my opinion. I would say other than whatever technical issues Plasma VS LCD might be I say go with what looks good to you. Just from the few TVs I have seen I think plasma looks better than LCD but again that is just my opinion.

[trandraskell]

I have been doing some research on both and i have friends that have a plasma and lcds and I have to say that lcd have gotten alot better. I myself am looking into lcd. Look at sharp aquois or the new samsungs all get great ratings.

[ghetto guy]

My parents bought a Toshiba LCD (47in). It's really great!
We also have a Polaroid LCD in our dining room (19in) and it's A LOT better than the 6in CRT we kept on our table.

[Hootmon]

I say go with what looks good to you.Best advice.

Make sure you do a side-by-side comparison of the same images in the store. All three technologies (Plasma, LCD and DLT) have individual strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, DLT is a bit sharper than LCD on average, but DLT also has a slight 'shimmer' to it that can be annoying to some people, and Plasma can seem over-saturated.

Any of those three techs is going to give you an excellent picture, so it really is a matter of preference. Just make sure that whatever you get can do at least 1080i if not 1080p

[ghetto guy]

Best advice.

Make sure you do a side-by-side comparison of the same images in the store. All three technologies (Plasma, LCD and DLT) have individual strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, DLT is a bit sharper than LCD on average, but DLT also has a slight 'shimmer' to it that can be annoying to some people, and Plasma can seem over-saturated.

Any of those three techs is going to give you an excellent picture, so it really is a matter of preference. Just make sure that whatever you get can do at least 1080i if not 1080p
Also, DLP TV's have a light bulb that has to be replaced every now and then. (I think it's around 700 hours) Not to mention, they are the same size as a standard projection TV.
To me, LCDs have the sharpest picture. Plasma screens can look blurry and weird when you get close to them. (LCDs do too but not as much)

[Saved405]

my wife and i are going to be purchasing an HD tv next weekend. we would like to get around a 50 inch. wondering whether to go with the plasma or lcd.

if anyone has any advice, i'd sure appreciate it. thanks.

I bought a 42 inch Panasonic LCD back in Feburary..and I love it. I prefer LCD over Plasma. The Plasma looks good but i hear it fades VERY fast which is why it is less expensive than the LCDs. This is an investment and you want it to last a long time, so i would go with an LCD if i were you Avonlea.

When buying you have to make sure it supports HDMI. HDMI is the new technology coming out and we will be leaning more towards HDMI. Especially if your going to be hooking it up to a surround sound system. I recommend getting a Yamaha reciever to hook it up to for surround sound.

I am not sure if you have a Costco around where you live but I bought my system at Costco. Hope this helps. :hat

[SandieB]

if you go to Cnet.com they will really give you good help.

I have a 50 inch panasonic plasma and we love it

[cryo]

I bought a 42 inch Panasonic LCD back in Feburary..and I love it. I prefer LCD over Plasma. The Plasma looks good but i hear it fades VERY fast which is why it is less expensive than the LCDs. This is an investment and you want it to last a long time, so i would go with an LCD if i were you Avonlea.

When buying you have to make sure it supports HDMI. HDMI is the new technology coming out and we will be leaning more towards HDMI. Especially if your going to be hooking it up to a surround sound system. I recommend getting a Yamaha reciever to hook it up to for surround sound.

I am not sure if you have a Costco around where you live but I bought my system at Costco. Hope this helps. :hat

Plasmas don't fade fast; they are made to last 20 years or more. There are all kinds of false rumors about plasma. The short life of the TV and the screen burn-in rumors are not to be believed. Their lower cost has nothing to do with the life of the TV; it has to do with the fact LCD technology is still more expensive to produce.

I still say above 42 inches, go plasma, and below, LCD.

BTW, doing side-by-side comparisons in a store doesn't help much, as the settings are all cranked up to make the pictures look as bright as possible, but they aren't settings you'd ever want to use in your home. Read reviews online first to see what is ratest highest before you shop. If you guys are all using the stores settings on your TVs, you are lessening the life of the screen, as well.