OK, I posted this in the LCD display forum but decided to post it over for maybe some different opinions since a plasma is involved.

"Hey guys,

I have a bonus program through work and I have a choice of 4 tvs. They do not give the model numbers but by plugging descriptions into google I think I have narrowed down the model numbers to the brands. Any input would be appreciated. I am not a die-hard movie watcher but I do play xbox 360 and watch sports. I currently have two 32" sharps that I won last year. The new tv will be the main tv in my living room. Here are the tvs that I believe are my choices

Plasma:

samsung PN50B550

Lcds:

sony bravia 46s5100

samsung ln46b550

sharp aquos lc46e77u (questionable on model number?)

So, those are the panels. Once again, thanks for any input"

Go to a nearby retailer and see what you think. Try to find one that uses good quality source material that will show you how the panels can really perform.

To me, plasma has a smoothness and richness that LCD can't quite duplicate. Keep in mind the viewing angle issues with LCD as well.

Read some professional reviews, check them out, and trust yourself.

What about the Panasonic G10/V10 or Kuro 500M?

I wish the children would use this forum wisely.:rolleyes:

The Sammy plasma...easy choice.

Apparently I have another option as well for tv choices, the TC-P46G10

so that would make my choices look like

Plasma:

samsung PN50B550

panasonic TC-P46G10

Lcds:

sony bravia 46s5100

samsung ln46b550

sharp aquos lc46e77u

How far will you be sitting from the display? IMO, the G10 is the best display, but you'd be losing 4".

I am about 10ft away from the tv now with my current set-up, but I will adjust for a bigger tv! I have it set up as close as possible since im currently using a 32" tv

I would go with the Plasma first.
Since you said you like games and movies. that type of media with motion will be better on the Plasma.
With the LCD's your motion resolution is going to be very bad. You can cheat the motion on the LCD's with interpolation and other ways of artificially changing the content though.
But if you are the type who likes your movies to look like movies instead of a bad home camcorder, and does not like artificial looking motion, and hates motion artfacts , then the Plasma would be your better bet.
Plasmas are simply better for motion. LCD's were not created for video purposes. they were created for static text like computer GUIs.

If you decide against the plasma and get an lcd,
I would get the Sony first.
Then the sammy.

The Sharp should definitly be the last choice IMO. Sharp has not been known for good picture quality compared to its competitors.
these are just my opinions.

Apparently I have another option as well for tv choices, the TC-P46G10

The panny would be the logical choice then.

Documaker....where are you????!!!

We need your input!

Documaker....where are you????!!!

We need your input!

Agreed.

I guess my only concerns would be glare since it will be my main tv in the living room and with burn in from gaming? I know that these are not the top of the line tvs by any means....

I guess my only concerns would be glare since it will be my main tv in the living room and with burn in from gaming? I know that these are not the top of the line tvs by any means....

Then LCD may be your better choice.

Just get a damn plasma. Panny, sammy, or pioney

What kind of response did you expect from the plasma forums.

Glare worries...meh.....not all lcd's are matte, some glare worse than some plasmas
Burn-in worries....meh....just don't abuse it and your fine

The ambient light levels and the locations of the light sources (windows and lamps) determines how much glare you have. Truthfully though in about 60% of the cases, you are free to indulge your preference for Plasma or LCD. In about the 20% darkest rooms, Plasmas are the better choice. In the 20% or so brightest rooms, LCDs are the better choice.

Anybody who simply reccomends one technology or the other without bothering to find out what your particular room lighting is like, is just ignorant or (worse yet) a fanboy of one technology or the other. Such advice should be disregarded.

If you have a particularly light or dark viewing room, you should try to see examples of the same model HDTV under similar lighting conditions. Plasmas are available with anti-glare glass coatings which don't help suppress glass reflections much. LCDs are available with glossy finishes which suffer from reflections as badly as do plasmas.

Ambient light will always get reflected off the screen and it degrades the images on the screen. The reflections are either specular reflections (mirror images) or diffuse reflections (which make the black image areas look gray). For best viewing, you match the screen finish to the ambient lighting, using clearer screens in darker rooms, and increasing the surface texture as light increases, all the way to a full matte finish in sunlit rooms. Make a mistake here and you end up viewing a dim and washed out plasma in a bright sunlit room, complete with reflections, or noticing all the light being diffused from the dark areas of an LCD image in a dark room.

well lcds will make you feel that you are in the game,since their images are more crisp and sharp.

Unless you plan on putting the TV in a room with a ridiculous amount of light,
the panny will be just fine.
A matte screen LCD may help you a little in that situation, but thats only if you sit dead center and dont tilt your head in either direction. Because if you do, any benefit you thought you had is all gone. especially on a led based LCD.

And contrary to what someone who have never owned both and put them thru the tests in their own home will tell you, Motion will be better on the plasma, film will be better, Gaming will be better because of the lack of lag, contrast will be higher during regular content because Plasma does not need backlighting like LCD does (aka no bloom/backlight bleed-over), screen uniformity will be much better (no dark corners or hot-spots), there will be less ghosting/blurry movement,etc.etc.etc.

If your worried about burn-in, don't. Unless you plan on letting a static image sit there for days on the screen. And if your worried about being forgetful and accidentally doing that, then just turn the "no activity off" feature on. This will power the TV off when there is no activity. so no worries.

If you plan on putting the TV in front of giant open windows, then by all means get the LCD. But make sure its matte (not sonys semi-gloss).
But even with the Matte LCD, you will still get glare and your blacks will suffer. Matte screens act like a diffuser and absorb light and spread it thru the entirety of the screen instead of reflecting it off. This leads to a dull lifeless image and produces a paper-like 2-d image instead of a 3-d like image.
Colors will suffer.
The best advise I can give is to never put any tv (lcd,plasma,crt,etc) in front of large windows.

That was a perfect example of a rant from a fan of one technology. In fact such fans will adamantly deny the merits of the panel they don't favor, and exagerate the flaws of one technology vs. the other. Nor will they ever admit that with modern LCD and plasma designs, there are very minor video quality differences between the two flat panels.

Like I said before, there is about a 20% chance that a Plasma or LCD is not a good match for any given room. Put another way, you could choose the set that pleases you, and there is roughly speaking a 4 out of 5 chance that it will work well there.

Let you eyes be the basis for choosing the set you like.

well people still buy more lcds then plasma,despite lcds being priced higher,so i guess they like the picture quality of the lcds ,its that simple.i mean if lcds realy suck like the way pro plasma/fanboys say,then lcds should have been in the history books by now,the fact is people don't care or get distracted by the minor flaws of lcds which i guess is only seen by plasma fanboys,on the other hand flaws of plasmas is taking a toll on the sales.

That was a perfect example of a rant from a fan of one technology. In fact such fans will adamantly deny the merits of the panel they don't favor, and exagerate the flaws of one technology vs. the other. Nor will they ever admit that with modern LCD and plasma designs, there are very minor video quality differences between the two flat panels.

Like I said before, there is about a 20% chance that a Plasma or LCD is not a good match for any given room. Put another way, you could choose the set that pleases you, and there is roughly speaking a 4 out of 5 chance that it will work well there.

Let you eyes be the basis for choosing the set you like.

just wondering how many top-notch plasma displays you have actually had in your home and base your conclusions on and which displays they were?
Or do you just base all your conclusions on bestbuy-drive-bys?

I, like many others, was once an LCD owner and preferred it to plasma hands down. I could gladly point you to posts of mine making claims like yours against plasma. And I based it off of what I saw in the store and this was definitly before I started enjoying an accurate picture instead of a torched-out LCD with AMP on high.
I had LCD in my home a Sony and a samsung. Loved both until I decided to give the Pioneer 5080hd a try. that little 720p plasma far surpassed any 1080p LCd on the market.

well people still buy more lcds then plasma,despite lcds being priced higher,so i guess they like the picture quality of the lcds ,its that simple.i mean if lcds realy sucked like the way pro plasma/fanboys say,then lcds should have been in the history books by now,the fact is people don't care or get distracted by the minor flaws of lcds which i guess is only seen by plasma fanboys,on the other hand flaws of plasmas is taking a toll on the sales.

your totally correct.
Lets let sales of the masses determine whats the best.
I am currently listening to a hannah montana CD right now. Its the best.
I mean so i guess so many like the sound quality of the hanahh montana , so its that simple. right??

People buy what they want, they always will.
If LCD is being pushed more than plasma and the majority fall for LCD torch mode. Thats the reason behind the sales.

Yet even with the sales being better of LCD, top reviews, calibrators, and video professionals stil agree that the top plasmas out-perform thier LCD counterparts.
Its always the same. The LCD reviews will say "this is a great TV, but still not as impressive PQ-wise as top plasmas. Are you calling them fanboys too? all of them??

well people still buy more lcds then plasma,despite lcds being priced higher,so i guess they like the picture quality of the lcds ,its that simple.i mean if lcds realy sucked like the way pro plasma/fanboys say,then lcds should have been in the history books by now,the fact is people don't care or get distracted by the minor flaws of lcds which i guess is only seen by plasma fanboys,on the other hand flaws of plasmas is taking a toll on the sales.

This is such a tired argument. Sales numbers are not indicative of quality. It doesn't even hold up within the LCD world. Or are you saying that low end Vizios are superior to Samsung B750s, or A950s, or Sony XBR8s? After all, all three of those (and more) get pounded by Vizio in sales. I mean, if Vizio really sucked like the way Samsung/Sony fanboys say, then they should have been in the history books by now.

I own 3 Sony XBR sets but, I would not recommend the S series. It is their entry level set and it is not very good.

This is such a tired argument. Sales numbers are not indicative of quality. It doesn't even hold up within the LCD world. Or are you saying that low end Vizios are superior to Samsung B750s, or A950s, or Sony XBR8s? After all, all three of those (and more) get pounded by Vizio in sales. I mean, if Vizio really sucked like the way Samsung/Sony fanboys say, then they should have been in the history books by now.

well i never said lcds are cheaper to buy,samsung own lcds outsell their cheaper plasmas,the way the luxias are selling its only a matter of time till they surpass the sales of plasmas.

And again, so what? If sales numbers equaled a quality picture, then Vizio would be the reference HDTV standard as they are currently outselling everyone.

How much do these VIZIO TVs cost compared to the competition? Does VIZIO sell plasma TVs?

How much do these VIZIO TVs cost compared to the competition?

So what you're saying is that other factors sway buyers beyond picture quality.

Thank you for agreeing with my point.

Does VIZIO sell plasma TVs?

What does this have to do with anything? Vizio LCDs outsell all other LCDs last I checked.

So what you're saying is that other factors sway buyers beyond picture quality.

Isn't that obvious? If you have two products with similar perceived quality, most of the people are going with cheaper product. Certainly people feel that Samsung LED TVs are much higher quality than Samsung PLASMA TVs, if they are prepared to pay more for Samsung LED PQ and Samsung LED TVs outsell Samsung PLASMA TVs.

Certainly people feel that Samsung LED TVs are much higher quality than Samsung PLASMA TVs, if they are prepared to pay more for Samsung LED PQ and Samsung LED TVs outsell Samsung PLASMA TVs.

They may feel that way given a stroll through a big box store, but that doesn't make it true. How many people's livingrooms bare any resemblenace to a Best Buy showroom? And the LED Samsungs in my local Magnolia are gifted with directly connected Blu-Ray players while the plasmas of all brands are all fed the crappy in-store feed.

Marketing, price and sales tactics rule; not quality, as is true for most consumer products.

They may feel that way given a stroll through a big box store, but that doesn't make it true. How many people's livingrooms bare any resemblenace to a Best Buy showroom?

That I don't know. If people would feel betrayed by these claimed sales tactics, stores would face massive return rates if the perceived quality suddenly vanishes at home.

Who said anything about the quality vanishing at home?

Learn to read.

But hey, if you really want to stroll down that road, check out the LCD forum here. A lot of the threads for the edge-lit panels are chock full of picture quality problems that people never noticed in the store (flashlighting, uniformity issues, backlight pumping, etc). There have been more than a handful of returns/exchanges for such issues by users here.

Yellwstang21, now you have posts from fans of both LCD and Plasma.

It's almost as bad as Politics. But I still think the most satisfaction comes from pleasing your own eyes and indulging your own preferences.

Enjoy whatever HDTV that YOU select. Then avoid the desire to return here to validate your own choice.

Who said anything about the quality vanishing at home?

Learn to read.

But hey, if you really want to stroll down that road, check out the LCD forum here. A lot of the threads for the edge-lit panels are chock full of picture quality problems that people never noticed in the store (flashlighting, uniformity issues, backlight pumping, etc). There have been more than a handful of returns/exchanges for such issues by users here.

people in plasma forums too have complained about Burn IN or IR, no matter how temporary it is.people also have complained about their plasmas having dull whites and not so sharp images like lcd.some unbiased plasma owners have also started threads that sound something like this "why do plasma owners get so angry when anything good about lcds are said".

And? Have I ever claimed that plasmas are problem free?

Perhaps we should initiate a class on reading comprehension. It seems several people here would benefit.

Wow, this thread has taken off. Thanks for all the input!

I guess my question would be, that since I can seem to only find a review for the Panny, would it be feasible to read the reviews on like the B650's of each series to compare to the b550? Or are they too different of tvs. I did stop into best buy yesterday to take a quick peak. It seemed the b650 lcd they had there was atleast a semi-glossy type screen. They did not have a 550 there.

I do plan on going back to bestbuy and maybe sears to do some more looking. I did think the plasmas seemed more "crisp" I guess. Also, comparing my family's 46"lcd and 50" plasma. They plasma seemed to be a better picture. Im leaning towards the plasmas but I guess the old burn-in and IR seem to scare me. If I go plasmas the g10 panny seems to maybe be a better tv (though, I have not found reviews on the b550) but is it that much better to give up the 4"?

Thanks

The CNET reviews are probably your best bet:
Samsung Plasma:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-pn50b550/4505-6482_7-33490649.html?tag=mncol;lst
Panasonic Plasma:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-tc-p46g10/4505-6482_7-33497900.html?tag=mncol;lst
Sony LCD:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/sony-kdl-46s5100/4505-6482_7-33485064.html?tag=mncol;lst
Samsung LCD:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-ln46b550/4505-6482_7-33544738.html?tag=mncol;lst
Sharp LCD:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/sharp-lc-46e77un/4505-6482_7-33488080.html?tag=mncol;lst

All five of your sets have some information there. The next place I would check is www.hdguru.com .

Ok, so I went into best buy today and checked out the tvs. The g10 is gorgous and I did find a b550 as well. It was by itself for a blu-ray display. Still havent decided if the 46" is that much better to lose the 4" from the 50"

Also, I was told that I MUST use a monster line conditioner/surge protector. As well as being told that only a monster hd cable is good enough for the 2 plasmas I was looking at. Is there any truth to these statements or can I use a standard surge protector and just a basic hdmi cable?

Last question, I inquired about get the calibration service and was told it was $300. Is that pretty standard? Seems that with the $300 cal, $150 line conditioner, and $380 swivel wall mount that I could almost just buy another tv!

Once again, thanks

No, you do not need to use an expensive Monster HDMI cable. However, getting a good quality surge protector/line conditioner to protect your investment is a good idea, in my opinion.

Is there any truth to these statements

None at all.

Get an HDMI cable from Monoprice.com. Monster products are grossly overpriced. A surge protector is a good idea, but again, there are far less costly options.

I'd also avoid Best Buy's calibration service and seek out a true professional if you want to go that route.

You can easily tell if a BB employee is lying - their lips are moving.

Buy monoprice cables and then take them into BB and ask the sales guy to show you the difference between that cable and the high priced (high profit) Monster cable he recommends.

He won't likely do it, unless he's really new on the job.

Monoprice is a good site, I think I'm going to buy the wall mount from there too! I don't seem any line conditioners there though.

I think the only reason nolanski and discopaul pretend they want my input is

a) tease me
b) they know in advance what answer I must give. :) the only logical and sensible one. ;)

Of course, at 10 feet you must go with the Samsung, as it's 50 inches, and 46 inches is too small from a viewing distance of 10 feet.

50" = 1067.6607 sq. inches or approx 18.15% more screensize than a 46"

It's unfortunate that you are limited in your choices and can't spring a little more for the Sammy B650 which is a better choice than the B550. The AR filter on the B550 is not nearly as effective as the Ultra Filterbright on the B650, so I hope you have effective light control in the room.

I hope you can also swap it out easily if you are unlucky and get a buzzer.

You need to give us more info to decide which is best for you. If it is very bright in your viewing area, you might want to go LCD.

You mentioned something about currently having a 32 incher, but you did not state whether or not that is an LCD or an old tube TV.

Last question, I inquired about get the calibration service and was told it was $300. Is that pretty standard? Seems that with the $300 cal, $150 line conditioner, and $380 swivel wall mount that I could almost just buy another tv!

Once again, thanks

Don't throw your money at any of this from Best Buy. $380 for a wall mount? Are you kidding? Monoprice, my friend. $150 for a line conditioner? Better to spend the $150 toward some curtains or blinds to keep the light off your plaz.

If you are getting the TV from Best Buy, definitely go with the Samsung first, as it's the largest. If it buzzes too loud or the reflections drive you nuts or something like that, you always have 30 days to swap it out, for the Panny, right?

From your private message, I was under the impression that you were forced to pick among only certain models. Yet you are talking about $830 (before tax) of add-ons! Why can't you use some of that $830 to get a better TV?

Please explain why you are locked into certain models only.

Im locked into certain models only because it is a bonus program from work. They have these five choices only to select from. I have already inquired about trying to upgrade but they have said the tvs currently listed for me are the only ones available and there is not add-on with extra cash,etc.

The sharps I own are 32'' lcds. Not all the impressed with them but better than any of the old school tvs that I had. My living room/house is an open floorplan, so there can be tons of light but ALL my blinds stay closed and I only use the lighting in the house. The main reason being is that the houses are very close together and it gives me privacy plus I work 12hr days 5/6 days a week from 7-7. My daytime viewing will be Nascar,football, and games on the weekends. Maybe I could upload a picture of the room or something?

Well if you are blocking out the sun with the blinds, and only using indoor room lighting, then you can control the amount and angle of the light fairly easily. Lights behind the plasma are better than directly opposite. The new plasmas can get pretty bright these days, so I would skip the LCDs, and 50 inches will be more appreciated than 46 from your viewing distance.

But you did not say whether or not you can take it back if by chance it buzzes too loud? Could you swap the Samsung for the G10 if there was a problem with it?

As long as you could swap, I say try the larger Samsung first, and if you are dissatisfied with it, then go with the smaller 46 inch Panasonic.

Actually, I should do some research on that.... Not quite sure since its being shipped from the east coast to me on the west...