Hey guys,

This is my first post, and I want you to know I *have* done a lot of research and I think I’ve narrowed my TV selection down to a few choices (unless you can point me in another direction).

I plan on using my T.V. for the following:

-Video Games (Xbox 360 and PS3)
-Bluray movies
-My viewing/gaming distance is anywhere from 4-10 feet

I will not be getting HD satellite anytime soon and rarely watch T.V… in fact, I might not even get basic cable in my new place (I’m a Master’s student, so when I have a little free time I like to relax with a movie or a game).

I can’t decide between LCD and Plasma.. I’ve heard LCD is better for gaming “because of burn in”, but I’ve also read that burn in is a non-factor these days..

I am currently deciding between:

Sharp Aquos 1080p 42" Widescreen LCD HDTV** (LC42D64U)

And

Pioneer 42" Widescreen Plasma HDTV** (PDP-4280HD)

Is one of these better than the other for gaming? Is one of them better for movies? I’ve read that the Pioneer set, despite not being 1080p has an incredible picture and gets rave reviews (I wish I could afford the 50” 1080p set..). I’ve also heard the Sharp sometimes suffers from banding issues.

Even though the Pioneer is 768p, will it still play Blurays with a better quality picture than the 1080p Sharp?

In your opinion which is the superior set and why?

If there is a TV you think would be better for me out there, which is it and why? I am only interested in Plasmas or LCDs, not DLP.

If you need any other questions answered please let me know.

Thanks in advance,


Devon

PDP-4280HD . . vibrant colors, deep blacks, no lag, burn-in not an issue, 768p .. not a big deal either at this size.

The brightness is not an issue for gaming? I keep seeing LCDs recommended for gaming, but it seems like Plasma has way more advantages, like you listed above.

Pioneer 4280HD...Pioneer will give you flexibilty of plugging a PS3,XBOX360,HD satellite or cable box,with 1 HDMI to spare..

People recommend LCD for game cause there worried about Image retention or burn in...Plasma will hold motion better,shadow gret shadow details,true PQ and more uniform...

I would highly recommend you ask this question on the LCD forum. This forum is entirely biased to Plasma tvs...

Yea I realize that.. I just wanted to hear opinions from both sides. I am heavily leaning towards the Pioneer.. I see it for $1600 on Amazon.com, so I am assuming with a Best Buy/Futureshop employee discount it's roughly $1400 or so, which is about the same as the Sharp..

I can't freakin' wait =)

Right now I am using a 27 inch Samsung 1080i HDTV (TXM2796HF). It's a 4:3 screen, had it for about 5 years now.. I'll finally be making the step into REAL HD!

I had a 4280 for a few weeks before returning it for a 5080, I had my 360 ,PS3 and Wii hooked up to the 4280 and games looked better than Ive ever seen them, You will really appreciate the deeper black levels if you like to watch movies & game in a darker room. also the colors are very rich.

The 4280 also has a "Game Control Pref" option which when enabled reduces input lag to nearly 0, Not sure if the LCD in question has a similar feature.

Why did you return the first Pioneer, just to go bigger?

Why did you return the first Pioneer, just to go bigger?

Yep the 5080 went on sale for nearly the same price I had paid for the 4280, luckily I was still within the 30 day return period.

What about PC connectivity? I rarely see folks mention whether or not 1024x768 resolution is an inconvenience with PC sources when viewing the desktop etc. Is this an issue?

I've read that it is not good enough for PC connectivity.. Read that 1080p is essential. Personally, I have never hooked up my PC to a TV and probably won't in the next 3-6 years.. so I'm not sure if this is a feature I *need* or not.. hmm

Hey Winnipeg,
I own an LCD right now, sony xbr4 46inch. although movies play beautifully, i'm questioning the gaming aspect of it. everything looks great, but a bit of a blurring effect since lcd's response rates aren't on par with a plasma's. i bought the lcd thinking it would be ideal for gaming but i may buy a plasma and put them side to side to compare. my boy has a plasma and has no burn in whatsoever, and the games run with less blurring. as of now, i'd go with the plasma. movies look better, blacks are deeper, and if you're a sensitive gamer, you will def notice the slight lag on an lcd, especially with first person shooters. and if you read reviews, although it's 720, it looks great anyway.

Thanks Generee..

Hm, I was considering the Sony XBR6 and Samsung71 models of LCDs..

I really do want a 1080p set. Maybe I will have to wait until the next Pioneer models are released and hope that they make a 1080p 42" set.. *sigh* The 50" 1080p version is just way out of my price range at the moment (about double what I want to pay, which is around $1400-1600 before taxes)

I can't believe I've had this Samsung CRT 1080i set for 5 years and the technology is still not where I want it..

As already mentioned, you won't get many votes for the lcd on the plasma sub-forum.;) If you want a good 1080p 42" right now you should consider the Panasonic TH-42PZ700U/77U.

This one here?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010094373&catid=23249

Is this the best Plasma at this size, aside from the Pioneer? I was looking at this one too.. I couldn't find a review for it, only the X77U. Is this one, the Z77U the newer model?

Edit:

I'm finding A LOT of people who say the anti-glare coating takes alot away from the picture quality and the set does not come highly recommended :/