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Do You Prefer Plasma or LED-LCD TVs?

  • Plasma

    Votes: 576 81.6%
  • LED-LCD

    Votes: 130 18.4%

Do You Prefer Plasma or LED-LCD TVs?

69K views 495 replies 166 participants last post by  howzz1854 
#1 ·

Despite the recent news that Panasonic might halt research and development of plasma technology—and the fact that plasma TVs represent only about 10 percent of the flat-panel market—this remains the perennial question for all TV shoppers. Both types of flat panels have their pros and cons, so you must decide which pros and cons are important to you.

 

Which type of flat-panel TV do you prefer: plasma with its sharper motion detail, often better blacks, and superior off-axis performance, or LED-LCD with its brighter image, often less-reflective screen, and more economical power consumption?

 

Given some of the nasty comments in recent threads about plasma TVs, I'd like to remind you that all opinions are welcome, but comments designed to incite others will not be allowed. Please be respectful of those who disagree with you.
 
#53 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by chadsdsmith  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/30#post_23278449

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyrano  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/30#post_23278078


I always notice which TVs are Plasmas because I am aware of "pixel structure" in them.

I am not going to say this for sure (though I would bet money on it ), but you are likely seeing 720p plasmas when you see this. The only plasmas I seem to see lately at stores like target and walmart are of the 720p variety. These are bottom of the barrel 1024x768 plasmas. Even the old 1366x768 plasma I used to have would not show much in the way of pixel structure, but these 1024 x 768 models are pretty jaggy. An lcd/led of the same resolution would give the same impression, its not a "plasma thing", its resolution. Oh, btw, I prefer plasma lol.
 

^ Bingo. Pixels shouldn't be any more noticeable on a 1080p PDP, esp. at proper viewing distance. Unfortunately most plasma mfrs. have stopped makin 1080p PDPs in the 42" size range (which is what I would have preferred).
 
#54 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by myoda  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs#post_23277688


I prefer plasma, but for my environment, the 70 inch Sharp gives me very good performance for the price paid. I don't want to sit in the dark to watch tv during the day, so I needed a screen that did not reflect light when my pocket doors are open. I upgraded from a 51 inch Sony to a 65 inch Mitsubishi DLP back in 2006. The DLP had very accurate color, more natural than my current set. I did not want to want to risk ir - wife puts stuff on pause for extended amounts of time - so LED for me in the living room. The biggest benefit for me in upgrading from DLP to LED is the lack of fan noise. I use this set more as a large monitor - the text is much sharper (no pun intended) than on the DLP. I appreciate the great black levels, off axis viewing angles, and true to life color of a plasma panel, but glare and reflections off the screen were a downer....
 

^ Some very sensible comments myoda. Thanks.

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrodefeld  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs#post_23277332


And if it is true that the ZT60 is the last Panasonic plasma, I feel that would be a travesty as well. The last company making quality plasma screens abandons the technology.


I understand the desire to move towards OLED tech, but honestly how long do you think it will be until we can buy a 50 or 60" OLED display that blows away the Kuro (or the ZT60) for $3000 to $4000? I would say it will be a good four or five years at least.
 

I sort of doubt the 2013 PDPs will be it, but these are two reasons why I'm starting to look at plasma again as a possible replacement for my 10+ year old 34" 1080i CRT. A third reason is the potentially deeper blacks on the new lower-end models... Won't know if they're deep enough though until I see em side-by-side with the CRT.

 

CRT still has some advantages for me over the flat panel techs. It doesn't burn-in as easily (or noticeably?) as plasma, so I never think twice about watching "scoped" or 4:3 pillar-boxed content on it (though I'll usually expand 4:3 content to fill more of the screen anyway, which is another plus for CRT). And upconverted SD-DVDs, and poorly-mastered Blu-ray/HD content (which is still pretty common) look very good on my CRT.

 

It's hard to really appreciate the detail in some of the better scoped HD transfers (e.g. How the West Was Won, Ben Hur...) on such a small screen though. And I do watch a fair amount of wide/scoped content, which is a slight source of concern with PDP. If I get a flat panel though, I suspect I'll still go with plasma for the superior PQ, and just let the chips fall where they may re burn-in.

 

...And contrary to one of the last posters above, I will never, EVER, EVER buy another TV which does not have reflections again!! Reflections mean a clearer, sharper picture, which is a necessary trade-off in my book.
 
#55 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kesando  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/30#post_23278776


I prefer Plasma in general over LCD yet oddly enough I ended up with a Sharp Elite 70" LCD.

Probably only because you can't really get a plasma above 65"..
 
#56 ·
Plasma. I am willing to give up a little in thickness, weight, power and very bright room viewing to get a little better picture accuracy, wider peak quality viewing angle and lower cost. Especially lower cost. I'm not sure why equivalent quality plasmas cost less than LCD. Plasmas look and feel more expensive to make maybe because of the glass screen and greater weight. Are manufacturers simply getting higher margins because consumers want the latest so called "LED" display technology? I love my 42' Panasonic 1080 plasma and if also loved Mitsubishi 52' DLP dies it will be replaced, if it's still available, by the top of the line Panny 55" plasma.
 
#60 ·
PLASMA all the way!! I bought a Panasonic 55VT50 in February 2013, it replaced a Sony KDL52NX800 LED. My original flat panel was a Samsung 720P plasma, I thought I would like the LED, afterall it was 2nd only to their XBR, it was 240 hz, it was 1080P, smart etc, but I was disappointed, I went from the 720P plasma and where the Sony was a very good TV, it lacked too much. I was able to get a Panasonic VT50 plasma and all I can say is WOW!!
 
#61 ·
Myoda, why didn't you take off that reflective protective screen? Did it not come off? There is no better non reflective screen than a CRT-RPTV. I'm still watching my 73" Mitsubishi. It's protective screen was designed to be optional and easily removed. CRT (RPTV) is still king, plasma is second.
 
#62 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by SurfingMatt27  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/30#post_23279186


LCD only because i'm a heavy gamer, otherwise plasma if your into movies.

I thought LCDs have a greater input lag than plasma displays? Or are you mainly concerned with burn in?


On my KRP-500m using Game Mode, you can completely eliminate ANY input lag by enabling "Game Control Pref." in the picture settings menu. And the picture quality for games is way beyond any lcd. And as far as burn in is concerned, unless you are completely stupid and abuse your display, gaming on a good plasma (Kuro or newer Panasonics) will not lead to any burn in whatsoever.
 
#64 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by chadsdsmith  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/30#post_23278449


I am not going to say this for sure (though I would bet money on it ), but you are likely seeing 720p plasmas when you see this. The only plasmas I seem to see lately at stores like target and walmart are of the 720p variety. These are bottom of the barrel 1024x768 plasmas. Even the old 1366x768 plasma I used to have would not show much in the way of pixel structure, but these 1024 x 768 models are pretty jaggy. An lcd/led of the same resolution would give the same impression, its not a "plasma thing", its resolution. Oh, btw, I prefer plasma lol.

Well, I see what you mean. However, when I look at displays and I can detect the line structure of the pixels I always notice that I am seeing a plasma (1920X1080). I think LCDs have a smoother look and while this may not translate as sharper, I find it less distracting.

I will try and be more detective-like and be certain of this. It's just something I have noticed. I guess I would say that for a cinema experience I prefer a projector (DLP). For a TV that must be seen in a bright room I have so far opted for LCDs. But I will consider Plasmas when the day comes to get another TV. (A long time from now I think.)


Also, the lighter weight of the LCDs is a consideration for me. But PQ really is the best factor to consider. (And perhaps I am responding (in my preference) to the burn-in factor that some still refer to in Plasmas.)


I wrote my initial "pixel-structure" comment about Plasmas because whenever I see Pixel structure (from the same distant for all candidates) I find it is a Plasma.
 
#65 ·
#66 ·
2015 for video display performance will be like 1974 was for car performance.


2015 will be the year that video will be in the sewer.


LCD--both 2K and 4K will suck.


LCD will just be edge lit 120 crap!


4LK Chinese LCD will suck just like it.


OLED will be perpetual vaporware.


They'll sell about 10 OLED displays in 2015 and charge $9,999 and act like that is the break through of the century.


Plasma will be gone.


The display forums will be places where the posters massacre each other over exactly HOW MUCH does 4K LCD suck compared to what OLED might be one day?!!!.


And all the patents that Panasonic bought from Pioneer--the ones they didn't use when they built the 2013 and 2014 ZT60s--


those patents will be in that radioactive storage site in that mountain in Nevada where they have stored the Colonel's ORIGINAL RECIPE for Kentucky Fried Chicken!
 
#67 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kesando  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/0_70#post_23278776


I prefer Plasma in general over LCD yet oddly enough I ended up with a Sharp Elite 70" LCD.

Yeah, same here. Would rather have the plasma but the heat it generates and the lighting issues (very bright room) steered me towards the same TV as you.
 
#69 ·
Not so much burn-in i'm concerned with, it's mainly the IR you get from static huds on certain games, sometimes it goes away in a short amount of time. Sometimes you get the really stubborn IR which sometimes takes weeks to wipe away. I do like plasma for movies but for lots of gaming i recommend LCD so i don't have to baby my set and just play.


Input lag isn't so much a problem depending on the tv, you just have to do some research and find the one with the least amount of inputlag or just enable game mode.
 
#70 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeadEd  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/60#post_23279867


Yeah, same here. Would rather have the plasma but the heat it generates and the lighting issues (very bright room) steered me towards the same TV as you.

Indeed. I always wanted a Kuro but couldn't afford one before they stopped selling them. I kept a close eye on Panny and Samsung Plasmas for a few years until I saw them side by side with the Elite at Value Electronics. The Sharp Elite was the perfect choice for me due to the near Kuro performance, larger screen size, light output, deep blacks, and great 3D performance. I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon and will wait for OLED to become more mainstream.


The rest of my family owns Plasmas BTW. My brother has a 50" Panny GT30, and my parents have 3 Pioneer Plasmas. One 50" non Elite Kuro, and two 60" Elite Kuros (8g and 9g). Guess who helped them choose what TV to buy?
 
#71 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kesando  /t/1471218/do-you-prefer-plasma-or-led-lcd-tvs/60#post_23280131


Indeed. I always wanted a Kuro but couldn't afford one before they stopped selling them. I kept a close eye on Panny and Samsung Plasmas for a few years until I saw them side by side with the Elite at Value Electronics. The Sharp Elite was the perfect choice for me due to the near Kuro performance, larger screen size, light output, deep blacks, and great 3D performance. I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon and will wait for OLED to become more mainstream.


The rest of my family owns Plasmas BTW. My brother has a 50" Panny GT30, and my parents have 3 Pioneer Plasmas. One 50" non Elite Kuro, and two 60" Elite Kuros (8g and 9g). Guess who helped them choose what TV to buy?

Nice Plasma collection !
 
#72 ·
Having only owned my VT60 (my first Plasma display) for 4 days I have to say I love the picture quality.


However I will likely be returning the set this Monday due to the humming and buzzing noises the set makes. To be fair I'm in a very small room (mini-man cave) and I'm sitting 6.5 feet away from my 55 inch. I was very plasma phobic before I purchased this tv but was just sold on the outstanding reviews and it seemed like every sales person (contrary to what I heard in this forum) pushed me into a plasma. When I say every sales person I mean EVERY sales person said Panasonic Plasma was the way to go over any LED on the market. I was told the plasma symptoms of the past were just that, a thing of the past. I have the extended Best Buy warranty so I wasn't as concerned about IR/Burn in because that would be covered through BB however I was worried about humming and buzzing noises. They swore to me up and down it wouldn't do it and even the display models seemed to run silent.


Sure enough I got my new VT60 home and plugged all up and turned it on and it buzzes and hums a tune of 48dbs (by the fans). It sounds very much to me like a server (fan and electric noises). I'm not sure if this is related to my room being small, consistently being hot and being at altitude in Colorado but none the less it is noisy. I had a plasma fan boy buddy of mine who I really respect in regards to his knowledge of audio and video and he seemed to think what I was hearing was inherent to the technology. He noted that even though we were below Panasonic's rating of 7200 feet that 5800 feet was still high and made the set work harder than it would say in New Jersey. He associated that with the fact the fans had to work so hard to keep the set cool and the elevated noise level of the humming noises.


I watched the Mayweather fight tonight on a friends later model LED (lower end than anything I've been looking at) and I honestly really enjoyed the colors and brightness. I didn't notice any issues with its refresh rate or strange motion. Granted the blacks weren't as black but it didn't bother me any. Frankly I much rather have the tv silent and have mild light bleeding etc. than tolerate this consistent bees nest noise.


To be fair my set isn't officially broke in yet and hasn't been calibrated but I've noticed some mild motion issues on it as well when watching sports.


I certainly don't dispute the PQ of my VT60 and can easily see why its popular but honestly I prefer the LED sets. I'm not an expert and by no means believe my opinion, lessons and experience trumps anyone else's knowledge in this department however this week has left a really bad taste in my mouth with plasma tech.


Just a note. I was in BB today talking to my sales guys that helped me on this Plasma and we were just shooting the bull by the new Sony 4K set and WOW!!!! It's awesome. Too expensive for the time being for my taste but I liked it a lot more than my Plasma (that's going back).
 
#74 ·
I prefer plasma over LCD/LED for the picture quality, though we all know plasma televisions do have their issues. Though it's not part of the poll, I still prefer the picture quality of CRT over them all!
 
#75 ·
Pioneer Kuro. 5 years out, would buy it again over anything I've seen in the stores recently. Only regret is I didn't buy the 60". I have 3 LCD screens between 24"-32" and they are nice, I especially like my new NEC EA244WMi monitor for work...but I don't think they've scaled that screen any larger yet.


I would be surprised if LCD ever approaches Plasma for black levels but on everything else, LCDs have improved greatly.
 
#76 ·
I currently have an LCD, but am considering plasma for my next purchase. My main reservation is that I keep hearing stuff along the lines of "Plasma doesn't have a burn-in problem anymore. Just don't watch 2.35 or 1.33 material much or zoom/stretch to fit and don't watch channels with a bug or play videogames much, either."" Basically, it won't burn in if you don't do any of the stuff that causes burn-in, i.e. normal use. What good is superior picture quality if you can't watch what you want or have to watch it distorted or cropped?
 
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