LCD or Plasma? Plasma or LCD? and why those Black Bars? Discuss it here only Please - Page 46

Yeah, with what you watch you probably won't notice it. Motion blurring seems to have been resolved by speeding up the video. I'll be watching something with fact action, and I'll notice something odd, like the movie skipped a few frames. It only appears to move quicker than it should.

I think I'm pretty much set on getting a plasma TV, but I have some questions to help narrow my selection:

1.) Which brands generally have better reflection dampening? There's not a single TV-worthy spot in my abode that doesn't face a window, so I want a TV that won't be super-reflective. After all, what good is a TV if you can't see what's on it?

2.) I'm one of those handful of people that likes frame interpolation. I realize that there's less of a "need" for it on plasma and that it will be less noticeable due to the inherently faster screen. However, which plasma models have this feature?

3.) Are there any models that combine both of the above?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I am having a house built, and am trying to make my family room into the best hometheater i can without dedicating a full room to it...
I am doing a media nook for all my equipment, 7.1 in wall surround speakers. and am looking to get a new tv now.

The room is 13.5 ft wide and just over 20 feet long. The 13.5 ft wall will have the tv on it. There is no opposite 13.5 ft wall, flows into other rooms. There is a 20 ft long wall either side of the 13/5 ft wall. The wall on the left will have a large window...comprised of approximate 3 24" or 2 36" and 1 24" wide windows. So I have to account for some light when watching regular tv, but when watching a blu ray or 3d movie would intend on closing blinds/curtains completely (I intend on getting blackout ones for this room). This room is connected to a breakfast nook and kitchen, one with a slider patio door, and a window in it. All windows in the other rooms run a long the same wall as the window in the family room (wall on the left side of tv when looking at tv).

What tv will be used for-
- Cable tv
- Movies (3d and bluray)
- Occasional video games on ps3 (5 hrs week no more)

Hopefully this is a good amount of information to help you with a recommendation, as i am having trouble deciding...

These are the tvs I was thinking about-

Sony KDL-60NX720 - not sure if worth upgrade over EX, advice needed. also is gorilla glass going to be an issue with my window or is it okay with a side window like that.
Sony KDL-60EX720
Sharp LC-70LE732U
Panasonic TC-P65GT30 (plasma) - not sure if its worth upgrade over ST
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (plasma)

I like the size of the 70 and 65, just not sure how they will perform in the room I described above. I will say when i was at the store the sales people were really pushing plasma, and had one side by side with an LED and the customer he was selling to really liked the LED over the plasma and I'd have to agree in that situation. It just looked like the plasma was overly dark and it was hard to make out the detail. The LED was bright but I did not feel it was washed out or anything, it was crisp. I am unsure as to if it was just the settings on this plasma tv, as I have seen the 65 inch panny plasma at best buy in their back room and it looks great.

Any advice or experience with these models would be great!

One of my concerns is the window to the left and how that will impact image during the day. I have a sony LCD rear projection (matte screen) and it gets washed out by the sun during the day when I had tv in a similar designed room with a window, but have not had experience with a glass screen in similar room.


Thanks!

Hello.

I'm looking for a new TV to replace my 21" CRT screen. It should measure 46" or more. Best case would be a price of max. 1500$, but I'd be willing to go up a little for a good TV.

What I (think I) have found out so far is, that while plasmas have the generally better image, LCDs have more problems with stuff like banding, etc., even when you buy an expensive full LED screen. But of course, since I'm planning to play games on my PS3, plasmas always bear the danger of burn-ins and I don't want to have an expensive new TV ruined because of it. And these burn-ins can even happen after many many hours of use, so you're actually never "on the safe side".

I have currently four models that seem good for my purpose:

Panasonic VT30: Danger of burn-ins?
Panasonic GT30: Danger of burn-ins, plus I have heard about a noisy fan

Philips PFL9715: nice and cheaper than the newer model, but it seems it's not available anywhere here in Germany anymore

Philips PFL9706: I have heard of some people experiencing banding issues with this one

So which one would you choose and why? Or do you know any other models that could work for me? I thought maybe some screen with Full LED, but WITHOUT local dimming, though I don't know any such models.

Hey guys. I've read throughout this entire thread, and I must say, it has been interesting to see the progression of technology over the past few years.

Anyways, I am looking to purchase an HDTV for my bedroom. I am a college student living in a dorm suite and am planning on moving into an off-campus apartment next year. The bedrooms should both be about the same size and the viewing distance is going to most likely be a maximum of 100-120in. I've looked through all the links and done my own research, but I am still unsure on what size/type of TV I should invest in. I am looking to do mostly gaming. Being able to attach my laptop would be a plus, but wi-fi/netflix/skype capabilities are only luxuries and not worth an extra couple hundred dollars for me. While I am trying to only make this a moderate investment, I do NOT want something cheaply made, so a reliable, mainstream model is what I am aiming for. The maximum screen size I can accommodate would be a 42 in screen. I'm sure I could squeeze something larger in, but that is also way too expensive and would look a bit out of place in a quaint bedroom anyways. Originally I was looking at 24-32inc screen, which limited me to LCDs. I had read that Panasonic LCDs at this size were quite comparable to plasmas when it came to viewing angle/blacks.
This lead me to the Panasonic VIERA TC-L32X30 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV.

However, after reading about how much more "natural" plasmas were and how they handle fast motion and input lag with ease, I started to look at both the

Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-P42X1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
Panasonic VIERA TC-P42GT25 42-inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV, Black

Now, the TC is considerably more expensive because it has so much more capabilities such as 3D, stuff I don't need. But I figured if I decide to get a plasma, and since it will then be 42"+, I might as well invest in a set capable of 1080p. This may be a bit out of my price range. Even the XI is a bit more than I'd prefer to spend but I'd consider either of them if you guys consider them THAT much better than the LCD. Thoughts? THANK YOU!

Hate to make it harder but with a room that size, have you considered a projector and screen combo? You should be able to go to a much larger size (I use a 92" screen in my HT) with a very good projector for similar budget (possibly even less). Lighting can be a concern so you'll have to decide how much you want to mess with shades (consider remote control blinds?), but if you really want the best experience, projectors can be incredible.

The question is now "Which tv would you get for $5000?"

I really care the most about two things:

1. Best quality picture for the money whether it be from a plasma, LCD, or projector.

2. Must be at least 60"

I'm getting rid of my 4 year old 50' Vizio plasma because of the heat. Our viewing room gets so hot that we have to run the ac most of the time. Looking at the lcd's........

I don't know how much you want to spend but I just got the Sony 46 HX929. It's the first LED I've bought. I own nothing but Plasmas except for this one. This thing is really nice. Take a look it if you can.

$5000 is quite some money. For this amount you can get a 64" Samsung PS64D8000FR plasma TV.

I am in a similiar situation, although I'm hoping to pay quite a bit less based on some of the deals I have seen lately.

I just moved out of my parents house and I've got a pretty big basement (it's all 1 finished room anyways) so I wanted to get a 70 inch TV.

I don't want to interrupt the conversation Zygon was trying to start, but my question seems similiar:

For a 70 inch (although 65 or 80 would also be acceptable if a good deal came along) TV, used in a basement with good light and lots of room and used 90% for watching sports (the rest movies, no gaming), what is the best type of TV to go with in general?


Things I have heard, but I'm not sure about the truth of them:

1) Plasma's have the fastest refresh rate which is good for sports.
2) Plasma's burn out faster than LED TVs.
3) LED TVs have sharper image than Plasma.


It sounds to me like LED is the way to go over LCD these days (correct me if I'm wrong) but if a TV is used mostly for sports, what is best, Plasma or LED?

And do projectors really have comparable quality for live sports?


(If there is already a thread more directly talking about this I apologize, but I didn't see one)

2 & 3 are false.
LED/LCD TVs have a brighter peak white level,not sharper, than plasmas.
Plasmas have darker black level.

LED backlights however are not necessarily better than the CCFL backlights in LCD TVs. The edgelit LEDs cause worse uniformity with flashlighting in the corners compared to CCFL LCDs and plasmas.
LED models do offer lower power consumption however, and CCFL backlighting now appears to be used only in lower end models, not the bigger screens and high end LCD models.
Plasmas have the best uniformity - even background lighting in dark and light areas across the screen.

The better plasmas typically have better motion (less artifacts with moving images) than LED/LCD models.

I've read all the threads on the new Sharp 3D LED displays as well as all the threads on the Panasonic plasmas. I've narrowed my choice to either the Panasonic 65GT30 or the Sharp 70" 735 (full array LED but not local dimming). The Panny uses active glasses, is 5" smaller, has had some fluctuating brightness issue (supposedly fixed), uses 2X the energy, has excellent off axis viewing, has no motion blur issues. The Sharp uses passive glasses, is not great if very far off axis, is 5" larger. Both have good 3D PQ. Room lighting is not an issue. Most reviewers rate the Panny as having better overall PQ however I know that is somewhat subjective. I know the choice is mine but I would appreciate others opinions. On a side note, many feel that the less expensive Panny ST series has at least as good if not better PQ (slightly better black levels) even though the ST does no have the THX mode.

I need some help choosing size and tech. I watch HD content mostly, form "regular" tv shows, to sports (hockey, baseball mainly), to movies (will purchase blu-ray player within a few months).

I've attached a drawing of my viewing area. My concerns are:
1. Does viewing angle for couch and chairs on wall opposite tv point me to plasma?
2. Will picture window to the side wash out a plasma choice?
3. What size would you suggest between 40-46 inches (I assume between 8 and 12 feet viewing distance taking into account tv stand - no wall mount, and furniture).

I have between $800-$1100 budgeted.

I am also thinking of a BIC FH-56 soundbar for LCR and 2 as yet to be determined spkrs for 5.1

If I go Plasma, I am leaning Panasonic ST30. Any help is appreciated.

The best suggestion I can make is "size matters". Now you can't give up PQ for size but there are some very nice displays out there at very good prices. Keep in mind that with your price range you can save some $$$ by buying on line and have no sales tax (from some places). I saw a 65" Sharp in today's paper for $999. If you want to go plasma I would consider shutters or a heavy drape for your window. I also saw a 50" plasma for $500. As long as 3D is not a must then you should be able to find plenty of displays in your price range. It looks like you have room for something bigger than a 40"-46". I have never ever had a person say that they wish thy had bought something smaller. At 12" 65"+ would be my choice.

Anytime I think 70 I think of the Sharp Elite but that has a hefty price tag lol

Hello, I'm trying to decide between plasma or led backlit. My wife is a stay at home housekeeper, so the TV stays on from roughly 5AM to 9PM. I enjoy finding CRT televisions on Craigs list when I need one because of the black levels and lack of blurring that I see in HD displays during fast action. Plasma is the closest to CRT, but LCD uses less energy. My redneck idea is to build a corner cabinet with the CRT underneath for SD cable watching and old game systems, and a plasma up top for movie and over the air watching. Anybody else done this? Kind of reminds me of the old broken console with the new tube sittin' on top.

Thanks very much! I will consider larger than 46". I estimated 12" as the upper limit for sure, likely a chair angled off to the right. In front I am thinking its 8" to the sofa viewers.

More opinions are appreciated. Especially in the plasma vs lcd arena.

Plasma---Heavier, runs hotter, uses more energy, reflective screen ++++ outstanding off axis viewing, more depth to picture, no motion blur, less expensive per inch, only three brands to choose from (all pretty good)

LCD---- Off axis viewing can be pretty bad, 4 choices of lighting (bulb, edge lit LED, full array LED, local dimming LED), Local dimming when done right is wonderful, the other three have their issues. ++++ Lighter weight, less reflective screen, runs cooler, uses less energy, More brands to choose from (not necessarily a good thing), over all a brighter picture requiring no external light control. Prices run from pretty inexpensive to very inexpensive, usually relating to the back lighting choice.

Bottom line, pick a favorite plasma and a favorite LCD, do some research on just those two (usually lots of reviews on amazon), compare the value and then pull the trigger and don't look back.

Most important. If there is a wife in the picture It is imperative to get her opinion. Even if she says she doesn't care you should take a few minutes and run the pros and cons past her and seriously get her to share her thoughts. If her choice is the same as yours praise her for her genius logic. If she disagrees, change her mind.

Which black bars when do you get these

Well I feel I was misled by a lot of posts on the internet with Plasma vs LED LCD. Maybe the stereotypes were true with older LCDs but definitely not with new LED LCD TVs.

I'll give a run down about my viewing experiences. I've been into the Home Theater hobby for about 15 years and have fought to find a high performance CRT in the past. I did, I found a JVC 36" AV-36D302 TV. While it has a round TV tube, it's geometry "surprisingly" wasn't inferior to most 'flat' screen CRTs out there. It's price is was similar to what LED (w/dimming) LCD 47" TV cost today and was more expensive than most 50" Plasma TVs. I bought it back in 2000 so it was only 11 years old.

I really was nit picky on blacks, geometry, white output, contrast, and color. It took me a while before I found a CRT TV that I was happy with and that was that JVC.

After reading threads and articles on the internet, I was led to believe that Plasma TVs were the end all to all TVs.

Making comparisons in an HHGREGG store was really hard with their bright lights and poor setup. I really didn't see a difference in the Plasmas vs LED LCD in that condition except the Plasma TVs were darker.

Well I ended up buying a LG 50" 50PV450 Plasma expecting to be blown away. After setting it up in my home, I was not blown away with picture quality at all. I was blown away by the HD definition but everything else seemed to trail my JVC TV's performance EXCEPT Geometry, CRT analog noise, along with the higher resolution.

Then I started to see the Automatic Brightness Level control issue that has numerous complaint posts here. Never heard of it and never seen the posts until I went looking for a fix for my problem. Then I learned it was the ABL that was causing brightness strobing and flickering on most scenes that changed in brightness. It literally drove me nuts.

Also reflectiveness on these sets is really under exaggerated. It's very bad being worse than even my JVC CRT (which I expected it to be about the same). In brighter room with 2 lamps on at night or with the drapes open, darker scenes were unwatchable because of reflections. This was a major disappointment as well.

So it was going back I was set to go back to my CRT that was enjoyable to watch.

Then I decided to try LED LCD and go against all the negativeness I read about.

Anyhow, some LED LCD TV's blew away many Plasmas.

You can not judge a TV based on it's technology whether it's plasma or LCD. You have to judge the TV based in it as an individual set.

My new 47" LG 47LW5600 is so so much better than both the LG Plasma and the JVC CRT, it's remarkable!

Now there are issues with LED Edge Lit LCDs. There is flashlighting and clouding. These are caused by the LED shining out from the edges. Flashlighting is when LEDs must shine across black areas to create a bright area further out. It looks like a flashlight beam that is narrow then widens out, in an isolated stream of light. Clouding is created the same way but is more or less, blotches of brighter areas on a dark screen.

Now in my set, both are really limited if not alleviated with local dimming. This shuts off LEDs that are not needed so it can create blacker black areas and a better contrast ratio.

In my set, I have very minimal clouding at the edges, although some is still there. CRTs created a similar affect but through a completely different way. With CRTs, it was called blooming. That is really the only negative that I found in my set.

My LED LCD LG 47LW5600 has exceeded the previous LG 50PV450 in all picture quality areas. It's motion is no worse in my living room. At extreme's it can dim and wash out, but seriously, who would watch a set at that angle anyhow. We have our couch in front and love seat off to the side, and we can detect no dimming and no washing out of the colors. It's actually has a wider viewing angle than my older JVC CRT due to it's round CRT (Tube). The LG 47LW5600 also has a great anti-reflective screen. It doesn't destroy the picture quaity and make darker sceens unwatchable in brighter rooms as did the LG Plasma. The JVC CRT wasn't as reflective as the LG Plasma and while reflections were still distractions, it didn't make some screen difficult to see as did the LG Plasma.

So my LG LED LCD has been a better performer in the areas listed below:

Black areas as the LG Plasma didn't have the greatest black levels

Reflectiveness

Brightness Output

Contrast

Picture Noise (plasma has some dancing noise in the screen as did the CRT but to a much, MUCH less degree). This might be a byproduct of the Phosphor screen. However it is barely noticeable unless you were right up to the screen.

Brightness Fluctuation, strobing and flickering

The Plasma wins in one area with black level uniformity as there's no clouding or flashlighting with Plasma.

Color was about the same, I seen no differences to make me judge one over the other.

So there it is. The negatives of each technology as one technology's issues may be less bothersome to different people. While my wife has watched a poor TV with noise and herringbone lines for years without complaint, she's less picky. She saw the Plasma strobing and flickering but was not bothered by it. Obviously I was.

So with the negatives of each technology aside, pick the TV based on an individual performance output and not by the technology. I guess it's always been said not to stereotype.

BTW, once I had noticed the ABL issues on my LG Plasma, I also seen them on other Plasma TVs at Best Buy. There are threads and posts complaining about the ABL on LG, Samsung and Panasonic in forums here.

Another note: The LG LED LCD has a list price of $1699.99 while the LG Plasma 40PV450 had a list price of $899.99. I was fortunate and was able to get the 47LW5600 for only $100 more than the LG 50PV450.

While the LED LCD was almost 2X the cost, it offers a lot more features as more HDMI inputs, 3D, Smart TV (not netcast)that offers netcast plus applications and web browsing, Wifi enabled, and 4 pairs of 3D glasses.

The LG 47" 47LW5300 is more in line with pricing as the 50PV450 for a list of $200 more, but the 47LW5300 is 3D enabled and comes with a 3D Bluray player along with 4 pairs of glasses.

The 47LW5300 looses the 47LW5600's Smart TV function and netcast, 3D function, wifi enabled, the better ISP screen, bluray player and has a 4M contrast ratio opposed to the LW5600's 8M contrast Ratio along with the Magic Motion pointer mouse remote.

Just my observations with several TV. Others may find Plasma more pleasing but this is a "VS" thread.

Exactly, what black bars?? I'm thinking that the poster is confused on how to use the screen ratio button to either stretch a 4:3 (which I hate because of the distortion) or how to alleviate the DVD/Bluray 2.35:1 or 2.40:1 super widescreen format's over and under letterboxed bars which each TV has a different way of doing.

LG PLasma uses plain ZOOM function for 4:3 ratio (1.33:1) while LG LED LCD does CINEMA ZOOM which is an adjustable zoom for all kinds of pictures including the 4:3 ratio screen.

To be fair, your main basis for comparison was an *LG* plasma. ;-)

Yes, a popular midlevel Large Screen Plasma TV that is a high seller at most retail stores. Most high end Plasma TVs simply add 3D, Internet VOD service, and the highest end TVs offer Smart TV.

So in other words, you are saying not all Plasmas offer good performance or better than LED LCD performance, unlike most who use the blanket statements??

Not all plasmas are better (oh boy flame time) than LEDs/LCDs.

The Panny GT30/ST30s are good value plasmas that could bring it to the LED/LCDs. D550s I believe and up form Samsung are the ones you could compare too. As for LG, no disrespect gents, but I believe they aren't known for the PQ.

It seems Panasonic is the King of Plasmas as they don't even make any big screen LCD TVs, just plasmas.

LG and their Zenith brand Plasmas haven't got the praise that Panasonic and Samsung have.

I'm not a fan of Samsungs reliability and DOA rate as I've seen plenty of problems. So I try to stay clear of their TVs, DVD players, Bluray players and VCRs. Phones are quite good though. Just my personal experiences.

Sanyo and such are the Chinese brand Funai. Store brands seem to clone LG and Samsung.

So there really isn't many Plasma TVs to go with other than the big 3, LG, Samsung and Panasonic.

Large Screen LCD TVs though are made by several brands, Sony, Toshiba, LG, Visio, Samsung, Chinese no name made by Funai, Sharp, and Philips.

So while LG may not be a favorite, it's still a large name in Plasma and perfectly suitable to compare.

BTW, LG may not be as favorable in Plasma but are a highend player in LCD. They have many TVs that have been reviewers favorites.

Seconding Kevin's comment Since Pioneer dropped out, I am not surprised at all that LED/LCD tech has surpassed some aspects of PQ when considering the remaining Plasma manufacturers. LG plasmas especially have never placed at the top of PQ assessments in any shootout as far as I can remember.

I think value for money should always be put into the equation and and good plasmas (inch for inch) are a lot cheaper than comparable LCDs.

Power efficiency aside, are LED LCDs really better than CCFL LCDs?

As far as value goes, feature for feature, LCD TVs actually have a lower "actual" selling price.

I just setup a home theater system for a friend. I did fall into the Plasma hype and thought they were best, so that's what we bought. Since I never owned a higher quality LCD or Plasma, I didn't really know, but with the biased praises of plasma, I thought they were the best. I know better now. We bought my Friend a Panasonic TCP50ST30 and 4 pairs of active shutter glass. They were all on sale. The ST30 is not a smart TV but a VOD TV. His TV was normally $300 more when not on sale.

Now with my LG 47LW5600 with an 'actual' selling price, for the TV and glasses, my LCD was $200 cheaper based on a none sale, standard selling price. His combo would be $500 more when not on sale. My LCD is a smart TV and offers a handheld pointer mouse remote that his does not have. So right there the LED wins even on 'actual' price, not MSRP.

Comparing apples to apples, my LG 47LW5600 is the equivalent to the LG Plasma 50PZ950 yet the 47LW5600 is $200 cheaper from an 'actual' selling price.

The LG Plasma 50PZ750 sells for the same price but it lacks the contrast ratio and anti reflective screens of the 47LW5600 and 50PZ950, and the wifi dongle, that must be purchased separately.

Plasma TVs are not discounted as much as LCD TVs from what I've seen. The MSRP is the same for both the LG 47LW5600 and the LG 50PZ950 at $1699.99 .