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Those who made the jump from Plasma to LCD, give me your reasons/thoughts?

3214 Views 31 Replies 19 Participants Last post by 6SpeedTA95, Jan 20, 2008

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · Jan 19, 2008

2

Hey guys, I'm pretty much a plasma guy I must admit. However, I'm trying to keep an open mind in my tv search. Right now the Pioneer 5080 tops my list. My viewing distances ranges from 9 to about 12 feet. At 12 feet we're very close to dead center of the screen, maybe 7 or 8 degrees off center. However our closer seating is scattered throughout the room at various angles and distances. The most frequently used chair is about 35* off center and at a distance of 9 feet or so.

I like the 5080 the most at this point but need to do some more viewing on calibrated sets. The XBR4 and the Samsung 71 really jump out at me from the LCD side of the fence. The XBR line and the Samsung 71 just have great pictures. I think the Sony does a far better job with motion than any LCD on the market and is close to plasma in this regard. But the blacks are not really even close but they're definately good. The Sony seems to look more natural in brighter rooms and obviously perceived black levels are pretty similar in bright rooms. However, I do not have a bright room.

I have also noticed that the LCD's specifcally the XBR and the 71 series do a better job with bright scenes in movies. Things look more natural in bright scenes under normal viewing conditions than they seem to on plasma sets.

So for those who went from plasma to LCD why did you do it? Do you prefer LCD? or would you go back to plasma? Just looking for some opinions/thoughts. Since I spend most of my time reading in the plasma section I figured I'd get some thoughts from the LCD crew

thanks guys

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1 - 20 of 32 Posts

raven69david

· #2 · Jan 19, 2008

I sold my Pioneer 5070 on Sunday and purchased a Sony 46XBR4. I started last year with a Sony V2500. I loved the picture but the clouds were a problem. After 2 sets, i finally decided to go plasma and went with the best set at the time, which was the 5070. I heard all kinds of reviews on the set and it was touted as one of the best around; cnet and other reviewers agreed so i decided to buy the 5070. When i turned it on, i wasn't impressed. When i adjusted it based on others calibrations which many others liked, I didn't see very much of a difference. I was stuck with the TV for 10 months and couldn't wait to get rid of it. Now that i have, i'm not gonna go back to plasma unless something can top the best LCD sets. I love the POP of the LCD's. It's like looking outside of a window or like viewing a live feed. Plasma is more cinematic. I like to call it "darker" because that's what it looks like to me. LCD POP's and Plasma is dull IMO.

I'm glad i'm back to owning an LCD set and plan to stay for many years to come.

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westa6969

· #3 · Jan 19, 2008

I went with the herd mentality of this forum with a Panasonic 500U 2 yrs ago when Panny was King of blacks and ended up greatly disappointed with my bright sunny room destroys PDP and the reflections were horrendous - survived 1 week before being sold.

Plasma =inferior whites on many panels especially the Panny which has yellowish/gray dirty whites. What good are better blacks when CR is WHITE to Black range - PDP owners/fans will rarely discuss the whites.

Plasma = TIR/IR - while burn-in is mostly resolved and rare on many plasma's image retention is very real even now.

Plasma = Reflection City - Do you want to compete with the inventory of the room of the windows with what your trying to view?

Plasma = Washout when the sun streams into the room and I mean big time - just try viewing a dark based movie or football or playing dark video games while 80% of the view is washed out during daylight hours and even if you have blinds the light seeping through will reflect in the panel unless it's housed in a wall unit and enclosed.

Plasma = Break-in Periods and Cautious Viewing Safeguards while LCD has no such issue or concern.
Determine your viewing environ and don't follow the Herd - buy what pleases you even if it is a plasma.

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biznus97

· #4 · Jan 19, 2008

Today it is key to really buy based on your viewing environment and content. Some cannot stand the blur and viewing angles of LCD's. Not to mention backlight uneveness. Sure during the day or with a bunch of lights on it's great. But turn the lights down and get into a movie and you see where plasma's excell and LCD's fail. LCD's have come a LONG way though with image quality. But the build quality still needs to be raised

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by raven69david /forum/post/12862989

I sold my Pioneer 5070 on Sunday and purchased a Sony 46XBR4. I started last year with a Sony V2500. I loved the picture but the clouds were a problem. After 2 sets, i finally decided to go plasma and went with the best set at the time, which was the 5070. I heard all kinds of reviews on the set and it was touted as one of the best around; cnet and other reviewers agreed so i decided to buy the 5070. When i turned it on, i wasn't impressed. When i adjusted it based on others calibrations which many others liked, I didn't see very much of a difference. I was stuck with the TV for 10 months and couldn't wait to get rid of it. Now that i have, i'm not gonna go back to plasma unless something can top the best LCD sets. I love the POP of the LCD's. It's like looking outside of a window or like viewing a live feed. Plasma is more cinematic. I like to call it "darker" because that's what it looks like to me. LCD POP's and Plasma is dull IMO.

I'm glad i'm back to owning an LCD set and plan to stay for many years to come.

I love the XBR sets but they're soooo expensive.

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by biznus97 /forum/post/12863141

Today it is key to really buy based on your viewing environment and content. Some cannot stand the blur and viewing angles of LCD's. Not to mention backlight uneveness. Sure during the day or with a bunch of lights on it's great. But turn the lights down and get into a movie and you see where plasma's excell and LCD's fail. LCD's have come a LONG way though with image quality. But the build quality still needs to be raised

Build quality? Do you mean engineering by any chance? The XBR is built pretty well.

biznus97

· #7 · Jan 19, 2008

Well I am really talking about backlight bleed/dead pixels etc. While dead pixels are going to happen on an fixed pixel display tech, I find it silly to pay a premium for a super sized computer monitor with clouds, bleed, or mura issues. But like I said it depends on your viewing environment. My room is dark so these issues are easy to see even at noon.... If the set was in a roo with a lot of ambient light it may be less of an issue.

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by biznus97 /forum/post/12863189

Well I am really talking about backlight bleed/dead pixels etc. While dead pixels are going to happen on an fixed pixel display tech, I find it silly to pay a premium for a super sized computer monitor with clouds, bleed, or mura issues. But like I said it depends on your viewing environment. My room is dark so these issues are easy to see even at noon.... If the set was in a roo with a lot of ambient light it may be less of an issue.

Ahh yeah I know what you mean. The backlight bleeding was fairly bad on last years XBR2's and has been a problem on this years XBR4's as well. However it seems to affect far fewer sets and it seems that the latest sets (oct-nov production and later) dont have the bleeding issues.

Yeah dead pixels suck and in my opinion are unacceptable.

wtfer

· #9 · Jan 19, 2008

My biggest reasons for going with LCDs after buying Plasma were:

-The ugly phosphor lag is more noticeable & ugly than current LCD smearing in a lot of cases, plus plasma panles do not have a perfect 0ms response time either.

-Fizzing pixels in all plasma sets are really distracting.

-Picture washes out when in bright room.

-Overall the picture quality is always dimmer, duller & softer than what LCDs can do.

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by raven69david /forum/post/12864073

$2499.00 shipped at amazon.com right now. That's a great price....better hurry and jump on it.

I'm not buying anything for another 6 weeks or so. They haven't announced bonuses yet, only rumors we've heard is that they'll be similar to last year, which should buy the set. But I dont do debt so it'll have to wait till I have the cash without touching my savings.

edit: also thats a 46 which I'd consider but not at 500 dollars more than I can get a 5080 for.

nm88

· #11 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95 /forum/post/12862921

Right now the Pioneer 5080 tops my list. My viewing distances ranges from 9 to about 12 feet.

You should really consider a 65" set for 9-12 feet viewing distance if you want to get any benefit from HD.

danman2424

· #12 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by raven69david /forum/post/12862989

I sold my Pioneer 5070 on Sunday and purchased a Sony 46XBR4. I started last year with a Sony V2500. I loved the picture but the clouds were a problem. After 2 sets, i finally decided to go plasma and went with the best set at the time, which was the 5070. I heard all kinds of reviews on the set and it was touted as one of the best around; cnet and other reviewers agreed so i decided to buy the 5070. When i turned it on, i wasn't impressed. When i adjusted it based on others calibrations which many others liked, I didn't see very much of a difference. I was stuck with the TV for 10 months and couldn't wait to get rid of it. Now that i have, i'm not gonna go back to plasma unless something can top the best LCD sets. I love the POP of the LCD's. It's like looking outside of a window or like viewing a live feed. Plasma is more cinematic. I like to call it "darker" because that's what it looks like to me. LCD POP's and Plasma is dull IMO.

I'm glad i'm back to owning an LCD set and plan to stay for many years to come.

My story is very similar to this. I started out with an LCD and for a year convinced myself that the blurring during fast motion was unacceptable. I finally went for a Pioneer 5070 because it came highly recommended as a plasma.

To make a long story short, I'm here 6 months later looking for a new LCD. It really felt like I stopped watching HD all of a sudden the moment I went to plasma. Colors, blacks, and blurring were absolutely fine on the plasma as I was told it would be, but no one mentioned how that LCD picture pop is completely absent. I could'nt really tell from being in store but at home it became really apparent to me that the picture was duller, softer, and less appealing to me.

Imagine a TV that is trying very hard to imitate a CRT in color, black level, etc. but then forgot to bring the picture pop and sharpness inherent to most newer technologies. That's kind of the way it felt.

Anyways, I'm currently checking out the Samsung 71 series and hoping I can sell this plasma off and make enough back to pay for a new LCD.

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silverfox830

· #13 · Jan 19, 2008

I own both high-end types...a 42" Pioneer Plasma, and a 42" Aquos LCD. The Pioneer is 720p and the Aquos is 1080p. They both look spectacular, even when off. There have obvious differences. Pioneer really is best in darkened rooms and you like watching sports and/or movies. The Aquos LCD works well in rooms with lots of ambient light, playing video games, or using it for a computer monitor. The sharp is VERY impressive given the price, and power consumption differential. The Pioneer Plasma runs hot comparatively speaking...you can feel it just walking by the unit. The LCD runs cool and makes no noise whatsoever. The viewing angle issue is why I went with Plasma originally. I like when friends come over and can sit just about anywhere in the room and see the same quality picture. Having said that, the new Aquos has one of the best viewing angles of any LCD, and it is not as big an issue anymore. Truth be told, the Pioneer is hard to beat...it just is, but taking everything into consideration, the best VALUE is clearly my new Aquos. Needless to say, MOST people will never see the small differences in quality between the 2...but they will notice the price differential and the energy saved. I bought the Aquos for $1450 w/ a free BLU-RAY player from Vanns, and it was the best bang for my entertainment buck. I won't even get into what I paid for the Pioneer back a year ago.

Would I buy Plasma again? I must say, all things considered...NO. I love my Pioneer, and it works as intended. But the LCD is clearly the better value, even though is doesn't quite have that gorgeous cinematic "look" that I like for movie watching. I do like the "POP" that LCD gives you...its a nice change of pace to have both. For those that want one or the other, and cannot afford the luxury of having both as I do...I would choose the new crop of 1080p LCDs. One last word...I don't think the 120Hz LCDs are worth the extra money. MY Aquos with a 4ms response time (versus 8ms for all others) is amazing. Sharp really has hit a home run with their new Aquos series of LCDs. The Banding issue is no more as of the new December builds (and those that had this issue where mainly talking about banding as is appears while looking at a solid color image, and not TV content...so I mean, what the "f***).

You just can't beat the value (bang for your buck), and "flexibility of use" with the new LCD offerings.

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dudley07726

· #14 · Jan 19, 2008

I have 2 Panasonic 37 inch plasmas; 50u & 60u. I recently purchased 2 Panasonic LCD TC-26LX70 & TC-32LX700. Purchased the 32 inch based on the rave reviews on this forum. I must say, I am very pleased with both these LCD sets. Paid $525 of the 26 inch and $845 for the 32 inch. They seem to have fixed the motion blur problem that I always saw on LCD's.

I would have purchased another plasma but the smallest one I could find now is a 42 inch model. I will stick with Panasonic because they have performed fantasically for me. A 42 inch would have been too large for where I was using them.

Plasma still gives a better value $/performance wise. A 42 inch fPanasonic plasma for $895 is a great deal.

mastacow53

· #15 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by nm88 /forum/post/12864563

You should really consider a 65" set for 9-12 feet viewing distance if you want to get any benefit from HD.

I'm sorry, but I sit 10' from my 46" and I get great benefit from HD. Maybe if I had really bad eyesight I might need 65".

lrstevens421

· #16 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by mastacow53 /forum/post/12865394

I'm sorry, but I sit 10' from my 46" and I get great benefit from HD. Maybe if I had really bad eyesight I might need 65".

+1, I sit 10 feet away from my 52inch XBR4 and could not image nor want to sit any closer. At these distances seeing the benefit of HD is easy but seeing a difference between 1080p and 720p, now that's a different story.

oldcband

· #17 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by danman2424 /forum/post/12864951

My story is very similar to this. I started out with an LCD and for a year convinced myself that the blurring during fast motion was unacceptable. I finally went for a Pioneer 5070 because it came highly recommended as a plasma.

To make a long story short, I'm here 6 months later looking for a new LCD. It really felt like I stopped watching HD all of a sudden the moment I went to plasma. Colors, blacks, and blurring were absolutely fine on the plasma as I was told it would be, but no one mentioned how that LCD picture pop is completely absent. I could'nt really tell from being in store but at home it became really apparent to me that the picture was duller, softer, and less appealing to me.

Imagine a TV that is trying very hard to imitate a CRT in color, black level, etc. but then forgot to bring the picture pop and sharpness inherent to most newer technologies. That's kind of the way it felt.

Good points! From being an AVS enthusiast I've followed this debate and its really boring don't you agree?

I'm not going to get into the brain of the OP here but everytime someone post a thread like this is really brings out the worst (myself included). This thread really should be in the flat panel forum.

If plasma floats your boat go for it. But I don't believe that anyone can influence a plasma guy to buy an LCD.

I chose plasma before LCD and the problems I had turned me off and I know more about what I want better than ever. I know if I were to buy a plasma it would be Pioneer only. But the darkness , or dimness of the Pioneer would never work for me. I will see what Pioneer has to offer this year and maybe they will make strides in this department.

There is no doubt there is a "LCD" pop!

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iamian

· #18 · Jan 19, 2008

Sorry for a noob question. Just got Bravia 40S3000 and what is this viewing angle deficiency LCDs have? I've moved around as much as I can, maybe 45 degrees, and can not perceive any difference. What am I doing wrong?

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by nm88 /forum/post/12864563

You should really consider a 65" set for 9-12 feet viewing distance if you want to get any benefit from HD.

Not gonna happen.

6SpeedTA95

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 19, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by iamian /forum/post/12866397

Sorry for a noob question. Just got Bravia 40S3000 and what is this viewing angle deficiency LCDs have? I've moved around as much as I can, maybe 45 degrees, and can not perceive any difference. What am I doing wrong?

Depends on content. I've primarily noticed it on gray's and blacks, but I also think sony is the best at limiting this affect. But if you get off center you can notice some changes in black/grays.

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

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