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Plasma vs LCD

Orvan

Orvan

....................
Mar 5, 2002
1,492
2
Califor-N.I.A.
I'm an IT idiot and techno lazy.

Which is better, plasma or LCD HDTV?
Which one last longer as I tend to run my appliances/vehicles to the ground?

Is this a good deal?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10200095#Features+&+Specifications

This is our first HDTV purchase ever. I'm still watching on my 42" CRT Tv I purchased while I was still in College...and I have three Intense frames. :p

Any real life hands on exprience would be appreciated.

Also, are Toshiba Satelite Laptops any good?
 
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?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
Plasma's are going the way of the dinosaur/GM/HD DVD player.

That tv/ entertainment system is okay... much better than any projection tv, but 728 lines of pixels on a 50" tv isn't all that HD. The contrast is fairly low compared to other tv's now, and the theater system is low on power. However, you're going to spend twice that on a good 1080p Samsung tv and home theater system. Samsung is also your best choice if you care about your tv looking like a nice piece of furniture, rather than some huge dork plastic box.

If you actually want a good tv that isn't going to be outdated before you buy it, I'd limit the max size of a 728 pixel tv to 32 inches.
 
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DirtyDog

DirtyDog

Gang probed by the Golden Banana
Aug 2, 2005
6,598
0
Plasmas are brighter and have better viewing angles. so if you want to fill a room with knuckleheads to watch the superbowl, buy a Plasma. If you want a long lasting TV that isn't quite as bright, buy LCD. Plasmas are known for being non-reliable.
 
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CdaleTony

Chimp
May 26, 2006
47
0
DirtyDog said:
Plasmas are brighter and have better viewing angles. so if you want to fill a room with knuckleheads to watch the superbowl, buy a Plasma. If you want a long lasting TV that isn't quite as bright, buy LCD. Plasmas are known for being non-reliable.
Click to expand...
I just got a 52" samsung 750...It is BRIGHT. I had to dim it a level. and the viewing angles are fantastic...I think LCD's have an edge, but a cheap LCD vs a good Plasma wont fair as well.
Your going to have to go out and play with them yourself. Stores always have the best feeds running to show of the goods....Try to get some sets viewing regular SD broadcasts to see how they fair...Maybe even play with some settings...It can get very subjective quickly...
CDT
 
RUFUS

RUFUS

e-douche of the year
Dec 1, 2006
3,480
1
Denver, CO
Samsung LCD 4 series or higher, any size for the win. You don't need the reasons as there are literally 30 billion on the internet using that wonderful thing called google.
Buy it and thank me later.
 
Orvan

Orvan

....................
Mar 5, 2002
1,492
2
Califor-N.I.A.
????? said:
Plasma's are going the way of the dinosaur/GM/HD DVD player.

That tv/ entertainment system is okay... much better than any projection tv, but 728 lines of pixels on a 50" tv isn't all that HD. The contrast is fairly low compared to other tv's now, and the theater system is low on power. However, you're going to spend twice that on a good 1080p Samsung tv and home theater system. Samsung is also your best choice if you care about your tv looking like a nice piece of furniture, rather than some huge dork plastic box.

If you actually want a good tv that isn't going to be outdated before you buy it, I'd limit the max size of a 728 pixel tv to 32 inches.
Click to expand...

Ok, cool. I sorta got the swing of things. I think I'll revert back to Samsung and they have 720-1080p at decent price. We actually saw a few Samsungs at Best Buy and Walmart tonight. Purty impressive.

So stick with 42" LCD (budget driven) and just move the couch closer. :D

thanks peeps.
 
RUFUS

RUFUS

e-douche of the year
Dec 1, 2006
3,480
1
Denver, CO
Orvan said:
Ok, cool. I sorta got the swing of things. I think I'll revert back to Samsung and they have 720-1080p at decent price. We actually saw a few Samsungs at Best Buy and Walmart tonight. Purty impressive.

So stick with 42" LCD (budget driven) and just move the couch closer. :D

thanks peeps.
Click to expand...
I run a 32" samsung 1080p series 6 LCD in the living room and the couch is about 13 feet away. Perfect size for the distant for most shows. I wouldn't mind going a little bigger for the hockey games but that is why I go to the games.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,208
13,343
Portland, OR
I got my 50" Panasonic plasma for $1250. One of the highest rated by Consumer Reports. I love it. I bought it with an Onkyo TX-SR606, it was about $1500 out the door. HDMI, up conversion to 1080p, it's a great setup.

Last weekend I picked up 4 Infinity Primus-P362 floor speakers and matching sub. I am waiting until we move to hook them up.

<edit> With my old speakers.
 
Orvan

Orvan

....................
Mar 5, 2002
1,492
2
Califor-N.I.A.
Ugh, stop confusing and tempting me w/ all thse cooler stuff. I have a bike habit to feed. :p

42"-46" Samsung 720 or 1080p Samsung LCD it is, ON SALE. HDMI? I'm really lost. I'm just going to tune my front der now.
 
RUFUS

RUFUS

e-douche of the year
Dec 1, 2006
3,480
1
Denver, CO
Orvan said:
Ugh, stop confusing and tempting me w/ all thse cooler stuff. I have a bike habit to feed. :p

42"-46" Samsung 720 or 1080p Samsung LCD it is, ON SALE. HDMI? I'm really lost. I'm just going to tune my front der now.
Click to expand...
HDMI is not a necessity, don't let people fool you into it. I ran the exact same tv side by side for 2 months. 1 with HDMI and one with the PGB or whatever the new standard of colors are, I can't remember. I didn't tell much difference at all besides maybe a football game if I looked close but I hate football so it didn't bother me.

Get what you like and enjoy it. The prices are insane for the sizes, you would be stupid not to get a great brand like samsung, sony, or a few others.

I sat around for 2-3 years researching before buying my first samsung and I won't buy any other.

There is my .02
 
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?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
Orvan said:
Ugh, stop confusing and tempting me w/ all thse cooler stuff. I have a bike habit to feed. :p

42"-46" Samsung 720 or 1080p Samsung LCD it is, ON SALE. HDMI? I'm really lost. I'm just going to tune my front der now.
Click to expand...
HDMI for the win.

Despite the high prices of the Monster HDMI cables, HDMI is much much cheaper than any comparable component cable. A $10 HDMI cable will outperform any $100 set of component cables and you only need one tidy HDMI cable for video and sound. The more HDMI inputs the better. You can get brand x HDMI cables online for $10 or less. I picked mine up from Wal-Mart... usually because I found out that the accessory didn't include a cable and I needed something right then. I use $25-35 Philips HDMI cables. Here is the deal, unlike a component cable that sends an analog signal and benefits from thicker wire, HDMI cables send a digital signal with no amplification. With an HDMI cable, it either works or it doesn't. You either have a great image or a really screwed up one. You won't notice a slightly better picture with a $150 Monster HDMI cable. If the signal is screwed up, just take it back to Wal-Mart and pay attention when you install it. The most common failure in HDMI cables is when people bend the cable too much around the plug.

If you are going with a 42-46" TV and want to watch Blu-Ray's I would get the 1080p set. There is actually a pretty big difference in picture quality at that size. 720p is like 3/4 HD.

If you want the tv to watch sports, then look at the frame rate. LCD's used to suffer from slow frame rates compared to plasmas, but they have increased significantly in the past few years.
 
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jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,981
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One other thing to keep in mind is that the price you pay for the TV is the only part of the cost. TV's like this use a lot of juice, so if you watch a lot of TV, don't be surprised if your electric bill jumps a LOT (I'm talking upwards of $100/month depending on how much you watch). When it comes to this, plasma TV's take much more juice to run when compared to an LCD. It's to the point that some countries in Europe are considering banning them due to their high rate of power consumption:

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/on-the-heels-of-a-bulb-ban-europe-mulls-pulling-the-plug-on-large-plasma-tvs/

http://www.product-reviews.net/2009/01/12/plasma-tv-ban-uk-california-and-eu/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1112110/Energy-guzzling-plasma-TVs-banned-Brussels-eco-blitz.html
 
jerseydirt

jerseydirt

Turbo Monkey
May 6, 2007
1,936
0
dirty jerz
If I were you I would get a deal on a 32-40 inch plasma at circut city and save the rest to buy cool shenanigans like a logitech z5500 sound system. Or expensive beer to watch your new tv with.
 
Arkayne

Arkayne

I come bearing GIFs
May 10, 2005
3,738
15
SoCal
Keep in mind that this new big honkin' screen is just the beginning of the money spent. You may consider upgrading your cable service to HD and investing in a blu-ray player. But since you have a nice pic, why not invest in a home theater? man, money money money!

Pick up your br player from the Las Americas Sony outlet. I was there last week and saw them for $110. ooooor just get a ps3.
 
Sghost

Sghost

Turbo Monkey
Jul 13, 2008
1,038
0
NY
I upgraded to HD cable and Bluray this past November, with HDMI. I couldn't believe the difference in both, was like going from VHS to DVD all over again.
 
binary visions

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,100
1,150
NC
The Olevias are surprisingly decent on a budget. Especially if you're not a snob about it - people will drone on about black levels and contrast ratios, and they're completely right. The picture IS better on the expensive TVs. But when you don't have the TVs all sitting next to each other in the store, I think people would be surprised with what they consider perfectly acceptable. Actually, I think people would be hard pressed to point out problems without a back-to-back comparison.

I had a 32" Olevia that I liked. The contrast was a bit lower than the top tier brands and the tuner was fairly slow - flipping channels took a little more patience. Now I've got a 32" Samsung purchased with insurance. I like the Samsung better - the picture is nicer, the tuner is faster, and the base swivels... but I would have bought the Olevia all over again if insurance wasn't picking up the upgrade. The upsampling on the Olevia was actually better than a lot of the top tier brands.

In more general terms, I'd tend to lean towards LCD because of longevity - I'm not inclined to replace TVs that often. A 1080p panel will provide you with a little bit more longevity as well.

Toshiba Satellite laptops have gone on a rollercoaster of quality control over the years, in my experience. I don't know what the latest versions are like but I'm gun shy of them now after watching so many of them die.
 
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CdaleTony

Chimp
May 26, 2006
47
0
RUFUS said:
I run a 32" samsung 1080p series 6 LCD in the living room and the couch is about 13 feet away. Perfect size for the distant for most shows. I wouldn't mind going a little bigger for the hockey games but that is why I go to the games.
Click to expand...
IS the original poster's budget $1099? 720p will suffice, as all broadcast are now in 720, I believe. I heard Directv is going to so some 1080p stuff next year, so I figured I would go with that. And if you plan on PS3 or blu ray discs, 1080p will give you some great pics.
That said I cant believe you can get see the 1080p benefit with a 32" screen@13 feet!
I forget the 'formula' but for me at 10-11 feet, anything under 46" would have been a waste to get 1080p. So I was advised.
If you can scratch up to $1500 a 46" 1080p samsung runs just under that.
click
My budget was higher, but overall this TV would have been fine with me. I opted for a 52" 750 with a minimal subwoofer.
There are tricks on amazon that you can use to get a 4-6% discount on some items...
Looks like 1080p sammys are popular here.

CDT
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,208
13,343
Portland, OR
Rip said:
I see you also picked up a cat. ;)
Click to expand...
He sits on the other speaker trying to find the scrolling words while I watch the news. He sees them scroll to the edge, then looks behind it waiting for them to fall out or something.

I have a video on my phone of him trying to catch the puck during hockey highlights.
 
jerseydirt

jerseydirt

Turbo Monkey
May 6, 2007
1,936
0
dirty jerz
I think dogs are superior to cats. Dogs don't try to act cute in front of their owner so when they cough up a hairball and leave it on the new white carpet, they can get away with it. Crafty little sh1ts.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,981
24,535
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If you wanna get a mondo sized tv but not break the bank, get a DLP. They are far cheaper than LCD's of equivalent size (you can get a 60" DLP for under $2000), and their power consumption is about on par with LCD's. Older DLP's had repair issues (projection bulb would burn out), but I think all the ones being manufactured nowadays have switched over to LED that last about 20,000 hours (which equates to about 2 1/4 years, but only if you use it non-stop).
 
IH8Rice

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
to the O.P.:

plasmas are a better picture quality than LCD's....but LCD's have come a long way in price and picture quality. Besides for CRT's, Plasmas are the only tv's that can actually produce a black image. LCD, DLP and DiLA only reproduce dark dark shades of grey. Most manufacturers are getting out of the Plasma business because the market has shifted to LCD's as of two years ago because of the cost to make a Plasma. As someone that works for a company that makes LCD's, i would say buy a LCD, but depending on what size you want, stick with a plasma. The larger screen sizes of plasmas are ridiculous compares to LCD's.

both tv's will last almost equally as long. Both tv's have a average half life of about 80-100k hours. the average American watches tv about 4 hours a day. a quality tv should last longer than you will expect and longer than you want. by the time you are ready for a new tv, something better will be out for sure. its always been a myth that plasmas wont last that long. granted first gen tv's only had a half life of 20-40k hours...ish. all these tv's will last forever baring any mechanical issues.

if you are looking for a great, cheap big screen tv, look into the DLP rear pro (if you have the room.) 6Ave was running a special 3 weeks ago for a 58" DLP for $888 and last week they had a 61" DLP i believe for $988.

if you are really worried about power consumption, then get a DLP. they use a TON less power than the others. and LCD's are far better in power consumption that plasmas. This year at CES, "green" tv's were all the rage. My companies tv's typically fall 10-15% below what the new energy star standard is...we've been "green" two years before everyone else was.......its just too bad my tv's were always overpriced...lol


the bigger the screen size, the more 1080p will benefit. most broadcast is in 720p, but DirecTV and Dish Network started broadcasting pay per view in 1080p. unless you have a good eye for tv's, most people will be hard pressed to tell the difference b/w 720p and 1080i or 1080p on a 42" tv. if you are looking for a 47" or above, then stick with 1080p.....even if you run a 1080p signal (PS3/Blu Ray/HDDVD..or whatever) the tv will still accept the 1080p, but will donconvert it to the tv's native resolution(768/720p) and still look great


let me know if you have anymore questions.
 
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P

Pegboy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2003
1,139
27
New Hamp-sha
Orv, I second pretty much everything rice stated. The notion that plasmas don't last as long is becoming a non-issue. The newer ones are supposed to last around 8 years or so, and by then the technology will be outdated and most will be looking into the next big thing. And again, 720 vs 1080 in anything under a 46" is un-noticeable. That being said, we bought a Samsung 40" lcd 1080 because the sale price made it less than the 720. Our couch is about 8-10 ft from the screen. At first it seemed overwhelming and I almost thought it was too big...now I almost wish I had moved to the next size up. We bought ours last year and now you can get the same set in the 46"(?) size for the same price. Also remember that the quality of picture depends on what they broadcast with as well as the cameras used to shoot/film.

As far as HDMI cable, when you switch to HD service I believe they supply you with it. (Our satelite company did) Also search amazon, you can pick up cables for as little as 1.78 ( they got rave reviews, I don't remember the name but I knw they come packaged with no logos in simple brown static guard bag)

Lastly, samsung's plasma's are 42" and LCD's are 40". Side by side in the store, you can't tell the difference. Different brands offer different sizes (40 vs 42).

AND take it from my experience if you decide to finance like we did, only because they offered no annual fees an 0% finance for 36 mos (why not?), read the fine print. We were told if payed off before 36 mos...no problem. What we didn't realize was if you default (have a payment that is one day late) you incur finance charges and interest from orriginal purchase date. First month on ours we did not receive a billing statement. I figured because we bought it near the end of the prior month, the paperwork had not been fully processed. 5- 6 mos later we once again did not receive a statement; the next month we just doubled the payment and figured all was good. You can see where this is going...needless to say after a few intense phone calls, and me getting to point of screaming " this is why all of you fvcking scamming banks are failing!" , my sale priced TV is not so sale priced anymore. So beware people, I honestly think they skip sending monthly bills every once in a while to snag you.

Bottom line: Screw the TV. Spend your money to come out east and ride; you can watch ours while you're here. If you ride enough places, and visit enough people, you'll never need your own!
 
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