Plasma & LED ?

[Shagadelic]

I'm in research for a new HDTV for myself and as a gift.

Me: I have a dedicated HT/Music room that is 10.5' X 16.25'
the viewing range is 10.5' w2w, now having a couch and table/console the range from eye to screen is aprox. 7.5' - 8' in a dark room. I currently have an older Samsung lcd LN46BB55OK1FXZA 46" @60hrtz hdtv with ikea led backlights. I am not in favour for any particular brand, I just want to be open to my best options. I guess if I had to pick a size I would like to be in the 50"-60" range for about $2k give or take. Picture is most important as well as 3D with glasses (free ).

Gift: The family room seating is big enough but limited to wall space (above fire place) to 66"W and 4" off the wall in a bright room (also is there such a wall mount that not only swings left or right, but out, up & down? ...mantle issues ). Again all brands are welcome ($1-1.8k)

I would like to get a Plasma for the HT/Music room
As well as a LED for the family room
Both are open to debate on...

[carterk88]

For yourself I would go with the Panasonic VT30, it has the overall best picture quality of any flat panel based on most reviews. I own one and I can say that the 3D on this set is very impressive as well. I really only like plasma so I don't have any reccomendations for your family room, however you should really check out monoprice.com for a wall mount kit. They have a really good selection that is typically high in quality and low in price.

[Durentis]

I wouldn't bother with plasma.. LED TVs are great. And 3D is very highly overrated, imo. At least wait until the glasses-free TVs with viewer tracking become mainstream.

That said, you have a dedicated home theater room with plenty of space and about the right viewing distance for a 120" screen. You should be looking into projection there, imo. The BenQ W6000 is about $1800 CAD and you can get a decent screen cheaply on eBay if not your local a/v store.

[etype55]

Originally Posted by Durentis

I wouldn't bother with plasma.. LED TVs are great. And 3D is very highly overrated, imo. At least wait until the glasses-free TVs with viewer tracking become mainstream.

That said, you have a dedicated home theater room with plenty of space and about the right viewing distance for a 120" screen. You should be looking into projection there, imo. The BenQ W6000 is about $1800 CAD and you can get a decent screen cheaply on eBay if not your local a/v store.

In a dark room, I seriously doubt any LCD will beat out a plasma for PQ. 3D is overrated in your opinion - some people love it, some people don't and that's typically how things work out.

But it should be added that practical and affordable autostereoscopic displays (glassless 3D) larger than a smartphone are about a decade away.

I love 3D, even with the glasses. We watched How to train your Dragon last night and the flight scene on a 94" 3D screen is definitely worth wearing glasses for.

I will agree that if you can accommodate a PJ, do-eeet. They've really become an affordable option in recent years and standard TVs will never compete with the real estate a projector provides.

[Durentis]

Originally Posted by etype55

In a dark room, I seriously doubt any LCD will beat out a plasma for PQ.

You need to differentiate between regular LCD and LED. And yes, LED beats out plasma for picture quality.

Originally Posted by etype55

3D is overrated in your opinion

No need to add emphasis.. I did say it was in my opinion (imo). This is an advice thread. Everything posted is opinion. Me saying it was my opinion was actually redundant - sorry. These statements are also my opinions.

Originally Posted by etype55

But it should be added that practical and affordable autostereoscopic displays (glassless 3D) larger than a smartphone are about a decade away.

This Toshiba ZL2 was linked to me the other day. Hardly a decade away.

It is my opinion that your mileage may vary.

[Shagadelic]

Never really considered projection, I'll look into it. thanks y'all.
what is a typical lifespan of a projector?
Also the viewing distance is 10.5' wall 2 wall, is that enough?
Is 3D avail., better than HDTV, affordable?




mods: can you move this post back a notch into DISPLAY ?
many thanks.

[Durentis]

Originally Posted by Shagadelic

what is a typical lifespan of a projector?

Lamps are supposed to last 2-3000 hours, but I've reset my counter a couple times and it still looks good. If you keep your room (especially the projector) cool, it'll last longer. They're easy to replace and only cost a few hundred. I wouldn't worry about the projector itself meeting an untimely death unless you're unlucky and the warranty should cover it.

Originally Posted by Shagadelic

Also the viewing distance is 10.5' wall 2 wall, is that enough?

Viewing Distance Chart

I sit about 11' from my 120" screen. The chart says you'll get the full benefit of 1080p at ~85" at this distance, but closer doesn't hurt and it's not so close that I have to look around the screen. You can always get a smaller screen if you prefer too.

Originally Posted by Shagadelic

Is 3D avail., better than HDTV, affordable?

Something like this Mitsubishi, perhaps.. but I don't know anything about it. I'm staying away from 3D until it matures. I like my BenQ.. it's solid and looks great.

[Cooley]

I am the Plasma camp.

LCD LED is too sharp that e.g. you can tell that Jake Sully and the Princess flying in their Banshees were pasted into the Hallelujah mountain background by CGI techniques (Avatar Blu-Ray). It virtually discounted the entertainment.
And overall search the site/web for "LCD LED soap-opera effect".

Whether 2D or 3D, Samsung or Panasonic it is your call.

[etype55]

Originally Posted by Durentis

You need to differentiate between regular LCD and LED. And yes, LED beats out plasma for picture quality.

Don't be condescending, LCD and LED are both liquid crystal displays just illuminated differently. And in your opinion LCD wins, but the vast majority of videophiles and professional (objective) reviews sites give the nod to plasma. Disagree with them all you want..

This Toshiba ZL2 was linked to me the other day. Hardly a decade away.

It's debuting at a cost of 8000 euros and still provides very limited viewing angles. And despite working on these obstacles from the onset progress has been slow. Trust me, I would love an autostereoscopic display but as I said before they're neither affordable nor practical. Affordable defined as 1k to 2k, and practical as in "sit anywhere", the Toshiba, even if promising, definitely fails on both accounts.

Btw - the 10 year mark wasn't my prediction, I was quoting estimates from industry insiders.

Anyways, why wait years to circumvent what is essentially a non-issue. People wear glasses for a whole host of activities from snorkeling, skiing or even just reading a book, what makes a 3D movie any different? It's not a big deal.

[etype55]

Originally Posted by Shagadelic

Never really considered projection, I'll look into it. thanks y'all.
what is a typical lifespan of a projector?
Also the viewing distance is 10.5' wall 2 wall, is that enough?
Is 3D avail., better than HDTV, affordable?




mods: can you move this post back a notch into DISPLAY ?
many thanks.

Optoma and few other companies are releasing full 3D ready 1080p projectors this year for less than 2k. Panasonic just released the AE7000, which despite have a $3500 price tag is reported to compete with systems costing 3x as much. I've saving up for one myself.

There's also passive options available, though they require more work to put together. In fact, projectors require more research than TVs in general, but the one thing Durentis and I seem to agree on is, they're worth it.

added : Throw distance varies from model to model. You can use http://www.projectorcentral.com/proj...ulator-pro.cfm at projectorcentral to calculate a given projector's requirement. The same site also provides an exhaustive search engine to sift through the dozens of available projectors

[The_Donster]

Honestly guys, this back and forth isn't helping the OP. So take it to pm or create your own thread to have a pissing contest in. I have 2 LED's and love them. One is in our bedroom 47" Vizio and the other is a 55" LG, that is our living room. My wife and I love them both and think the PQ is excellant on both. We are planning on getting a 3rd one for our family room and I'm considering the Panasonic TC-P65ST30 Plasma. That, or the P65VT30 if it can be found for a good price. Still, I need to wrap up my family room project before I can commit to a new flatscreen. Something you are going to find here is some folks are helpful and some aren't and just like to argue. So take comments with a grain of salt, do your own research and buy what looks good to you and your family. Because in the end it is going to be you watching it and not any one of us

[etype55]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

Honestly guys, this back and forth isn't helping the OP. So take it to pm or create your own thread to have a pissing contest in. I have 2 LED's and love them. One is in our bedroom 47" Vizio and the other is a 55" LG, that is our living room. My wife and I love them both and think the PQ is excellant on both. We are planning on getting a 3rd one for our family room and I'm considering the Panasonic TC-P65ST30 Plasma. That, or the P65VT30 if it can be found for a good price. Still, I need to wrap up my family room project before I can commit to a new flatscreen. Something you are going to find here is some folks are helpful and some aren't and just like to argue. So take comments with a grain of salt, do your own research and buy what looks good to you and your family. Because in the end it is going to be you watching it and not any one of us

Debating is the best way to get different points of view. I mean, what's the point of a homogeneous discussion ?

[Shagadelic]

Yup, I had a feeling projection would take some research. When I get to it I just hope realistically the viewing distance will not suffer under 10.5 ft.
Hell, maybe I can do TV, & screen pulldown someday?

Both versions of hdtv's seem promising to the room environments, meaning light/dark. I wouldn't be opposed going both routes for this.
Pannys st30 50-60 in. seem great for the price/size, performance will determine an upgrade to the vt30's. All of this feels right for what I intend.

The flip side of the coin, I'm unaware of this newer LED display tech. (although I'm not savy with plasma tech. either) for the living room conditions, LED reads to be the way to go. All I want is to make the safe buy and not run into things I had no idea what to look for.

I am considering both tech.'s so let the debate continue, ~favourtisim, brand loyal, whatnot? etc, etc...

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by Durentis

I wouldn't bother with plasma..

Originally Posted by Durentis

And yes, LED beats out plasma for picture quality.

Opinions are one thing, but comments like these have been dis-proven in countless professional reviews and shootouts for years. It's only recently that an LED appears to be meeting or exceeding plasma picture quality, but you'll pay 2-3X the price for the new Sharp Elites.

Stick with commenting on projection systems, as I'm sure yours is pretty good, but leave the plasma comments to those that know what they are talking about.

[etype55]

Originally Posted by Shagadelic

Yup, I had a feeling projection would take some research. When I get to it I just hope realistically the viewing distance will not suffer under 10.5 ft.
Hell, maybe I can do TV, & screen pulldown someday?

That's exactly what we do. We have the VT25 mounted on the wall and a pull down screen over that. We also have a throw distance of 10.5' and it's enough to produce a 94" screen. Some projectors can produce 120" from much less distance so the space you need is going to be highly dependent on the projector you choose.

[Proteus]

I'm not sure if this thread is now dead but I'll just say what I plan for my theater room with a little commentary.

Panasonic VT30 Plasma 65" flush mounted.

120" Silver screen lit up by the new Panny projector (forgot model, but you'll know it when you see it).

If you have the budget, it truly is advantageous to use a flush plasma and a screen for projection that lowers directly in front of it (you can keep the screen within six inches of the wall if you do it right). The projection is great for movies and wowing friends while the plasma is more 'comfortable' to watch for general viewing and gaming... it's actually better for movies but for many films size does matter.

My conditions are nearly identical to yours. I've spent over a year doing research (the Panny projector was a new substitution over a previous option for projection). I've had plasmas primarily since they were first released many many years ago.

I have also had a few LCDs (none are still being used and have been replaced with plasmas as plasma longetivity seems to be better and they cost less for more quality) and have worked extensively with LED televisions in marketing applications as well. All of my marketing applications will be shifting back to plasma going forward due to color issues and cost issues with LED (reference the Sharp Elites for explanation of color challenges related to LED). LCD/LED is not up to par with plasma. You can get close if you are willing to pay 2x-3x the price but it would be... wasteful. In fact, the only application where LCD/LED may be beneficial is if you have energy limitations that must be met as they can run more efficiently (the difference isn't as significant as it used to be; however) or you have an extremely bright room.

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by Proteus

If you have the budget, it truly is advantageous to use a flush plasma and a screen for projection that lowers directly in front of it (you can keep the screen within six inches of the wall if you do it right). The projection is great for movies and wowing friends while the plasma is more 'comfortable' to watch for general viewing and gaming... it's actually better for movies but for many films size does matter.

Totally agree. I just took the first step and wall mounted my 60GT30 (had to in order to use my AV rack to to set my new center speaker on). I've always wanted a projection setup, and I've decide that I'm finally going to do it. Probably not this year, but by next summer, hopefully.

[Gempulse]

You can get Panny 55VT30's now for pretty cheap off Amazon & certain retailer's websites. I just ordered mine for $2350 + pro calib from Value Electronics.

If you want to go larger and stay around that budget of 2k, you might look into getting the Panny 60GT30 which is an awesome TV as well.

[Shagadelic]

Panny Plasma it is.
Budget will determine size/model.
As for the LED family room, It can wait.

thanks all for your advice