Plasma or LCD? - Blu-ray Forum

Gempulse · 08-31-2010, 05:21 AM

1

theuserjohnny · 08-31-2010, 07:42 AM

Plasma, they create deeper blacks than LCDs and have better color tones (of course you have to calibrate it). I have an LCD and had I known more about TVs (like I do now) I would travel back to roughly a year ago and tell myself to buy a plasma.

I also am confused as to what "defect" rate that your brother/BestBuy are telling you about. If they're talking about the whole "burn-in" effect than you really don't have to worry about that. It is very rare that it happens to today's plasmas, as long as your not watching say ESPN straight for the next year you'll be fine. Also the whole "buzzing noise" business is something I've never heard of.

acritzer · 08-31-2010, 11:21 AM

I have both, 50'' plasma and a 32'' LCD...both Panasonic. I have no idea what kind of buzzing your brother's talking about, I've never heard anything like that. I also play some xbox 360 on mine and as long as you have the settings turned off of the bright, bright, vivid, torch modes, IR likely won't be a problem at all. Every once in a while it's possible that a shape might be visible after switching off the set, but if you flip back to normal TV it won't be seen and will quickly disappear.
Out of the two, I MUCH prefer the plasma and not for the size. The picture is much more natural, better color, better blacks. And, with plasma, you can get a much bigger TV for a cheaper price.

DavePS3 · 08-31-2010, 12:04 PM

Some plasma panels... certain models will buzz a bit. You'll hear it more during the first few weeks in a silent room and it usually depends on how bright you're running the panel. That said, it's only a few models in particular and it doesn't last very long. Sometimes you can hear it if you put your ear up to certain spots on the upper third of the screen but you really have to listen for it.

Over all, Plasmas have better color balance. Many LCD and LED's have too much blue in the whites and blacks, making everything look like it was lit with flourescent lighting as opposed to natural light on a plasma. In cheaper models, the black is so bluish that a black and white film gives you shades of bluish grays instead of black grays and browns on a plasma. A plasma can be seen equally well from any angle like a CRT. Gamers like LED for the higher contrast that is usually attributed to the added blues which make the picture appear crisper... but not realistic.

Most plasmas now, would take a minimum of 72 hours straight to get any image retention but if you do get any, run a full 1.78:1 picture for 4 to 6 hours and it usually goes away. Movie buffs will take plasma over LCD or LED because the color balance is more natural and in many cases, fine detail can be seen better.

My_Two_Cents · 08-31-2010, 12:49 PM

Simply put, both your brother and the Best Buy idiot have no idea what they are talking about. Today's plasmas consume essentially no more electricity than comparably sized LCDs. You certainly do not ned any special voltage stabilizer to run one (though a good surge protector/power conditioner is recommended for ALL HT equipment), and they do not buzz. Repair rates are no more/less than equal quality LCDs (Pany/Sammy/Sony are all at ~2-3% failure rates, and the vast majority of those problems happen within the manufacturer's warranty). Burn-in is non-existent in today's plasmas unless you set-out to cause it (leave a static image on the screen for weeks at a time).

A plasma will give you a more accurate picture, 1080 lines of motion resolution, blacker blacks and a higher ANSI contrast versus LCD. They also have an order of magnitude faster response time, which is second only to CRT for gaming. Unless you plan on putting this in a room with lots of windows where you have direct sunlight on the screen all of the time, I'd recommend a plasma.

acritzer · 08-31-2010, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

Simply put, both your brother and the Best Buy idiot have no idea what they are talking about. Today's plasmas consume essentially no more electricity than comparably sized LCDs. You certainly do not ned any special voltage stabilizer to run one (though a good surge protector/power conditioner is recommended for ALL HT equipment), and they do not buzz. Repair rates are no more/less than equal quality LCDs (Pany/Sammy/Sony are all at ~2-3% failure rates, and the vast majority of those problems happen within the manufacturer's warranty). Burn-in is non-existent in today's plasmas unless you set-out to cause it (leave a static image on the screen for weeks at a time).

A plasma will give you a more accurate picture, 1080 lines of motion resolution, blacker blacks and a higher ANSI contrast versus LCD. They also have an order of magnitude faster response time, which is second only to CRT for gaming. Unless you plan on putting this in a room with lots of windows where you have direct sunlight on the screen all of the time, I'd recommend a plasma.

I would even say that rooms with lots of windows aren't always a deal killer either. I was initially concerned with this, since we have a lot of windows and a big one right behind the couch (see gallery)...but glare isn't an issue unless the light directly hits the screen, which is only at specific times of day with specific weather conditions.

secondhand1 · 08-31-2010, 03:19 PM

It really all depends. Some love the pop that an LCD can offer, while others prefer the more movie-like atmosphere that a plasma can provide. You have matte vs. glossy screens, size/price availability, options available to you as a user, etc. You also must consider your room conditions.

I was on the fence for a long time and finally settled on the LG 55LH90, which is a fully back lit LED LCD that offers local dimming. The colors and black levels are real good. I've tweaked the hell out of it, and I continue to do so. It can always be better

I chose this set due to my room being wide open and having a lot of light, so the matte screen was a plus. It wasn't going to be a dedicated film machine, so I needed something that would split the difference nicely between a daytime, kid-friendly viewing experience and a solid movie/gaming display. The LG met those needs and, most importantly, fit my budget.

I think had I been building a dedicated theater room, I'd have gone plasma, but I don't regret my decision at all. The LG is absolutely gorgeous. Good luck, TC.

kurtis21 · 08-31-2010, 03:41 PM

I have that same exact tv in my family room!! It's an awesome tv...but i don't have any "Voltage"stabilizers and i DON'T have any buzzing sounds!!!

In my opinion...i love the picture of a plasma compared to an LCD! Also...you don't have to worry about burn-in...this tv has a "Burn-in protection" option that you can turn on that constantly moves the image ever so slightly that you can't see it unless you're right in front of the tv and are looking for it!

I think you'll LOVE this tv!!!

The Don · 08-31-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

Simply put, both your brother and the Best Buy idiot have no idea what they are talking about. Today's plasmas consume essentially no more electricity than comparably sized LCDs. You certainly do not ned any special voltage stabilizer to run one (though a good surge protector/power conditioner is recommended for ALL HT equipment), and they do not buzz. Repair rates are no more/less than equal quality LCDs (Pany/Sammy/Sony are all at ~2-3% failure rates, and the vast majority of those problems happen within the manufacturer's warranty). Burn-in is non-existent in today's plasmas unless you set-out to cause it (leave a static image on the screen for weeks at a time).

A plasma will give you a more accurate picture, 1080 lines of motion resolution, blacker blacks and a higher ANSI contrast versus LCD. They also have an order of magnitude faster response time, which is second only to CRT for gaming. Unless you plan on putting this in a room with lots of windows where you have direct sunlight on the screen all of the time, I'd recommend a plasma.

I agree with most of what you said as I bought a Panny G10 a little while ago, but I disagree with a few points..

1. burn-in being a non-issue, I see burn-in a lot on my TV but it's not a big deal as it has had no effect on my picture - whatever is on the screen after that image seems to wipe it away so-to-speak..

2. a lot of the problems that happen during the manufacturer's warranty are not exactly covered, but they'll diagnose the problem for free as they'll likely charge you something for a part depending on what it is...

but all-in-all, I think that if you have a TV last 7 years in this generation of TV's before needing repair/replacement then you got a good deal and this goes for all TV's...

they say Plasma might last 10-12 years and LCD would last around 15-20 which is a load of crap because TV's are made much cheaper nowadays and we're not talking about CRT's from the early 2000's and prior...

johng · 08-31-2010, 04:50 PM

OK, as others have stated the opinions you have gotten aren't necessarily accurate. There are certain model plasmas which have had reports of buzzing - but it doesn't occur on everyone who has the model. Now, I've had 2 panasonic plasmas - a 50" and this year I upgraded to a 65V10 - both in my living room. I have curtained windows opposite where the TV is. When I used the 50" glare wasn't a problem - but it sure was with the 65. I had to go buy room darkening shades for the windows. Part of it is the angle of the set but it's also a larger surface area. Now - there are two different aspects that are getting confused - image retention vs. burn in. Burn in is pretty permanent. Image retention is temporary - the ghost of the image remains until a new image is displayed. So there's no real harm to it.

Now as to LCD vs. Plasma. As has been suggested, LCD has more POP, but plasma has more color depth and deeper blacks. It's also got a naturally faster refresh rate so to me it looks better watching sports on a plasma - on LCDs it looks a little jumpier when there's a fast pan (like following a football pass down field). Now, many of the newer LCDs have modes to simulate a faster refresh rate and I've seen conflicting accounts for how well those modes work. Also a plasma looks good from any angle - LCD image quality isn't as good from off angles (although better than it used to be). Without doubt glare is the single biggest reason why I would choose led/lcd over plasma. It was easy to put new shades on my two windows. In my ex-girlfriend's house when we were upgrading her set she had way too many windows to replace the shades on - no way I'd put a 58" plasma in her living room.

Dirk504 · 08-31-2010, 05:01 PM

Plasma... I own 2 and I'm happy with both of them.

Al Bundy · 08-31-2010, 05:23 PM

I love plasmas. For me only way to go.

My_Two_Cents · 08-31-2010, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acritzer

I would even say that rooms with lots of windows aren't always a deal killer either. I was initially concerned with this, since we have a lot of windows and a big one right behind the couch (see gallery)...but glare isn't an issue unless the light directly hits the screen, which is only at specific times of day with specific weather conditions.

Windows aren't a deal-killer, but direct sunlight is. I've been a plasma fan ever since I got my first one back in 2003. As my main HT set in our basement family room, there's nothing better (nor in the bedroom), but if I had to do it over again, I'd probably consider an LCD for our living room that has a lot of windows (the kind you can't add drapes to). At certain times of the day, the sun shines directly in and right on my TV. Fortunately, we don't use it much during the day, so it's only a big deal if I'm playing PS3 on the weekends.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Don

1. burn-in being a non-issue, I see burn-in a lot on my TV but it's not a big deal as it has had no effect on my picture - whatever is on the screen after that image seems to wipe it away so-to-speak..

That's image retention, which is only temporary, not burn-in. You'll see this to varying degrees with plasma technology, but it's really not a big deal IMO. As soon as fresh content hits the area of IR, it's gone. That's been my experience with it, and I (and the kids) game A LOT on our plasmas. There's never been a hint of any IR that didn't go away very quickly.

acritzer · 08-31-2010, 06:20 PM

Yeah, you're probably right. If you end up with direct sunlight on the set, it's bad. I just wanted to point out that even if you have a lot of windows, it doesn't always mean that the light will hit in the exact spot where the TV sits.

blacknumber1 · 08-31-2010, 07:21 PM

The defect rate of televisions has come down a lot (both in LCD`s and plasmas). This is mostly due to the fact that TV`s consume less energy than they used to. The problems with TV`s are usually firmware related. You could say that the less a TV consumes energy, the less likely it is to generate a fault.

As said, burn it is not a problem with modern plasmas. You can see image retention to a certain extent but it is not a problem IMHO.

As to the buzzing. My plasma makes a very quiet buzzing noise. It is not noticeable during normal viewing, but if you watch TV at night at extremely low volumes, you can hear a slight buzzing noise during bright scenes. I work at a electronics store and we have had some plasmas returned due to the "noise" they make. BUT as said, you can hear the buzzing only at very low volumes. The sound is more noticeable on some brands than others.

I`ve had two LCD sets and now own a plasma. I would not go back to LCD...

Suntory_Times · 09-01-2010, 06:12 AM

The answer is niether, go for front projection.

Peakr · 09-01-2010, 06:19 AM

Plasma, and don't shop at Best Buy for TV's.

Gempulse · 09-01-2010, 07:27 AM

I went with the plasma, and I couldn't be happier... it looks so much better than LCD

My_Two_Cents · 09-01-2010, 12:06 PM

You have chosen wisely.

08-31-2010, 05:21 AM	#1
Gempulse Expert Member Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Blu-ray reviews:1	Plasma or LCD? 1 Last edited by Gempulse; 09-22-2024 at 06:08 AM.

08-31-2010, 07:42 AM	#2
theuserjohnny Active Member Member since:Jul 2010 Home Theater Gallery:13 Blu-ray collection:70 Blu-ray reviews:14	Plasma, they create deeper blacks than LCDs and have better color tones (of course you have to calibrate it). I have an LCD and had I known more about TVs (like I do now) I would travel back to roughly a year ago and tell myself to buy a plasma. I also am confused as to what "defect" rate that your brother/BestBuy are telling you about. If they're talking about the whole "burn-in" effect than you really don't have to worry about that. It is very rare that it happens to today's plasmas, as long as your not watching say ESPN straight for the next year you'll be fine. Also the whole "buzzing noise" business is something I've never heard of.

08-31-2010, 11:21 AM	#3
acritzer Expert Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Cincinnati, OH Home Theater Gallery:15 Blu-ray collection:32 Trading Score:1	I have both, 50'' plasma and a 32'' LCD...both Panasonic. I have no idea what kind of buzzing your brother's talking about, I've never heard anything like that. I also play some xbox 360 on mine and as long as you have the settings turned off of the bright, bright, vivid, torch modes, IR likely won't be a problem at all. Every once in a while it's possible that a shape might be visible after switching off the set, but if you flip back to normal TV it won't be seen and will quickly disappear. Out of the two, I MUCH prefer the plasma and not for the size. The picture is much more natural, better color, better blacks. And, with plasma, you can get a much bigger TV for a cheaper price.

08-31-2010, 12:04 PM	#4
DavePS3 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Toronto Home Theater Gallery:56 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	Some plasma panels... certain models will buzz a bit. You'll hear it more during the first few weeks in a silent room and it usually depends on how bright you're running the panel. That said, it's only a few models in particular and it doesn't last very long. Sometimes you can hear it if you put your ear up to certain spots on the upper third of the screen but you really have to listen for it. Over all, Plasmas have better color balance. Many LCD and LED's have too much blue in the whites and blacks, making everything look like it was lit with flourescent lighting as opposed to natural light on a plasma. In cheaper models, the black is so bluish that a black and white film gives you shades of bluish grays instead of black grays and browns on a plasma. A plasma can be seen equally well from any angle like a CRT. Gamers like LED for the higher contrast that is usually attributed to the added blues which make the picture appear crisper... but not realistic. Most plasmas now, would take a minimum of 72 hours straight to get any image retention but if you do get any, run a full 1.78:1 picture for 4 to 6 hours and it usually goes away. Movie buffs will take plasma over LCD or LED because the color balance is more natural and in many cases, fine detail can be seen better.

08-31-2010, 12:49 PM	#5
My_Two_Cents Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Wherever I may roam.... Home Theater Gallery:40 4K collection:35 Blu-ray collection:507 DVD collection:19 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:4	Simply put, both your brother and the Best Buy idiot have no idea what they are talking about. Today's plasmas consume essentially no more electricity than comparably sized LCDs. You certainly do not ned any special voltage stabilizer to run one (though a good surge protector/power conditioner is recommended for ALL HT equipment), and they do not buzz. Repair rates are no more/less than equal quality LCDs (Pany/Sammy/Sony are all at ~2-3% failure rates, and the vast majority of those problems happen within the manufacturer's warranty). Burn-in is non-existent in today's plasmas unless you set-out to cause it (leave a static image on the screen for weeks at a time). A plasma will give you a more accurate picture, 1080 lines of motion resolution, blacker blacks and a higher ANSI contrast versus LCD. They also have an order of magnitude faster response time, which is second only to CRT for gaming. Unless you plan on putting this in a room with lots of windows where you have direct sunlight on the screen all of the time, I'd recommend a plasma.

08-31-2010, 03:19 PM	#7
secondhand1 Active Member Member since:Jan 2010 4K collection:46 Blu-ray collection:347	It really all depends. Some love the pop that an LCD can offer, while others prefer the more movie-like atmosphere that a plasma can provide. You have matte vs. glossy screens, size/price availability, options available to you as a user, etc. You also must consider your room conditions. I was on the fence for a long time and finally settled on the LG 55LH90, which is a fully back lit LED LCD that offers local dimming. The colors and black levels are real good. I've tweaked the hell out of it, and I continue to do so. It can always be better I chose this set due to my room being wide open and having a lot of light, so the matte screen was a plus. It wasn't going to be a dedicated film machine, so I needed something that would split the difference nicely between a daytime, kid-friendly viewing experience and a solid movie/gaming display. The LG met those needs and, most importantly, fit my budget. I think had I been building a dedicated theater room, I'd have gone plasma, but I don't regret my decision at all. The LG is absolutely gorgeous. Good luck, TC.

08-31-2010, 03:41 PM	#8
kurtis21 Power Member Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Southern NJ Home Theater Gallery:44 4K collection:197 Blu-ray collection:785 iTunes collection:1	I have that same exact tv in my family room!! It's an awesome tv...but i don't have any "Voltage"stabilizers and i DON'T have any buzzing sounds!!! In my opinion...i love the picture of a plasma compared to an LCD! Also...you don't have to worry about burn-in...this tv has a "Burn-in protection" option that you can turn on that constantly moves the image ever so slightly that you can't see it unless you're right in front of the tv and are looking for it! I think you'll LOVE this tv!!!

08-31-2010, 04:50 PM	#10
johng Member Member since:Aug 2010	OK, as others have stated the opinions you have gotten aren't necessarily accurate. There are certain model plasmas which have had reports of buzzing - but it doesn't occur on everyone who has the model. Now, I've had 2 panasonic plasmas - a 50" and this year I upgraded to a 65V10 - both in my living room. I have curtained windows opposite where the TV is. When I used the 50" glare wasn't a problem - but it sure was with the 65. I had to go buy room darkening shades for the windows. Part of it is the angle of the set but it's also a larger surface area. Now - there are two different aspects that are getting confused - image retention vs. burn in. Burn in is pretty permanent. Image retention is temporary - the ghost of the image remains until a new image is displayed. So there's no real harm to it. Now as to LCD vs. Plasma. As has been suggested, LCD has more POP, but plasma has more color depth and deeper blacks. It's also got a naturally faster refresh rate so to me it looks better watching sports on a plasma - on LCDs it looks a little jumpier when there's a fast pan (like following a football pass down field). Now, many of the newer LCDs have modes to simulate a faster refresh rate and I've seen conflicting accounts for how well those modes work. Also a plasma looks good from any angle - LCD image quality isn't as good from off angles (although better than it used to be). Without doubt glare is the single biggest reason why I would choose led/lcd over plasma. It was easy to put new shades on my two windows. In my ex-girlfriend's house when we were upgrading her set she had way too many windows to replace the shades on - no way I'd put a 58" plasma in her living room.

08-31-2010, 05:01 PM	#11
Dirk504 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2008 Home Theater Gallery:25 4K collection:152 Blu-ray collection:367 Blu-ray reviews:4	Plasma... I own 2 and I'm happy with both of them.

08-31-2010, 05:23 PM	#12
Al Bundy Senior Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Chicago IL Home Theater Gallery:7 Blu-ray collection:113	I love plasmas. For me only way to go.

08-31-2010, 06:20 PM	#14
acritzer Expert Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Cincinnati, OH Home Theater Gallery:15 Blu-ray collection:32 Trading Score:1	Yeah, you're probably right. If you end up with direct sunlight on the set, it's bad. I just wanted to point out that even if you have a lot of windows, it doesn't always mean that the light will hit in the exact spot where the TV sits.

08-31-2010, 07:21 PM	#15
blacknumber1 Active Member Top contributor Member since:Sep 2009 Location:People's Technocratic Republic of Vinnland Home Theater Gallery:12 Blu-ray collection:210	The defect rate of televisions has come down a lot (both in LCD`s and plasmas). This is mostly due to the fact that TV`s consume less energy than they used to. The problems with TV`s are usually firmware related. You could say that the less a TV consumes energy, the less likely it is to generate a fault. As said, burn it is not a problem with modern plasmas. You can see image retention to a certain extent but it is not a problem IMHO. As to the buzzing. My plasma makes a very quiet buzzing noise. It is not noticeable during normal viewing, but if you watch TV at night at extremely low volumes, you can hear a slight buzzing noise during bright scenes. I work at a electronics store and we have had some plasmas returned due to the "noise" they make. BUT as said, you can hear the buzzing only at very low volumes. The sound is more noticeable on some brands than others. I`ve had two LCD sets and now own a plasma. I would not go back to LCD...

09-01-2010, 06:12 AM	#16
Suntory_Times Blu-ray Champion Member since:Mar 2008 Location:The Grid Blu-ray reviews:16 Trading Score:23	The answer is niether, go for front projection.

09-01-2010, 06:19 AM	#17
Peakr Member Member since:Jun 2009	Plasma, and don't shop at Best Buy for TV's.

09-01-2010, 07:27 AM	#18
Gempulse Expert Member Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Blu-ray reviews:1	I went with the plasma, and I couldn't be happier... it looks so much better than LCD

09-01-2010, 12:06 PM	#19
My_Two_Cents Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Wherever I may roam.... Home Theater Gallery:40 4K collection:35 Blu-ray collection:507 DVD collection:19 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:4	You have chosen wisely.

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