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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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