LCD or Plasma for video-gaming?

[timh_009]

Hi, I've been reading a few threads on these forums and they have answered a bunch of my questions relating to buying my first HDTV, however one question is still bugging me.

Which format is better for gaming, LCD or Plasma?

I have decided that I want 42" and I am going with 1080p but I still can't decide what format to get. I do love to watch blurays on my ps3 but I also like to game, I would prolly spend a few hours each day gaming and watch a movie most nights of the week. At the moment I am doing this through a 19" ASUS PC monitor that is capable of 720p but the darn thing is soooo tiny.

I would go with a Sony LCD or a Panasonic Plasma, depending which is better. By the way I usually play games during the day when it is very light and I watch movies in the dark if that helps. Which format gives the best PQ for gaming in a light environment and would that be good for blus aswell?

Thanks for any help!

[iNCREDiPiNOY]

Lcd Ftw!!!

[saprano]

There both good tv's but........

you said your going to play games on your tv so i would go with LCD, why? well plasmas are subject to burn in if you leave any still image on the screen for a long time.but the tech has improved so i dont know how bad it is now.another reason to get LCD is you said your going to be playing in a bright room. lcd's are brighter than plasmas and are pefect for that.

Now which is best for PQ for blu-ray's? there both good tv's but.......

Plasmas have excellent black's and accurate colors( like the pioneer kuro),and they do well with fast moving content, like football for example.LCD's are good for movies to,they look great also,im just giving you the advatages of plasmas. you said your going to to watch movies in the dark and thats where you'll see lcd's weaker black's come in.they turn out looking grayish on some sets,but the tech has improved so some lcd's might have better black's now....but still not as good as plasmas.

bottom line.....you cant go wrong with ether choice,there both good tv's, its up to you if the differences i pointed out actually matter to you, good luck and god speed.

[saprano]

here,this is from the lcd and plasmas thread

Plasma TVs-
Pros: Virtually unlimited viewing angle. Deeper Blacks and better contrast then on LCDs. No motion blur. More screen for the money. Slim.
Cons: Shiny Screens show reflections in bright rooms. Images may leave a temporary or permanent impression. Use more power. Fewer 1080p plasma sets then 1080p LCDs.

LCD TVs-
Pros: wider range of sizes and greater choice of 1080p sets then plasmas. Lighter weight. Brighter images. Most have no reflections from screen. No risk of burn-in. Use less power. Slim.
Cons: Most have limited viewing angle. Don't match plasmas for deepest blacks and smooth motion.

[Konman72]

I am in exactly the same situation as you (love games and movies) and I got the Samsung LN40A650 and LOVE it. The movies look amazing and the games are fantastic. Plasma, from what I hear, would create a more natural looking image for movies, but to me I don't want natural, I want it to look good and something about the A650 really slapped me in the face. It has a motion enhancer too so you won't get motion issues with your games, and the black levels are astounding for an LCD.

Plus, it has 4 HDMI ports so I can hook up my PC, PS3, 360 and Cable box all at once.

[jabolino]

Originally Posted by Konman72

I am in exactly the same situation as you (love games and movies) and I got the Samsung LN40A650 and LOVE it. The movies look amazing and the games are fantastic. Plasma, from what I hear, would create a more natural looking image for movies, but to me I don't want natural, I want it to look good and something about the A650 really slapped me in the face. It has a motion enhancer too so you won't get motion issues with your games, and the black levels are astounding for an LCD.

Plus, it has 4 HDMI ports so I can hook up my PC, PS3, 360 and Cable box all at once.

Natural looking image simply means that the picture quality is better on Plasmas. Also motion is perfect on plasmas, you don't need an enhancer. And you can't beat plasma black levels.

But hey, as long as you're happy with it.

[arush5268d]

Your best bet, for heavy gaming, would be a LCD. As much as I love plasmas - they don't mix well with a lot of gaming.

[Jackeroo75]

LCd is the way too go. Plasma sales have took a huge dip in sales now while LCD is having its biggest increase in sales in 2008. Also, plasma can get very hot and generate enormous amount of heat. Some plasma models are HOT to the touch!! Also, Plasma will raise your ELECTRICITY BILL!!!!


LCD Forever!

[fatediesel]

Me and my roommate use my plasma to play NCAA Football for a couple hours a day and haven't had any sort of image retention, even temporarily. I'd just pick what looks best, and if it's a plasma, do the proper 100 hour or so break in.

[intimidator32]

hey dont believe that bs about plasmas using more electricity were talking about a few bucks a month. if you dont have a window behind your viewing postion i say go with plasma

[ifuwereahotdog]

Originally Posted by Jackeroo75

LCd is the way too go. Plasma sales have took a huge dip in sales now while LCD is having its biggest increase in sales in 2008. Also, plasma can get very hot and generate enormous amount of heat. Some plasma models are HOT to the touch!! Also, Plasma will raise your ELECTRICITY BILL!!!!


LCD Forever!

I'm guessing the reason for the huge sales increase for LCD is that there are 3 times as many on the market. Plasma does get hot, but LCD aint so cold itself. And plasma may raise your electricity bill by a mere $20/year...but I will pay that for a better picture any year.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Jackeroo75

LCd is the way too go. Plasma sales have took a huge dip in sales now while LCD is having its biggest increase in sales in 2008. Also, plasma can get very hot and generate enormous amount of heat. Some plasma models are HOT to the touch!! Also, Plasma will raise your ELECTRICITY BILL!!!!


LCD Forever!

Plasma raising your energy bill used to be true, but now you need to check. Some of the newer Panasonic's are energy star certified. Cheaper tvs in particular, like Vizios, often cost much more to operate than larger plasmas. Even if the plasmas do raise your energy bills, it's not going to be noticable. According to Cnet, a Panasonic 50pz800u costs about $60/year, while a Samsung 46A550 costs about $43, and a Samsung LN52A650 costs about $63/year. I personally don't have a preference, own 2 LCDs and 1 Plasma, but I'm growing tired of everyone saying Plasmas use so much power.

[PanasonicPlasmaMan]

I love plasmas,with that being said for gaming i would go with an LCD.

[hardcorefrokid]

I use a plasma but I recommend an LCD screen. All games have a HUD, now if you're in gaming mood and play for more than eight hours, burn-in.

[hardcorefrokid]

Originally Posted by ifuwereahotdog

Wow, I must be dumb then. And btw, I can watch my plasma in the light of day. Do you even have a plasma? Where are you getting this stupid info that you can't watch it in the light? Dude, your'e obviously an LCD fanboy.

If you have shiny screen plasma and the lights hitting it, there will be a big glare.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by Jackeroo75

Plasma sales have took a huge dip in sales

Flat out lies.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/content/view/2705/206/

Q2 2008 vs. Q2 2007 plasma sales

for 1080p (Full HD) models...a very impress(ive) 54% increase when compared to the number of units sold in the second quarter of 2007

Display Search said global 1080p panel shipments saw a significant increase thanks to new 46” models and 1080p share gains in 42” and 50” size categories, leading to a an overall increase in 1080p volume of 89% in the quarter and 333% from a year earlier. Plasma 1080p panels now account for one in five (21%) PDP panels sold.

Year over year totals
Panasonic - 23% year over year growth
Samsung - 49% year over year growth
LG - 38% year over year growth

http://www.electronichouse.com/artic..._plasma_sales/
Smaller Sizes Helping Boost Plasma Sales

The plasma display panel (PDP) category bounced back with a 30 percent increase in unit sales in Q2 2008, with 32- and 42-inch models leading the way.

The new 32-inch PDP entry took advantage of tight LCDTV supply at that screen size and hit a home run in its first quarter out, accounting for 18 percent of the total market in units.”

[Clark Kent]

For the absolute best picture quality get a plasma, preferably a Panasonic or a Pioneer. But for a display primarily intended for video gaming I would choose a LCD. You can play video games on a plasma but I've seen heavy game playing have a deleterious effect on plasma screens.

[timh_009]

Thanks for the help guys, I'm still not sure which one I'll choose but I've got some great info now. I guess I'll go have a look at a few in the stores to see which ones I like best. Thanks.

[Konman72]

Originally Posted by jabolino

Natural looking image simply means that the picture quality is better on Plasmas. Also motion is perfect on plasmas, you don't need an enhancer. And you can't beat plasma black levels.

But hey, as long as you're happy with it.

You, seriously, just missed the entire point of what I said. People claim that the picture is more natural which makes it better, like you have just done. I, and many like me, do not want it to look "natural", we want it to look "good". I cannot describe this to you as it is a completely subjective thing. To understand the difference look at Speed Racer, the colors, contrast and picture do not look natural at all so by your definition of what is good picture quality it would be terrible, to me it is the best looking Blu-ray I own. Let's just say that you want your picture to look one way and I want it to look another. Neither of us is right or wrong.

And as I said, the A650 has a motion enhancer that makes it super smooth, I am not experiencing any major motion issues.

[dobyblue]

I think what was meant by natural is that the Panasonic and Pioneer plasma's have the potential to most closely represent the original look of the film, whether it's animation, live action, CGI, etc., etc.

There are no other sets on the market that test at 900/1080 or higher for motion resolution like the Pioneer and Panasonic's do.

Most LCD's, even the 120Hz ones, test at 600/1080 for motion resolution. Whether you actually spot it or not is a different story, but once you do spot it it's practically impossible to ignore it.

At 900/1080 that means with motion on a 768-line KURO you're seeing the same if not more detail as motion on a 1080p LCD. (900/1080*768 = 640)

This is FPD Benchmark Software so it's not subjective.