Best Screen (LCD vs Plasma)

[vana8]

Hello everyone!

Maybe this topic was already discussed, and if so I am sorry to have started a new thread.

I am not too technically informed, but have been looking forward to the Blu-Ray coming out for about a year now. I just got my Samsung player, and I am really enjoying it.

Quick question; Which is considered to be the superior hardware to play blu-ray (or any other format for that matter), LCD or Plasma screens? I have heard a lot of talk from friends that support one or the other. But I would love to get comments from you experts.

Thanks in advance!

[vick vega]

for the money, screen size, and picture quality not to mention the fact you can replace the bulb I like lcd or dlp

[AV_Integrated]

Originally Posted by vick vega

for the money, screen size, and picture quality not to mention the fact you can replace the bulb I like lcd or dlp

Don't confuse LCD flat panels with LCD rear projection - I'm pretty sure he is asking specifically about flat panel displays.

Of the two, plasma is almost always named as the one with a superior image, but it is not THAT much of a superior image with flat panel displays. Plasma is simply a bit better with motion than LCD is and it is better off axis so you get to view from more locations in the room with solid image quality. The downside is clearly that the plasma MAY suffer from burn-in if you use it extensively for video games or for a channel with a stagnent image up all the time.

So, which to buy? Well, for flat panels, it really is a toss up anymore. LCDs have come way down in price and the 40" Westinghouse LCD is a real deal. But, if you aren't playing games/etc. and burn-in is not an issue I would go with plasma over LCD.

As to the comment on rear projection with the lamps, it simply is not necessarily the case that they represent a better value. Current plasmas and LCD flat panels will run 12-15 years minimum without any issues at all. In that time you may replace 5-10 lamps on a rear projection television. That represents about a minimum of $1,500 in replacement lamps over the time, plus the cost of the rear projection TV. Not necessarily a 'deal'. As well, rear projection tends to not be as bright as LCD/plasma and it doesn't perform as well off-axis so there may be rooms that simply don't work well with rear projection. Yet, a nice rear projection setup, at say 60" or so, is far less expensive than the plasma/lcd flat panel counterpart.

[JTK]

Depends on how much you're willing to spend.

For around $1800-$2000, there's a couple of mid 40 inch HP plasmas that ownown ANY LCD anywhere near that price range.


And I'm not a big fan of plasma saying all of this.


I don't like LCD for larger screens. I just don't. Plasma has the better PQ 9/10 times and many of the early shortcomings, like the burn-in, are almost eliminated.

You just have to use common sense and know what you're doing if you buy plasma.

LCD, imo, suffers once it gets out of the 30's in terms of inches. That screen door effect and the limited viewing angles, motion blur, and the washed down colors and less than black blacks drive me nuts.

To give credit where it's due, LCD is getting better, but it just is too damned expensive for what it offers, especially if you start going into 40 inches or more. (All the new displays techs are getting better.)


If you don't want to do plasma, I much prefer either DLP or LCOS/SXRD/DILA. Better PQ all the way around more often than not.

[no_wei]

here's a sort of on topic question regarding plasma screens.

i've heard something about plasma screens utilizing compressed gases, and how the differing atmospheric pressure at different elevations can ultimately affect picture quality. that's about all i've heard, so... what's the deal with that?

thanks

/no

[theknub]

Originally Posted by no_wei

here's a sort of on topic question regarding plasma screens.

i've heard something about plasma screens utilizing compressed gases, and how the differing atmospheric pressure at different elevations can ultimately affect picture quality. that's about all i've heard, so... what's the deal with that?

thanks

/no

while i don't know the exact composition of plasma displays, essentially there are inert gases (like in a flourescent bulb) in the layers of the screen. using some of the gas laws, as you increase in altitude, the gases expand. when the gases expand (at altitude), they change the predictability and performance of the display. this is why there are altitude rated displays.

btw, just to give you a quick chem breakdown. there is so much pressure at sea level in which gases behave predictably. this changes with increases and decreases in pressure. this goes for scuba divers and their O2 tanks a hundred feet underwater (in which gas will contract due to the increased pressure) and expand at altitude (due to decreased pressure). ever notice your ears needing to pop when flying? this is the same principle. you have air trapped in your ear canal and it needs to be equalized to the pressure around you.

[vana8]

Thanks everyone for your comments! From your comments above, I gather that there isn't a clear favorite between plasma and lcd.

[Innerloop]

Definitely Plasma. No contest. Unless you want something really small.

[AV_Integrated]

Originally Posted by vana8

Thanks everyone for your comments! From your comments above, I gather that there isn't a clear favorite between plasma and lcd.

There are clear differences. If image quality is king, plasma wins. If you need more brightness - lcd is king. If you want better motion for football, etc. then plasma wins out. If you play a lot of video games, lcd may work better. But, in every shootout I've seen, and in all my viewings, plasma has always looked a bit better than LCD for image quality.

But, this gets closer and closer everytime a new product comes along.

In the sub 37" size - you only have LCD.

In the greater than 42" size you have almost NO LCD choices.

So - it is only from 37"->42" that you really need to worry about LCD vs. plasma.

[Psiweaver]

Plasma all the way for larger sizes. I'd check out the PRO-FD1 the new 1080p pioneer elite 50" plasma.

[vick vega]

Sony has a new line of lcd tvs coming out that have 1080p quality and you can get like 70'' screen sizefor the same money, with the money you save you can get the bose acoustimass 10 series 3 speakers. If you have the room go with a big lcd or dlp I'd go w/ that. a bulb is always cheaper to replace on a tv that big, rather than going out and have to spend a shit load for a new plasma. If you are going to spend that much money get this SXRD™ 1080p Home Theater Front ProjectorVPL-VW100 The qualia projector is awesome, but this is in the same price range.

[Psiweaver]

well you can't replace the bulbs on the sony flat panels. If your talking about rear projection thats a whole different beast and your not gonna be getting as good color as you would with a plasma. The blacks won't be as inky and the colors in particular on the sony tend to look artificial as opposed to being realistic and not over the top blown out of proportion for the shock and awe feature.

I wouldn't be going with bose if I had a choice about it either as you can find other products that perform much better and at a lower price than what bose offers their systems for.

Also plasmas and LCDs are going to last for 10-15 years in which case your going to replace 5-7 bulbs mininium and at 300 per bulb that adds up.

[vick vega]

not if you want to have tiny cube speakers that you can almost hide. I don't want a gaudy monster speaker in the middle of my room. Who has better cube/tiny speakers than Bose?

[theknub]

Originally Posted by vick vega

not if you want to have tiny cube speakers that you can almost hide. I don't want a gaudy monster speaker in the middle of my room. Who has better cube/tiny speakers than Bose?

i know we're going off topic. however, why spend 10k on a TV if you are only going to spend 500 - 1k on sound? personally, it is ridiculous. while picture may be awesome, sound immerses you in the experience. granted, this is my personal opinion, but i think it has a legit leg to stand on.

if you're looking to hide speakers, there is always the inwall option. a bit of a pain, but you can produce much better sound out of those than those cubes. also, there are some great bookshelf sized speakers out there. they aren't monsters, but produce a sound that will sink bose' ship.

[vick vega]

I'm preety happy w/ my sound set up I would just like to up grade my onkyo reciever when hdmi 1.3 rolls out for recievers and the bose was 999 and reciever was 599 or 699 i think this was like 2yr ago

[BTBuck1]

I'm excessively happy with my two 42" 3LCD rear projection HD sets from sony.

One is the KDFE42A10


the other is KDF42WE655


Sony has gotten better with black levels over generations with these TV's and the newer models: kdf 46",50",55" e2000 now include 2 HDMI ports.
I highly reccomend these sets over DLP as i've seen that the bulb life in the Sony sets far outlasts that of the DLP's i've seen from all manufacturers (especially samsung). We have replaced the bulbs on samsung models, 2 & 3 times due to either them going out completely or severly dimming picture over a few months of 12hr days. The sony's 8 & even 10 months later are still bright as day one in comparison to new out of the box sitting right next to it. And with no rainbow effect!

[vick vega]

yeah I was pissed, when I bought my Sony lcd tv I didn't know about blu-ray so I didn't even think why someone would need 2 hdmi jacks now I have to buy a switcher..... the one from monoprice.com to use it for blu-ray and high def cable. My brother has a jvc dlp hdila 1080p w/ 2 hdmi, but what I like the most now that I see it is that his doesn't have the tv speakers on the side like sony, so it makes the tv screen look bigger. I have sound coming through my bose system anyway so it's not as if the bigger speakers are helping. Look at the link to the projector in gen. diss the sony qualia projector. now that would be sweet. under anyone seen this in person

[AV_Integrated]

Originally Posted by vick vega

not if you want to have tiny cube speakers that you can almost hide. I don't want a gaudy monster speaker in the middle of my room. Who has better cube/tiny speakers than Bose?

Ha, ha, ha, ha... Better than Bose... .... heh.... errmmmm

Tiny speakers are tiny speakers. There is a long list of companies who make small tinny, tiny speakers - and they all sound similar to Bose. The difference being that they cost 1/10th to 1/100th as much. If Bose speakers cost $50 or $100 then they would be fine, but at $1K plus in money, you are getting hosed.

If you want good sound and don't want a speaker intruding into your space, then consider spending $1K on something like the Sonance Vituoso 3-way in-wall speakers. 8" woofer, 4" midrange, and a 3/4" tweeter. Combine it with a nice A/V receiver that is traditional and actually has some traditional expandability and compatibility and you are really good to go.

The reason you go with big gaudy speakers is that they sound 10x as nice as anything else. While that may not work in a family room, in a theater or media room, this is the only way to go. Now, if you haven't experienced it personally, then most won't understand the impact that $5,000+ of speakers can have on the movie experience. Especially when combined with HDTV, front projection, and a 10 foot screen.

Generally speaking, it puts most movie theaters to shame.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by JTK

I much prefer either DLP or LCOS/SXRD/DILA. Better PQ all the way around more often than not.

Agreed.

[JTK]

I will say that those 3LCD sets are pretty darned respectable, though...