Plasma,LCD or DLP ???

[RonZ]

I am looking to buy a 42" HDTV. Help Me!!!!

Which is the better technology?

Looks like Plasma and DLP have faster response times.

1080 is the highest definition but at 42" it doesnt look like it matters.

I am getting even more dizzy then I already am looking up info on these technologies.

Football/Hockey season is coming fast!!

[LMITOUT]

I have a DLP because depth wasn't an issue for me and the picture is great. The downside to DLP is that there is a lightbulb that eventually has to be replaced and can cost a hundred dollars or more depending on model and source of purchase.

Plasma has the potential for screen burn-in and since you're going for a screen that isn't overly large, you can look at an affordable LCD which also can have a great picture. LCD's can suffer from lost pixels too, but I don't know how common that is and haven't heard a lot about that problem.

I think the first thing you need to decide is what you want to spend and then if size is an issue. Are you going to hang it on the wall or just put it on a stand? There are also projection LCD's that use a bulb that must be replaced and are roughly as deep as a regular DLP.

There are some DLP's in that 40" area that are pretty affordable these days and the flat-screen LCD's are coming down in price too. If I were looking at that size I'd consider a LCD or DLP. Plasmas IMO are on their way out as LCD's are becoming larger and larger, but it's taking a while for that technology to catch up with the larger plasmas that are here today.

If you're not going bigger than 40", then I'd say look at a quality LCD or DLP.

[wishing for walleyes]

I have a 42 inch plasma and love it.I have it mounted on a piviting wall mount.The plasma has a thin glass screen and they can get cracked just by laying the tv on its side.Thats why mine is mounted up out of kids reach.I have dish network with the high definition package.I used to charter cable but they do not have high definition down in my area.My daughter has a 52 inch sony wega lcd and that has a great picture as well.She has charter cable that is only digital cable.I personaly am hooked on plasma and will never buy anything but that.When the dish network guy was installing my satalite he said....You are going to catch yourself watching some of the stupidest programs because of the awesome picture.Well the first night i found myself watching cliff diving.It made you feel like you were there on the cliff the picture was so amazing.Plasma tv`s have gases in them.It is not known just how long of a life they will have.If you buy a plasma get the extended warranty.This is my second plasma tv because my first one went bad after only six monthes.I bought my tv from best buy with a tree year extended warranty.The extended warranty was $300.The tv was still on the manufactures 1 year warranty.The manufacure wanted me to ship them the tv to fix or replace it for me.Well the shipping alone is $300.Best buy was outstanding and let me bring it in and replace it at the same store i bought it at.It may have taken them a couple weeks to do that but they did.They sent it back to the manufacture as a lemon.Funny...my daughter just stopped by and told me she is going to get a plasma for her basement.I have an upconverting dvd player hooked up to my plasma.It upconverts my digital recorded dvd`s up to 1920x1080 resolution.The plasma tv has to have HDCP (high defination copy protocol).Something you might want to ask the sales person if the tv you are going to purchase has.I think most of them have that now,but worth asking.High defination vikings football is awesome.There is no going back for me.Try to buy a tv that has multiple HDMI inputs.Mine only has one and i had to buy a switch that allowed me to hook several HDMI devices up to my tv.Your HDMI hookup is the best way to hook stuff up to your tv.The HDMI is kinda like a usb cable on your computer.

[Bigeye30"]

Well I will say that I am not the most advanced in this area but I did purchase a 42'' samsung and love it, personally I didnt like the looks of the the LCD, seemed like everything was a little fake, the plasma is great for movies and if your running high def cable, sometimes you get a little distortion, but I will add that Im very happy with my purchase and could not go back to any other style of tv, just my 2cents

[DTro]

I was an early adopter of the "micro" projection TV. I purchased my 52" LCD a 3-4 years ago. I don't even want to say how much it cost at that time

I was told by many that I would need to replace the bulb at a significant cost. I purchased an extra at $250. I'm happy to say that I haven't blew one yet, and I have it on A LOT.

The good thing with a projection LCD or DLP is that if bulb goes, you replace it and have a like new picture. I see it as a pro. Others don't.

A true LCD (not projection) is probably the best, but the most $ as well.

Also make sure if you go DLP, to watch quite few different programs on it before you buy. Some people are prone so seeing "rainbows" on DLP. The picture of a DLP is created by millions of tiny spinning mirrors, and some people are affected by this. Speaking of that, another con I see of DLP, is moving parts that could fail.

Another thing I've recommended before is that I wouldn't pay any extra for a TV that is 1080P vs 720P. Most broadcasters as well as the cable stations have did their upgrading which is 720p or 1080i. They won't be doing it again for a long time, and 1080p will only be utilized by HD-DVD, BlueRay, and some gaming systems.

Good Luck, there is nothing like HD

[polarsusd81]

I will have to chime in here as well. It is not because I own one, but the roommate does own an HD. He has a Sharp Aquos (sp?) 42 LCD. The things I have noticed are when you are on an HD channel, it is an amazing picture, but if you have it on regular def broadcast, you won't be that impressed. Regular deffinition on an HD LCD looks really grainy, to the point where it looks nicer on my regular def TV. So with that, be sure to get the most HD channels as possible, because it will be worth it.

If you are a fan of Discovery Channel, the shows on there in HD should be renamed. I think they should all be named "Sh** that looks really cool in HD." Be sure to check them out when you get the TV hooked up.

Tom

[LMITOUT]

Tom - It's not only the LCD HDTV's that make regular TV look grainy....they all do. Some HDTV's handle it better than others, but overall the picture quality of HDTV's is so good that they magnify the errors in a standard broadcast that much more. Not to mention the bigger the TV, the worse it magnifies it.

The first time I watched my DLP I was less than impressed when watching the SD channels. Thankfully there are more and more HD channels being made available and after a while you get accustomed to the standard channels' lack of detail. You are correct about the SD channels looking better on a "regular" TV though.

[fishyguy]

We just spent a month going back and forth with this type of question. The Plasma, LCD, etc... question was answered in many ways by many people. It really seemed to depend on who you talked to. I also think it depended on the brand also. For me it all depended on what I was watching as far as which I preferred. My wife preferred the LCD from the get go. She liked the brighter picture. They both are rated for something like 60,000 hours lifetime.

In the end we bought a 52" Sony Bravia LCD 1080 with a 7000:1 ratio yesterday and hooked it up to our digital HD cable and upconverting DVD player and are absolutely thrilled with the purchase after the first day.

[HaywardBound]

Is 42" big enough? I just got a 55" and I was worried that it would be too big for my living room, and its great (seating is 8-10 feet away). I have a friend that bought a 50" and he now wishes he got bigger (he sits 8 feet away). Depends on your set up, but something to think about.

Check Circuit City's ad this week (front page), and also online. I paid $125 for the 2 year warranty on my Hitachi 55" LCD projection.

Good luck.

Jon

[Borch]

I have a 42" Samsung Plasma HD TV in our livingroom and a 26" Westinghouse LCD HDTV in our bedroom. Both have very good picture utilizing the HD air signal with our standard Antenae. I've heard all the plusses and minus's. Your correct in the opinion will vary by person giving the feedback and the barnd of TV they have. That being said, I really like the quality of the plasma picture over the LCD screen. It's just plain sharper, brighter and more colorful. Based on what I've researched, the burn in issue is more of an issue with sets using the older plasma technology. Much less of an issue with those cuttign edge manufacturers.

You'll love the HD difference!

[Whoaru99]

There are two things often confused on plasma TVs, IR (image retention) and burn-in.

Many people get scared away from plasma because of fear of burn-in of images. Permanent burn-in is quite rare.

Yes, I'm biased to plasma because that's what I have, but I looked for a long time and concluded the plasma had a more 3d-like image - in my opinion.

As far as life goes, my Panasonic say 60,000 hours until the display is 1/2 as bright as new. They claim 100,000 hours for the most current generation. Do that math, that's a LONG time of TV watching. I'll be thinking about a new TV WAY before either of those figures are remotely close just because of technology changes.

[PierBridge]

Another positive in Plasma is they have come down in price the earlier prices compared to LCD or DLP were just too hi in my opinion.

My next TV will still be LCD though!

[RonZ]

I have it narrowed down to 2 tv's.

Toshiba "REGZA" LCD $1169.

Hitachi plasma $999.00

I decided on a 720p/1080i. Guess its hard to tell the difference unless you are sitting 4ft away from the t.v.

I can also hook up our notebook computers to these.

A little better picture in SD 720p vs 1080p

Both have the same amount of hookups.

How about viewing angles? I know I need to go and actually look but I am getting some great input here.

42" fits in our entertainment center without spreading out the 2 sides. I wish I could go bigger.

I will be replacing the downstairs 32" crt next with a bigger TV

[LMITOUT]

Plasma generally has a wider viewing angle, but some of the newer LCD sets are just as good and not an issue. Like you said, time to hit the stores and start viewing them.

Word of caution, when you go to stores to look at TVs keep in mind that all these TVs on display have different settings running on them and so you have to be careful comparing one to another. Stores like to run high contrast on the more expensive sets to make them look bright and sharper compared to the cheaper ones so you'll dish out more cash than you originally had in mind going in. When you get that bright TV unpacked and hooked up in your home you'll realize that the settings need to be toned down for your particular room and now it doesn't appear as good as it did in the store. In reality you won't be watching with the contrast cranked up.

Also be mindful of the source material they are displaying. I was in Best Buy the other day and they didn't have HD running on most of the bigger widescreen TV's and it really is a shame because they aren't showing off what these TV's can do. I'm sure some of them are connected to a DVD player or HD programming of some sort, but the majority that I looked at just had stretched 4:3 broadcast (SDTV) playing because they want to fill up the entire screen and not have the black bars down the left and right side of the picture. This will also distort the picture quality and make everyone look short and fat!

[RonZ]

Toshiba "REGZA" LCD $1169. model #42HL67

Thats the one I'm getting.

Thanks for everyones help

[Luck e 1]

I have the 42 in Regza...it looks great mounted above the fire place.

Pic is great...but now you are going to want a high def dvd player.

[CodyDawg]

So what is the deal with the black bars on the new HD TVs? I thought that was one reason to get one....but go into Best Buy and a bunch of them still have the bars.

Plus, what really irks me is when they show standard broadcast blurry just to make HD look better.

[LMITOUT]

Standard broadcast has a ratio of 4:3. This is your "square" screen TV that has been around forever. Obviously these new HDTV's are 16:9 and what is left are the black bars on each side because SD is only 4:3 and doesn't fill the widescreen.

The widescreen TV's do have functions that allow you to fill the entire screen and they do this by stretching that 4:3 picture. This is where the people on TV start looking short and fat, but they also have other settings to zoom which will stretch it horizontally and vertically, but the top and bottom gets cut off a little. So if you watching a show or game where they have a ticker going across the bottom or the top it may not be visable if using the zoom feature, but at least the screen is completely used and people don't look short and fat. I usually run my TV in 4:3 mode when watching SD because I don't care for the stretched or cut off picture. Some people don't like the black bars down the sides. All personal preference.

They don't show standard broadcast blurry on purpose to make HD look better, SD just looks bad on HDTV's as I mentioned in my post earlier. Some HDTV's handle the SD better than others. Sony Bravia is said to be a good one for this. HDTV's just maginify the error in a SD broadcast that much more. Plus, many people going into the HD market are purchasing a larger TV than they had previously which makes the SD picture worse by itself.

[RuKiddingMe]

DLP for me, I bought a 50" Samsung a year and half ago and absolutley love it, I don't have any space problems and it fits perfect. When I was looking it was my opinion that the LCD and Plasma screens wouldn't last as long and that I could simply change the bulb in the DLP and be right back to a picture as good as when I purchased the TV. I also found that the LCD and Plasma didn't have the brightness I was looking for and that the majority of them couldn't handle the color black the way I wanted, meaning that the black would actually look shiny and really take away from what you were viewing. I did end up buying a Dell LCD screen 32", couldn't pass it up, my company is a Dell reseller and they gave us a killer deal, I think 30 of us in the office ordered at least one, I bought 4 for family memebers. I do like the TV, but I have noticed the the brightness issue and the color black issue on the dell LCD, needless to say when the first year is up I'll be renewing the support agreement on that.

It's all personal opinion and what will work best for you. I love my DLP and will buy another in a heart beat when looking for a "BIG" screen. On the flip side I like the LCD also and would probably continue to buy them for the smaller TV's in the house.

I know Samsung has started using LED Bulbs in their DLP screens too, and with the life span of an LED bulb I think it's pretty safe to say you won't be changing many bulbs out.

One thing to note is with any of these newer screens it is imperative to keep the cooling vents clear of any dust or obstruction these babies get warm and you'll be sorry if you aren't conscious of that.

RU

[Whoaru99]

Another consideration is the input source to the TV. One would think the signal from the STB/cable box would be as good the one from the cable itself.

However, on my Panasonic plasma, the SD channels look MUCH better using the TV's built-in tuner than they do using the cable box with either component or DVI/HDMI connection.

It's not a small "I think it seems better" difference, it's clear and obviously better that way.

So, I put a splitter before the STB with one leg going there and the other leg going direct to the TV's ANT input. That way, I just select the appropriate input depending on which type of programming I want to watch. Using the STB for digital channels and HD programming, use the TV tuner for analog/SD programs.

[DTro]

Quote:

---

Toshiba "REGZA" LCD $1169. model #42HL67

Thats the one I'm getting.

Thanks for everyones help

---

You should be happy with that TV.

FYI the same set at 1080P is only $50 more at Circuit City, but like I said, not sure if it's worth it.

Also I read a few reports on AVSForums about a green "push" issue with that TV, but those guys over there are quite anal about their picture.

[fisherdog19]

We just recently got the Sony Bravia 46" LCD at 1080p. Got the Dish Network HD package and all I can say is WOW, the HD picture is amazing. I also got an upconverting DVD which converts the DVD to a 1080p signal and the picture is unbelieveable. Another great thing about HDMI is that it carries audio as well so you only need one cable for picture and sound. Just a note, the satellite tv HD packagaes only send in 1080i so the 1080p isn't even utilized except for the upconverting DVD player.

[LMITOUT]

Actually you can set what type of signal originates from the Dish receiver....720 or 1080. Your TV will upconvert to 1080p but you'll have to try the different combinations to see what looks best to you because the Dish reciever is also up/down converting the signal. Sometimes the TV does a better job upconverting than the receiver/DVD player does.

The signals that the receiver gets vary from 720 to 1080i depending on what channel you're tuned to.

[LovenLifeGuy]

I have a 50 some inch mitsubishi LCD that I purchased a year ago and have been happy with it. I just got the HD upgrade with my direct tv and all I can say is, WOW! Nothing like football in HD! However, like others have said the blacks can be tough to see in some movies on the LCD, but with the lights in the room off it gets much better. Cant wait for the NFL season to start.

LovenLifeGuy

[Spork]

Another thing to keep in mind is that large Plasma TVs use a lot more power than LCDs of equal size.

I'd love to replace my 36" Sony WEGA, but I'm keeping my eye on a new type of TV that's in the works and should be coming out next year... Laser TV. From what I've read, picture quality will be superior to both Plasma and LCD.

Laser TV

[LMITOUT]

I've been keeping an eye on the laser source TV's as well, but haven't heard much about them as of late. There will always be something newer and better down the road, so you just have to jump in and buy something or you never will if you wait for the next best thing. That goes for just about everything.

[RuKiddingMe]

It's my understanding that the Laser TV technology will cost the consumers considerably less dead presidents by comparison to what is on the market right now. Granted the prices keep coming down but they can only go so far and laser will enter the market at less.

RU

[Spork]

Yeah, Sony already unveiled one of their demo models. It looks pretty slick and rumor has it that Laster TV boasts contrast ratios of 100,000:1... INSANE! I also read about them being pushed out in Q4 of '07. But I haven't seen anything back this yet. My guess is mid '08.