Plasma vs. LCD (with LED) for 2010

[HeatChamps]

Which do you prefer and why? It seems the Panasonic Plama's and the Samsung LED's are the best for these 2 technologies that are at a decent price. So maybe compare them to these 2 models.

[bus driver]

i prefer LCD

but i have read that plasma is the better tv.

[RoddyBukkake]

Plasma right now for price, size, and quality Frys just had a 50" 1080p Plasma on sale for $650

[HeatChamps]

Plasma right now for price, size, and quality Frys just had a 50" 1080p Plasma on sale for $650
Wow. That's a great price. Yeah the LED's are still expensive though not too bad now.

[boutons_deux]

Plasmas are cheap now to dump the inventory, because LCDs are going to sweep the market.

[lebomb]

Plasma may have a better picture than LCD, but it also has awful burn in. If you have your channel on ESPN for a good while, you will see the shadow of ESPN in the corner after several months.

Dont believe me? ..........buy the Plasma and find out. :wakeup

[HeatChamps]

Plasma may have a better picture than LCD, but it also has awful burn in. If you have your channel on ESPN for a good while, you will see the shadow of ESPN in the corner after several months.

Dont believe me? ..........buy the Plasma and find out. :wakeup
I heard they (at least Panasonic) fixed that problem though and I don't watch a lot of tv. Maybe an hour or 2 a day.

[Cry Havoc]

Plasmas are cheap now to dump the inventory, because LCDs are going to sweep the market.

:lol

There was a thread about this around 18 months ago, where I got into an argument with another poster because they said plasmas were obsolete and wouldn't be available in 6 months.

Still hasn't happened.

[Cry Havoc]

Plasma may have a better picture than LCD, but it also has awful burn in. If you have your channel on ESPN for a good while, you will see the shadow of ESPN in the corner after several months.

Dont believe me? ..........buy the Plasma and find out. :wakeup

This is ridiculous.

Burn in for plasmas does not happen at all anymore, unless you leave your TV on ESPN and never change the channel or turn it off.

MILD burn in for a plasma starts at 10-12 hours. That's with a completely static signal on high power (meaning a bright color) in the exact same place.

So unless you've got an ESPN ticker at the bottom of your screen and you never change the channel or turn the TV off, you're not going to deal with burn-in, ever. Changing the channel once or twice every 5-6 hours is enough to alleviate any burn-in problems.

I've had a plasma TV for almost two years now and the picture is clear as the day I bought it. Not a single trace of burn-in, and I game on it a lot, which is typically more prone to burn-in because of the stats/etc. that a game displays in a constant location. I watch ESPN all the time, and have never had a single case of burn-in, although when a TV is new occasionally you with get latency fade because of the newness of the screen, but that goes away really quickly.

If you're going to share information, don't be a koriwhat and make it completely uneducated. At least do a little research first.

[resistanze]

:lol

There was a thread about this around 18 months ago, where I got into an argument with another poster because they said plasmas were obsolete and wouldn't be available in 6 months.

Still hasn't happened.

They're even making plasma 3DTVs - they're not going anywhere.

Hell, 3DTVs will die before plasmas.

[Sisk]

If you buy a decent plasma you'll have no problems with burn-in. I have a Panasonic plasma and haven't had any problems with burn-in. However, the place I live at gave me a Hitachi POS Plasma and that thing will get it every once in a while but it seems to go away quickly. I use to work around TVs years ago and each technology had their advantages in my experience.

One big thing against plasmas, though, is if you have direct light in the room the Plasma has a glass screen so it'll obviously reflect.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

There is no better.

Buy the TV that looks the best to you, fits your needs/price range and works well in your environment with your equipment.

Some people love plasmas, some people love the pop of LEDs and some people still rock out their calibrated CRTs.

EDIT: And I choose my LED over the plasma because the slight edge in PQ that the plasma held IMO wasn't worth the extra grand.

[lebomb]

If you buy a decent plasma you'll have no problems with burn-in. I have a Panasonic plasma and haven't had any problems with burn-in. However, the place I live at gave me a Hitachi POS Plasma and that thing will get it every once in a while but it seems to go away quickly. I use to work around TVs years ago and each technology had their advantages in my experience.




I was at a sports bar on Bandera Rd. two weeks ago watching ESPN..........the bar is only a couple of years old. Every plasma TV in there had burn in at the corners...........every single one. So I guess the technology has improved since then? Im just saying. I dont know for sure.

[Chomag]

Plasma is much better now then when they first came out. They are better built and have a screen orbit in them (picture moves a couple of pixels between how much time you set it for.) I have owned a plasma for over a year now and it has no burn in. LCD's are awesome TVS though as well.

[xellos88330]

Plasma is probably better, but you have to tweak it a bit to make sure you don't get the burn marks.

I prefer LCD w/LED. The picture pops.

[Soul_Patch]

All i know is i got gipped into buying a DLP tv about 6 years ago. Since then ive replaced the fucking bulb 3 times, and just had it burn out again on me last friday.

200 bucks a bulb.....

I listed it on Craigs list for 150 bucks...and still cant get anyone to take it. 52" DLP HDTV....fuckin dlp....

[Nathan Explosion]

DLP's are too big for my tastes. They're easy to fix, but it seems they break too often.

I'd have to go with an LED. It is fairly close to a plasma in terms of color and contrast ration, and the size of them is just to thin to ignore, especially come moving time.

However, I'm seriously considering a plasma for my next TV because when I watch sports and games, I want that contrast ration.

LCDs are the most affordable, and my Bravia has an absolute gorgeous picture. Hell. my no name LCD has a beautiful picture.

In my eyes, it's not so much about type of TV as it is brand. When it comes to LCD (LED and non) I'd go with Samsung if I could afford it. Close second has to be Sharp/Sony.

[Drachen]

All i know is i got gipped into buying a DLP tv about 6 years ago. Since then ive replaced the fucking bulb 3 times, and just had it burn out again on me last friday.

200 bucks a bulb.....

I listed it on Craigs list for 150 bucks...and still cant get anyone to take it. 52" DLP HDTV....fuckin dlp....

I had my DLP for a little over 2 years before the bulb went out too. It was, however, only $100 to replace. I looked online for the bulb and the prices ranged from $96 to 250, so I don't know your exact situation, but perhaps you may find it for less too. If you think about it, no one wants to buy a broken TV, but if you could find a bulb for 100, then maybe you would get a lot of bites on your ad at 250. Also, if you think about it, I am sure that you spent far less on the DLP than you would have on a comparably sized LCD or Plasma at that time (I know I did).

Edit: I would go plasma right now, but that is because I have greater experience with one, plus it was less expensive than a comparable LCD. With the little exp. I have with LCDs I would have to say that the colors on the plasma are far FAR more vivid than either the DLP or an LCD. I was awestruck when I noticed it.

[Mark in Austin]

The main thing going for plasmas in my opinion is the refresh rate (600hz) and they do better IMO with upsampled programming, which there is still a good bit of. Add that to the fact that you can get a top line panasonic 46" plasma in the $800 range and it's pretty hard to pass up.

However, I just saw Avatar playing on a 55" Sony LED LCD w/ 240hz at Costco and it was damn impressive.

[MannyIsGod]

Plasma may have a better picture than LCD, but it also has awful burn in. If you have your channel on ESPN for a good while, you will see the shadow of ESPN in the corner after several months.

Dont believe me? ..........buy the Plasma and find out. :wakeup

This is bullshit. You'd have to be a dumbass to get burn in on a Plasma now.

Then again look who I'm replying too.

[MannyIsGod]

This is ridiculous.

Burn in for plasmas does not happen at all anymore, unless you leave your TV on ESPN and never change the channel or turn it off.

MILD burn in for a plasma starts at 10-12 hours. That's with a completely static signal on high power (meaning a bright color) in the exact same place.

So unless you've got an ESPN ticker at the bottom of your screen and you never change the channel or turn the TV off, you're not going to deal with burn-in, ever. Changing the channel once or twice every 5-6 hours is enough to alleviate any burn-in problems.

I've had a plasma TV for almost two years now and the picture is clear as the day I bought it. Not a single trace of burn-in, and I game on it a lot, which is typically more prone to burn-in because of the stats/etc. that a game displays in a constant location. I watch ESPN all the time, and have never had a single case of burn-in, although when a TV is new occasionally you with get latency fade because of the newness of the screen, but that goes away really quickly.

If you're going to share information, don't be a koriwhat and make it completely uneducated. At least do a little research first.

When I first got Madden I played it on the weekend I first had it for a good deal of time. I had some minor IR with the EA logo that is always on the screen in the same spot and bright white. 10 minutes of watching a DVD and said IR was completely gone.

You're a complete idiot if you manage to actually get burn in on a modern plasma.

[4>0rings]

Plasma may have a better picture than LCD, but it also has awful burn in. If you have your channel on ESPN for a good while, you will see the shadow of ESPN in the corner after several months.

Dont believe me? ..........buy the Plasma and find out. :wakeup
You're banned from this thread, now GTFO with your incorrect info! :nope

[HeatChamps]

So I guess LED is the way to go if you got the money.

[Smart Ass]

I heard they (at least Panasonic) fixed that problem though and I don't watch a lot of tv. Maybe an hour or 2 a day.

Same here. I do know some TV burn outs though.

[EricB]

my Samsung LED is phenomenal. Watching it for the first time monday for MNF and the refresh rate and colors were just unreal.

Save up and get the LED if you can.

[4>0rings]

my Samsung LED is phenomenal. Watching it for the first time monday for MNF and the refresh rate and colors were just unreal.

Save up and get the LED if you can.Just ignore this guy. He thinks matt bonner's a great player. Do you really want to take advice from a guy that defends matt bonner and wants his jersey in the rafters?

[Nathan Explosion]

Toy Story was on an LED at Best Buy and my 3 year old couldn't take his eyes off of it. At first I thought it was because of the movie, but when I looked at his face, he had the same look I had when I saw the picture on that TV.

It's an absolutely BEAUTIFUL picture, on par with a plasma imo. And then you factor in how light and thin these TVs are, and it help save you money spent on beer when your buddies help you move.

[Soul_Patch]

I had my DLP for a little over 2 years before the bulb went out too. It was, however, only $100 to replace. I looked online for the bulb and the prices ranged from $96 to 250, so I don't know your exact situation, but perhaps you may find it for less too. If you think about it, no one wants to buy a broken TV, but if you could find a bulb for 100, then maybe you would get a lot of bites on your ad at 250. Also, if you think about it, I am sure that you spent far less on the DLP than you would have on a comparably sized LCD or Plasma at that time (I know I did).

Edit: I would go plasma right now, but that is because I have greater experience with one, plus it was less expensive than a comparable LCD. With the little exp. I have with LCDs I would have to say that the colors on the plasma are far FAR more vivid than either the DLP or an LCD. I was awestruck when I noticed it.


Last bulb i bought, i went with the cheapest one i could find on the net. It was flashing dark/bright a month or so into using it....It burnt out in a little under 5 months...

[Ace]

Just ignore this guy. He thinks matt bonner's a great player. Do you really want to take advice from a guy that defends matt bonner and wants his jersey in the rafters?
He may be wrong on Bonner but he is right on TVs. I too have a Samsung LED and the picture quality on it is amazing.

[mavsfan1000]

Gotta go with Plasma. Panasonic has the best deals imo. The S2 series is at a great price and an amazing picture. LED's are too bright imo. The black levels and vibrant colors are what I love about Plasma's. Great for nighttime watching.

[TDMVPDPOY]

go with plasma if ur thinkn of +50' size

anything under 55inches, you should go for led...

[tlongII]

:lol

There was a thread about this around 18 months ago, where I got into an argument with another poster because they said plasmas were obsolete and wouldn't be available in 6 months.

Still hasn't happened.

It was probably me, but I don't remember stating a 6 month remaining life span. I'm sure I under-estimated the life of plasma TV's though. That said, LCD technology is clearly superior and their sales are now surpassing Plasma sales. The technology of the future is OLED.

[mavsfan1000]

go with plasma if ur thinkn of +50' size

anything under 55inches, you should go for led...
I have both in my house. A 60-inch LED and a 42-inch Plasma. It's almost painful watching an LED due to the flashlight style backlight. I got sensitive eyes though so maybe it's not the same for everyone. LED's look great in bright stores but you can't really appreciate a Plasma until you have it at your own house which is naturally not as bright.

[nkdlunch]

Plasma. More screen + quality for the money.

I have a 50 inch panasonic and its a beast. LED just looks way better in the store because it's brighter under light. But in a dark room, a good plasma is just as good.

don't be fooled. Also LED has problems in action scenes and the backlight issues.

[nkdlunch]

I have both in my house. A 60-inch LED and a 42-inch Plasma. It's almost painful watching an LED due to the flashlight style backlight. I got sensitive eyes though so maybe it's not the same for everyone. LED's look great in bright stores but you can't really appreciate a Plasma until you have it at your own house which is naturally not as bright.

damn man, exactly what I posted :wow

[nkdlunch]

The technology of the future is OLED.

that's what they said about LCD 5 years ago. and plasma still around and better

[nkdlunch]

Plasma may have a better picture than LCD, but it also has awful burn in. If you have your channel on ESPN for a good while, you will see the shadow of ESPN in the corner after several months.

Dont believe me? ..........buy the Plasma and find out. :wakeup

if you are referring to the temporary burnin, this is true. But it goes away within minutes.

I guess anal ppl would find this annoying, but I don't

[tlongII]

that's what they said about LCD 5 years ago. and plasma still around and better

Nope.

LCD > Plasma

[silverblk mystix]

This is bullshit. You'd have to be a dumbass to get burn in on a Plasma now.

Then again look who I'm replying too.

Just an observation here, but do you ever post on any thread WITHOUT being a fuckin' prick?

Every single time in every thread that you post in-your contribution is to call someone an idiot, a dumbass, etc...

It isn't like you are exactly the sharpest tool in the shed yourself, although you do seem to be a fuckin tool.

Jagoff

[silverblk mystix]

I have a 42 inch Samsung plasma in the bedroom and a 55 inch Samsung LED in the living room.

The plasma is just incredibly beautiful to watch at any hour of the day, the room is fairly dark-but not theatre dark- and it just looks perfect. I had read about two issues with plasmas;
#1-that the room should be really dark or the picture would not look as good...does not appear to be an issue at all.
#2-the burn in issue...apparently this was an issue in some of the early plasmas but according to almost every publication-this has not been an issue for years...I never had any issues either.

The LED is just amazing, I didn't even think I needed another TV but moving to a bigger place-I figured I would get a bigger tv to watch spurs games and sports in general...but WOW the picture is unbelievable...some blu-ray movies are just unreal. I would definitely say that the LED's are in another level...the blacks and whites (graphics) are just phenomenal and the action sequences on blu rays are pretty damn impressive-even though I am not a car chase movie kind of guy.

[silverblk mystix]

Just an observation here, but do you ever post on any thread WITHOUT being a fuckin' prick?

Every single time in every thread that you post in-your contribution is to call someone an idiot, a dumbass, etc...

It isn't like you are exactly the sharpest tool in the shed yourself, although you do seem to be a fuckin tool.

Jagoff

...

[Trill Clinton]

Insightful thread.

I was looking into getting a LED because my grandparents have one (sharp) and the picture is amazing. Only thing is they're expensive as hell.

Looks like a lot of posters like plasma so I might have to consider those. Anybody know of any good brands for plasma?

[mavsfan1000]

Insightful thread.

I was looking into getting a LED because my grandparents have one (sharp) and the picture is amazing. Only thing is they're expensive as hell.

Looks like a lot of posters like plasma so I might have to consider those. Anybody know of any good brands for plasma?
Panasonic is the best with Samsung being slightly behind it. Panasonic is more reliable with consumer reports. 2% vs 5% repair rate compared with Samsung and LG. The S2's are at a very good price. G25's are considered better but a big jump in money. Panasonics have a pixel orbiter that helps prevent burn-in though it is pretty hard to get burn-in these days with any of the tv's. As long as you don't have a bright room, the Plasma should be perfect. That is why they don't sell as well. The stores are too bright to appreciate the colors and blacks of a Plasma.

[DPG21920]

Isn't it easier to move LCD's vs Plasmas? I was told I could not tilt my plasma tv. Makes it difficult to move.

Can't you store LCD's on their sides/backs?

[mavsfan1000]

Isn't it easier to move LCD's vs Plasmas? I was told I could not tilt my plasma tv. Makes it difficult to move.

Can't you store LCD's on their sides/backs?
I wasn't told that. Plasma's are fragile though. Gotta be careful. I would store the LCD's in their case on its back. The same with Plasma's.

[tlongII]

LCD's are also lighter than Plasma's and they use much less power.

[mavsfan1000]

LCD's are also lighter than Plasma's and they use much less power.
LCD's will probably save you $40 a year if you watch tv 8 hours a day. All tv's are efficient these days (energy star approval). It's just that LCD's are slightly more efficient than Plasma's. While it will probably cost you double for LED and a couple hundred dollars more for a LCD for the same size. And how often does weight become a factor?

[Trill Clinton]

Panasonic is the best with Samsung being slightly behind it. Panasonic is more reliable with consumer reports. 2% vs 5% repair rate compared with Samsung and LG. The S2's are at a very good price. G25's are considered better but a big jump in money. Panasonics have a pixel orbiter that helps prevent burn-in though it is pretty hard to get burn-in these days with any of the tv's. As long as you don't have a bright room, the Plasma should be perfect. That is why they don't sell as well. The stores are too bright to appreciate the colors and blacks of a Plasma.


Cool, thanks. I read some reviews on bestbuy.com and the panasonic brand had some good comments.

[mavsfan1000]

Also I hear the Cinema mode is by far the best mode. Haven't tried the other modes. My settings on that mode is 53 contrast 50 brightness 50 color 0 tint 50 sharp and off on the other settings below. I doubt the stores have the best setting available. They have the contrast on too high.

[4>0rings]

LCD's are also lighter than Plasma's and they use much less power.2008 called, they want their argument back.

[mojorizen7]

If you're worried about your electric bill buy an LCD/LED.
If you like a picture that "pops" get an LCD/LED.

If your not 10 yrs old,and are disciplined enough to execute a short-lived break-in period,and value a "true",deep,film-like picture i'd suggest a plasma.

I also dont watch tv on my 50" Samsung,but i game on it,and use it for watching films. IMO there's nothing like watching blue-ray films on a quality plasma tv.

[mavsfan1000]

I hear Fry's is selling the S2 at a really cheap price. A tc-p50s2 for $649. In store deal only. Not sure if that sale is passed yet.

[Trill Clinton]

Another question:

Is it true that if you're going to go with plasma, go with 50' and up?

and

How do they hold up against video game systems?

[mavsfan1000]

Another question:

Is it true that if you're going to go with plasma, go with 50' and up?

and

How do they hold up against video game systems?
It shouldn't matter other than the price difference between the 2 (LED and Plasma) become much bigger. I love video games on my plasma and I got a 42-inch. I play NBA 2k11 on it all the time. A big room would be better for a 50-inch or more obviously. An average bedroom or game room is best for 42-inch.

[Trill Clinton]

It shouldn't matter other than the price difference between the 2 (LED and Plasma) become much bigger. I love video games on my plasma and I got a 42-inch. I play NBA 2k11 on it all the time. A big room would be better for a 50-inch or more obviously. An average bedroom or game room is best for 42-inch.


Again, thanks. I'm trying to get as much info before I go buy. I'm moving into a 1 bedroom apt in Jan and the 42' is what I've been focusing on.

[mavsfan1000]

Again, thanks. I'm trying to get as much info before I go buy. I'm moving into a 1 bedroom apt in Jan and the 42' is what I've been focusing on.
Well Amazon was selling the tc-p42s2 at $579 a few days ago. Looks like they went back up. I would keep an update on Amazon. No shipping or tax and you got 30-days to return. They pay return shipping if something is wrong through shipping. Make sure you buy it directly from Amazon though. And to be cautious, put contrast on 50 for the first few weeks and avoid still images or switch channels occasionally if you plan to have still images. That is the typical break-in process of plasmas.

[4>0rings]

I bought my 58'' plasma from Amazon. I've had it for a few years now and it's never given me problems. My buddies sony LCD crapped on him once and had to get it replaced.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I have an LED and one criticism of them that is definitely true is when you're watching dark scenes, very black and dark, the corners have a little bit of light that keep it from going straight black.

It's really not that big of a deal, don't bother me none, but several picture nazi's hate that about LED's and think its a huge thing.

[jman3000]

I bought a 46' Sharp LED recently, the one with the yellow pixels in addition to the red, green, and blue ones, and I'm very happy with it. The amount of space it saves is great and it's only an inch and a half at its thickest. The amount of power it consumes is pretty low too. I'd say my CPS bill only went up maybe 4 dollars after getting it.

[DesignatedT]

liquid crystal display.

[Cry Havoc]

Another question:

Is it true that if you're going to go with plasma, go with 50' and up?

and

How do they hold up against video game systems?

I game on a plasma all the time. It's fantastic. I still think they have better black levels than LCD/LED TVs. The LEDs do have brighter color, but please note that brighter does not mean more accurate. If you're in a bright room, however, don't consider a plasma, as lots of ambient lighting ruins the contrast on the screen.

[Mark in Austin]

If you're thinking about a screen with 3D capabilities, blu-ray.com (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5385) has a story up on the December issue of Consumer Reports - CR found plasma to be better for 3D than LCD.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I have an LED and one criticism of them that is definitely true is when you're watching dark scenes, very black and dark, the corners have a little bit of light that keep it from going straight black.

It's really not that big of a deal, don't bother me none, but several picture nazi's hate that about LED's and think its a huge thing.

backlight bleeding?

they usually have software now integrated into the screen something about garunteeing black is black...

umm have u tried painting the wall its held up against dark black?

[mavsfan1000]

Plasma's have deeper blacks. LCD/LED use blue light and you will notice that the blacks aren't 100% black. The best LED's are full-array with local dimming (Sony hx909 and LG LH90) and they still have some trouble with blooming. The best bet is to stick with a plasma if you are looking for the most natural colors. They also happen to be a lot cheaper.

[TDMVPDPOY]

lol get a IP panel

[mavsfan1000]

And to add to that LCD's have more motion blur. Btw there's nothing wrong with LCD's but I prefer the maximum PQ. The Sony LED looks sharp and bright but that is not my top priority in PQ. I am pretty sensitive to light in general.

[Spurstro]

I got a 58 inch Samsung C500 Plasma at Best Buy the other day for $1080...good price, and damn this thing is huge compared to the 46" I had in the living room before.

Do I really need to let it 'warm up' for 100 hours or so at reduced settings before I start to tweak it? I got a feeling the wife is thinking its too dark and would like to return it for an LED (which I don't like)

Also, I have to assign my Time Warner box to output in '1080i' instead of a 'auto'. When its set to 'auto' the plasma isn't able to detect the new resolutions when changing channels. The HD channels that are at 720 look fine at 1080, but is this something I should be considered with?