lcd vs plasma - at this point

[Mitchell]

I know this has been discuused before but I am looking to get a 42" (approx) hi def tv flat panel.
As I understand it, the Plasmas have better contrast and color but have some motion issues and maybe some burn in issues still at this point.
The LCD has contrast issues and may be more expensive. They are not as bright as the Plasma sets.
Neither is perfect technology both are compromises that need to be considered.
Are these premises still correct or has the technology evolved to where burn in and contrast are not major considerations anymore?
I know there is not one absolute answer but I guess I am looking to see how others handle the decision making process?

[Hdale85]

Umm I actually feel that LCD's are brighter then Plasma's at least thats what it looks like to me in the stores.

[aud19]

LCD's generally will work better in a brighter room, plasma's better in a more critical, darker room. Generally. Otherwise just make sure you get a quality unit of either and you should be good :T

[Kevin D]

LCD's generally will work better in a brighter room,

But Plasma's do better in semi-direct sunlight as the LCD's backlight will wash out. (Guessing that's the generally part )

Kevin D.

[Alloroc]

Speaking as someone who's just gone through the process of buying a 46" TV, I found LCD to be best. Was torn between the new 42" 1080p Panny plasma and the latest Samsung LCDs. The new Sonys are not out in my markey yet. Anyhow, the Panasonic, was dark as in really decent black levels and in the darkend demo room it looked great but flips the lights on and it lost ground on the Samsung LCD. Now this set Samsung claims has a 15000:1 contrast ratio. The pq is sublime and boy it is bright - perhaps a bit too bright in a dark room - I have the contrast turned right down to about 20% or so, for day and night viewing and am really happy with it - pq is razor sharp for games, dvd/bddvd and hdtv. But, the deciding factor was price. The Panasonic was over €1000 more than the Samsung so there was no way it was worth it for me. Their 1080i sets are great value and decent quality.

[Azeke]

Just purchased a Samsung LCD LN-T3253H (another deal I couldn't refuse, less than half of Amazon's price, from a reputable B&M), and it's beautiful, both aesthetically and functionally. I am still tweaking the settings, PC and HD, but so far no complaints, via vga and HDMI respectfully.

On a separate note, some Samsung LCDs users were experiencing audio dropouts (HDMI) with their earlier manufactured models (May '07 and prior). It seems the boards (main & sound) were defective, which was directly related to this HDMI audio dropout. Samsung try to correct this issue via firmware, but for some the audio dropouts returned, therefore forcing Samsung under warranty to replace the boards, the issue was corrected. Ergo, caveat emptor.

Thus far everything has worked well for me, but I haven't taken it through rigourous testing. I've called Samsung and requested the new firmware (ver. 1020, there is ver 1023, but reportedly, it's not stable) via e-mail, which Tier 2 tech support promptly sent. I will load it this by this weekend (via usb key).

My apologies, I digressed. Back on topic, I like my plasma's (Hitachi HDX99) video better than the LCD's video via HD input (D*TV), but there is nothing like a 32" computer monitor . Of course the specs on the Hitachi are better than the Samsung LCD, I will continue to calibrate the LCD to try to achieve optimal results.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke

[Mitchell]

Thanks for all the helpful input.
I have recently seen one of the new Sony LCD's
They seemed better than the Sharp Acquos.
Salesman claims a better refresh rate and some additional bells and whistles.
has anyone any experience with the new Sonys?

[aud19]

The Sony's are very nice displays :T You do pay a bit more $$ for them though. But if you have the means....

Otherwsie Samsung also makes a nice LCD panel with most of the Sony's PQ for a pretty decent price discount

[Dean McManis]

I also made the choice of LCD over plasma. There are not as many native 1080p plasma displays out there and the one for sale cost quite a bit. The plasma sets do slightly better with blacks but LCDs are generally brighter.
My Westinghouse 37" LCD 1080p display looks awesome with a HD feed, cost under $700 shipped, and it makes one heck of a great computer/gaming monitor as well.

[Alloroc]

One should also note that Samsung have just launched their new 1080p 100Hz LCDs all the way up to 70".... They also quote 25000:1 contrast ratio.

Looking forward to seeing one in the flesh.

[Azeke]

One should also note that Samsung have just launched their new 1080p 100Hz LCDs all the way up to 70".... They also quote 25000:1 contrast ratio.

Looking forward to seeing one in the flesh.

That would be the LN-Txx71, however the LN-Txx81 (just out at BB, Mag Theater) has a contrast ratio of 500,000:1 (no typo here) :E . I haven't seen it yet, but I'm going to BB with my son this evening for his birthday and I will check it out.

A few of the things I enjoyed about my Samsung LCD (LN-T3253H) is the ease of setup (~5min.), the eye-popping colors (after calibration), the piano gloss finish (dust collector), and the sound through the small slits, however do they do that (rhetorical question Farley) . I haven't tried gaming yet, but I heard that it works well with most games, but a few games seem to have some minor lag. I hope this helps and keep us posted on your progress.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke

[aud19]

I also made the choice of LCD over plasma. There are not as many native 1080p plasma displays out there and the one for sale cost quite a bit. The plasma sets do slightly better with blacks but LCDs are generally brighter.
My Westinghouse 37" LCD 1080p display looks awesome with a HD feed, cost under $700 shipped, and it makes one heck of a great computer/gaming monitor as well.

Don't want to single you out :B ...just want to point out that any displays under 50" that aren't being used as computer monitors (in other words sitting 5' away or less), there is no actual benefit of 1080p panels over their cheaper (and generally better performing) 720p/768p counterparts. If you're sitting a much more common 10'-ish away from a smaller than 50" display and don't have EXTRAORDINARY vision there's absolutely zero chance you will be able to detect any extra resolution.