LCD, Plasma, Flat Screen ???

[Sassy]

Help! I'm considering buying a new tv...but I really don't know much about them. What do you guys recommend? I'm looking at 37 or smaller inch screens...Not anything bigger than that right now. One of the ones I looked at was a 37 inch LCD magnavox.

[JPEZ]

Originally Posted by Sassy

Help! I'm considering buying a new tv...but I really don't know much about them. What do you guys recommend? I'm looking at 37 or smaller inch screens...Not anything bigger than that right now. One of the ones I looked at was a 37 inch LCD magnavox.

Go with the Flat Screen!

[broncsyanks]

i am getting the sony bravia xbr3 if you like the high gloss its the best. need a different color get the xbr2 there you can actualy purchase the actual color you want it to be. whatever you get make sure you get a warranty. that is important and make sure your warranty covers phyisical damage as well. as far as types are concerned i would go with lcd because of clarity and space. it saves a lot being on a wall. i would not get a plasma. there prices are coming down for a reason. the gas inside of them have a tendacy of freezing onto the screen after a while. not good. dlp is the most confident but i personally do not like the clarity. flat screen if you are going to get why not get HD capeable. i have researched this stuff for a while and i am beginning to find out about wiring. just make sure you have a warranty. especially if you decide to go with a plasma which i would not recommend
any other questions feel free to pm me

[Sassy]

I have all questions...like the differences between all of them! What happened to buy a tv and plug it into an outlet! ! Seriously, I have no clue ...

[Garcia Bronco]

I prefer LCD because I change the bulb myself if I need to

[broncsyanks]

saassy ask your question i have researched all types of TV's. i gave you a rough estimate of what my opinion is of all the different types of tv's. my choice though is lcd because of clarity and space saving over the others. other then that what do you want to do with it? and is space a factor.

to answer that question correctly is to say that most salesmen will try and sell you the world be careful with it. i have been just learning about cables now. i have the tv already just trying to figure out the cables

[Sassy]

Space isn't a factor...I just have no idea is all.
I don't have cable or anything...just an attenna...but I am thinking about possibly getting Direct TV next football season.

P.S. I can't get a Sony HD TV...I just heard Pey Me A Ton advertise it Yuck! !

[broncsyanks]

direct tv is awesome if you ask me,. i love it. wouldnt change it. then you can geta picture tube HD tv. thats cheaper as well as DLP. those are cheaper. they all work. its cosmetics and price if you ask me

[BRNCOS1]

I have been researching this for a while myself. I'm thinking of getting a 46" Samsung/Sony. I was on epinion the other day and one of the posters stated that Sharp is the leader in LCD HDTV. Has anybody else heard that before?

I like the Plasma picture, but I have heard they aren't as durable as the LCD's? I also heard that if the screen were to break the gas that it leaks is like toxic or something?

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

[BRNCOS1]

Well I finally decided on LCD. We went to Best Buy tonight and got the 50" Sony LCD HDTV, rear projection. I have read so much about the two [LCD or Plasma] it seemed like it came down to the sharpness of the LCD or the deeper color of the plasma.

The sharpness of the picture won because the difference in color isn't as noticeable as the sharpness difference. We went with the projection instead of the flat so we could afford a bigger screen. It is my understanding we will end up paying as much as the flat screen eventually with the bulbs we replace, but that cost is in the future, allowing us to have the larger screen now.

We bought a $1600 model, that ended up costing us $2700 by the time we got the new reciever-100, new dvd player/recorder-180, 2 Hdmi cables-100 ea., some special surge protector-80, new tv stand-190, and of course the warranty plan I'll probably never need-350 for 4yrs plus first bulb replacement.

[ludo21]

We got a Plasma screen, LOVE IT!!

Whatever you get, rey and make sure HD TV is integrated inside it for future needs. (everything will be HD soon enough)

And if all you need is for antenna, just a reg flat screen will do you well im sure.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Sassy

Help! I'm considering buying a new tv...but I really don't know much about them. What do you guys recommend? I'm looking at 37 or smaller inch screens...Not anything bigger than that right now. One of the ones I looked at was a 37 inch LCD magnavox.

I haven't bought yet, but I can tell you I've already decided on LCD flat over Plasma and LCD projection.

The reason is that Plasma requires a glass/plastic screen shield - it reflects ambient light, which I hate! LCD, though, like your computer monitor, requires no glass-like screen shield.

Plus, plasma is still more expensive per inch. (ahem...)


Actually, the LCD 'projections' are only a minor savings over LCD 'flat' now, and you'll eventually need to buy new light inserts for the projection anyway ... so I suggest going flat LCD. Make sure the contrast ratio is high.

[Sassy]

Sounds good to me...except now I'm probably investing in a new pc before the tv Electronics just don't like me!

[BroncoInSkinland]

I have heard all the horror stories about Plasma and screen burn, but I have one and have had no problems. Screen burn generally occurs only if you leave the TV on for an extended period with a static image like from a video game console that is paused. As long as you are fairly careful about leaving the TV on for extended periods of time it shouldn't be a major factor. The only other minor problem is that Plasma screens must be transported upright for some reason. This makes a van or truck a necessity if you are talking about moving anything in the area of 42" or larger.

[Tredici]

Sass - If you have a TV Repair shop in your area go in and have a chat with them. They can tell you what they see the most of, what types of problems, etc. Plus everything is inbred these days, too. Magnavox is the same as Phillips. And there is some Japenese brand that squeaks in under those names, too.

I just had work done on a 32" Sony that I bought about 15 years ago. The repair shop told me it's probably a better TV than the 42" Plasma I bought. No longer are televisions being built to last several years. Like a lot of electronics it's all part of the "throw away" products. -- I also had a 6 year old Phillips 32" that the picture tube blew in. Repair shop said it was senseless to repair it because I could buy a new one cheaper.

Anyway, if you have a shop in town, go for a chat. I found they were very helpful and had some information I probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. And BTW, though they used to be a rip they are now recommended to buy the extended warranties on most new brands. -- Even then they have a hard time finding who administors some of those warranties.

With the price of the flatscreens it's probably worth a little detour for a chat!

[Sassy]

It's not my tv I'm having trouble with...just wanted a new one! But good advice...now my computer, that's a whole different story! !

[XXXII&III]

There's a commercial playing that shows a guy so entranced with his brand new HDTV that he's oblivious to everything else that needs his attention - his sink is overflowing causing flooding, his sprinkler system is going off & watering through his open window, etc.

Right before football season started I got a 32" LG brand LCD. I had the exact same reaction to it as that guy in the commercial.

I love it, especially for football and for CSI. All the blood & guts they show on CSI is ummm colorful! in high def.

The only problem I've had with it is that football is so spectacular in high def that it made me not go to any Broncos games this year. Bad tv! Bad, bad tv.

[Ron Mexico]

I have a plasma 50" and a LCD 30". Both have their merits.

I suggest reading this link before you make a decision.

[Bronco9798]

LCD Pros and Cons

LCDs are available in smaller sizes, allowing them to go where a 37-inch plasma will not fit. They also provide incredibly bright images when viewed on center. If you plan on watching your TV in a room with a lot of light, LCD has the edge over plasma, both with its bright picture and its special surface coatings that reduce room reflections.

LCDs generally have slower video response times than plasmas, which is noticeable primarily on sports and fast action scenes. They also have a narrower viewing angle, meaning that as you move off center, the image contrast and brightness drop off. Most LCD panels (as well as plasmas) are factory preset to stand out in the very bright lighting at most stores. When you get them home and out of the box, however, they are way too intense. You should change the menu setting from factory preset (usually Vivid) to Movie, Cinema or Standard (depending on your set) and lower the contrast (also called Picture Control) to the halfway point for the best picture.

If your television is going to be in room with normal lighting, plasma will provide superb image quality, dark blacks and bright whites over the widest viewing angle. However, if you need a screen below 37 inches, LCD is really the only choice available. Enclosed patios, really bright rooms with skylights or untreated windows, and sunny kitchens are all excellent spots for LCD displays of all sizes.

Plasma Pros and Cons

Plasmas have wide viewing angles, meaning you can sit off-center and still see a very good picture. They have high contrast ratios, excellent color, deep blacks, fast response times for viewing scenes with a lot of motion such as sports, and generally lower prices than LCDs above 42 inches. Today’s plasmas have a long life expectancy. Many of the top tier brands are now rated at 60,000 hours, which is equal to over 16 years of use when operating the set 10 hours a day, every day.

Plasma disadvantages are few. In the early days, the most common criticism was that they suffered from “burn-in,” meaning that when a static image such as a video game logo is on the screen for too long, its shadow may linger even after it’s gone. Burn-in really is the uneven wear of the phosphors within the plasma panel. The risk of burn in has been greatly reduced by the set makers and can be minimized with a simple precaution. Like with LCD, upon unpacking and connecting the set, change the “picture mode setting” from factory preset (usually Vivid) to Movie, Cinema or Standard (depending on the TV) and lower the contrast (also called the “picture control”) to about one half level for the best picture.

Choosing The Proper Size Panel

In the age of High Definition TV size matters most. What many shoppers and salesmen don’t realize, buying a screen that is too small or sitting too far away from the display will rob you from seeing all the high definition the set has to offer, thereby wasting your money. HDTV provides a more immersive viewing experience than old style 4:3 standard definition TV, as well more picture detail than you have ever seen on a home display. In order to fully resolve all the detail within HDTV, you must sit in the optimum viewing range. Sit further and your eyes will not be able discern all the detail within the image. There are three levels of resolution for flat TVs. The first level is not HDTV; it is called Enhanced Definition at 480 vertical lines. The two classes of HDTV grade displays are 720p/768p with the display showing either 720 lines (or 768 lines) of resolution from top to bottom and 1080 (i or p), the highest quality HDTV display, with 1080 lines of resolution. For ED sets you can sit as far as 3.4 times the screen diagonal to see all detail. This means up to 142.8 inches (just under 12 feet) from an ED (480p) 42” set. Using the same size screen a 720p/768p you need to be at a viewing distance of at 2.3 times the screen size or closer, which is equal to 96.6 inches or eight feet. With a 1080 (i or p) 42inch set you should at no more than 1.55 times the screen size or 65.1 inches (just under 5½ ft.) to distinguish ever pixel within the image.

[Bronco9798]

HDTV for 2007

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Plasma

2007 will be the year of 1080p plasma. Expect full 1080p HD (1920 x 1080) in screen sizes 42”, 50”, 60” 63” 65” 71” (as well as the already available 103” Panasonic). 1080p prices will drop significantly from the current starting price of $8000. Pioneer will is expected to announce its next generation plasma with breakthrough in black level and contrast ratio. The HD Guru sneak previewed this next gen technology in Japan this past October, and it blew away every competing plasma flat panel at the Japan CEATEC electronics show.

LCD Flat

Lots of developments are expected. The most exciting: LED sequential backlights should greatly improve the color reproduction (gamut) of LCD, lower the black level and raise contrast ratio and has the potential of increasing resolution by a factor of three! There will be many vendors promoting new technologies to eliminate motion blur including 120HZ backlights. Larger screen sizes will be introduced with a significant number of new entries in the 50-70” or larger sizes. These new large screens are expected to be priced on par with similar size plasma. At least one vendor will announce a panel with 4X HD resolution (3840 x 2160).

Microdisplay

The HD Guru predicts the arrival of the first native 1080p DLP rear projectors (current DLP rear projectors use pixel shift to achieve 1920 x 1080 with a 960 x 1080 DLP chip). At least one, maybe more vendors will announce LASER DLP rear projectors. These new projectors will be brighter than their lamp driven competitors, with improved contrast ratios, thinner form factors (<10”) and far wider viewing angles than current products. They are intended to compete head on with plasma and LCD flat panels with their lower price advantange.

There is a rumored 37” rear projector with very thin form factor, priced as low as $999 to be a direct replacement for 32” 4:3 direct view CRT ( its about the same picture height). Expect to hear about many LED driven projectors and possibly a Laser/ LED hybrid. LCoS vendors Sony and JVC are expected to announce new LED and/or LASER driven rear projectors. The other advantages of LASER/LED: far wider color gamut, no bulb to replace and lower power consumption than LCD and Plasma.

Wireless HDTV

Imagine simply plugging your flat panel TV into the wall AC outlet and be able to view all your content without the expense of purchasing and installing cables between your surround sound receiver and HDTV. The HD Guru expects TV makers to partner with surround sound receiver manufacturers to introduce HDTVs with built-in wireless TV receivers at CES.

Here is how they will operate. You’ll connect all your source video components (HD cable box, disc player, video game etc.) to your surround sound receiver. The surround sound receiver will have a built-in wireless transmitter that sends the HD source signal to your television. The audio/video switching will be built into the surround sound receiver as well.

HD DVD and Blu-ray

2nd generation high definition freestanding Blu-ray players will be announced and displayed by the major CE manufacturers. Prices will drop as much as 50%. Blu-ray recorders are expected to debut as well with ship dates by late 2007

HD DVD will announce new vendors and models and may have entry pricing as low as $299. HD DVD recorders will be announced and demonstrated, with deliveryexpected to be scheduled for 2007.

LG Electronics has just announced it will introduce the first dual format high definiton disc player at CES. The player will accomidate HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. The new twin format HD player will be available for sale in the US in early 2007.

www.hdguru.com