LCD or plasma TV ?

[97knives]

im in the market for a 42" or bigger flat screen tv and just started looking. the first thing i need to determine is if an lcd or the plasma is the better screen?

[bh49]

To the best of my knowledge, with today technology LSD live longer and more reliable.

[ozspyder]

I'd go for a LCD TV. Technology has made LCD's faster, brighter, longer living, lower power consumption.

I have a large Samsung LCD TV, bought 2 Samsung LCD's as gifts, and looking to getting another smaller LG or Samsung LCD later.

Good luck with decision making. I wish they'd only have one or two to choose from... :)

[AUXCOM]

Generally, if your primary use is for watching sports, Plasma still has an edge. It has a faster "refresh" rate that is better for fast motion, but LCD continues to improve in that area.

Other than that I believe the "pros" out-weigh the "con" in favor of LCD -
LCD Pros -
Less Power Consumption
Typically better "contrast ratio" than Plasma ( better for movies )
More manufacturers of LCD = more future innovation
Weigh less
Can be thinner than plasma ( an inch or two at the most)

LCD Cons
slightly worse "off axis" viewing angle than plasma
can have "dead pixels" ( generally most manufacturers accept a few as part of their spec)

PLasma Pros
Available in larger screen sizes than LCD
slightly better off axis viewing angle
better fast motion handling

Plasma Cons
Can "burn in" image ( video game play is a no-no)
heavier
more power
thicker
performance issues at high altitude ( wouldn't work well in Golden CO ;) )


Another option if the "thin" factor is not an issue would be to find a dealer who still has Sony "SXRD" rear projection. It's quality is spectacular, but never really took off due to the rear projection aspect. Sony discontinued and you may find a dealer blowing them out at a good price

If thin is a must, then you might want to wait for OLED ( organic LED ) technology becomes a commodity. 3mm thick, but very expensive at this time
like Sony's first OLED is roughly $2000 for an 11" TV!!!

[swingshot]

The best place to ask about these sorts of things is somewhere like avsforum.com

[anthonyc]

i have a samsung lcd model 4665F, best 2 grand ive spent

[Spyderwings]

Just to mention a couple advantages of plasmas:
- Generally has wider viewing angles
- Blacker blacks (LCDs still let a bit of light through, so the blacks aren't as black, if that makes any sense)
- Better response time than LCD (although LCD is getting much better)

And just to mention that 'burn-in' isn't as much of an issue on modern plasmas as it was a few years ago. The image would need to remain the same for something like 4 days before it left a permanent image in the screen (Depending on the TV).

Advantages of LCD
- Brighter screen, so it looks better if there is a lot of ambient light
- Available in smaller sizes, although you can get either in 42"

Check out this review as well. It is comparing two high end TVs, but it is good because it is very recent, so it addresses issues and whatnot in the newer TVs.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/features/779/plasma-vs-lcd-round-ii.html

[jaislandboy]

big advantage of plama tv's is that you can mount them on the ceiling ;) :p

[Jay_Ev]

Many LCD's have an analog-in which allows them to be used as a giant computer monitor. Just imagine surfing this forum on a 60-incher. Some of the pictures the guys on this forum take would be larger than life.

Jay

[Jarhead90]

I would go with LCD, as stated before plasma screens suffer from burn in
and aren't the best for playing video games (which I do on occasion) so
plasma wouldn't work for me. I also believe plasma screens aren't as
popular as the once were and they depending on usage they don't last
as long (5-7years).

[ClockWork]

I worked at RadioShack for a year and a half. We didn't sell that many TV's, but we did carry them. RadioShack told us to always recomend a LCD TV over a Plasma. The reason being that the LCD's have a longer life span. Is this true? I don't know... RadioShack is a little shifty eyed. But I would say go with LCD from there recomendations, and from what I've read above...

Thanks,

-Clock