TV Help .. Plasma, LCD, DLP ?!?!

[Quad18star]

Alright so the girlfriend and I are in the market for a new TV . Apparently our 19" TV just doesn't cut it anymore :confused: lol .

So I started looking around , and I got myself more confused now than I was before I started shopping for them . LCD , Plasma , DLP ..... HDTV , EDTV , SDTV ... this ones better than that one . Don't buy this , buy that ..... I need some serious help .

Here's basically what we do with our TV . We have satelite programming and watch whatever is one ... you know ... CSI: Miami ,the news , The Simpsons , :p . The there's always the nightly rentals from the video store and of course .... SPORTS !!!!

Now I've heard that LCD is better , but you have to sit directly in front of the screen to get a clear picture . I've also heard that Plasma is better for more action stuff like movies and sports . And don't even ask me about DLP , cause I don't even know what it stands for or what it is .

Can someone give me some insight on all this ? What's a good brand name that I don't have to give an arm and a leg for ?

OH and we're thinking of staying at around 40" - 42 " mark .

[Ghost-Rider]

Plasma man... my aunts got 1 them plasma screen tvs go right on the wall like a picture .... ooo so nice.....but we dont watch much tv at my house we cant get cable either since im in the boone docks....but yea plasma all the way and you my aunts plasma is also hdtv i think a lot come with hdtv

[juanki]

get a proyector and a screen, thats the way to go, its like in the movies, you can get a very good one for about the same price of tv, i assume that you already have a theather sound system, its a prefect match.

i got a sony proyector for 1300, didnt get the screen, but i painted white the wall and that was that.

the thing with plasmas and lcd tv is that they last 5-6 years with good resolution, and then you have to get other tv, with proyectors, you change only the bulb. mine will last 4000 hrs wich is about 167 days running straigth, lets say that you watch tv for 4 hrs daywill last 1000 days that is 2.78 years. and buy a bulb for 100 dls and thats it.

[Quad18star]

I don't have a theatre sound system either !! I haven't even looked at those yet .

We would like one that goes on the wall also .

[250exen]

if you go with a plasma, you have to be careful, you dont want to burn in the picture. Technology is getting better and this is happening less and less, but it still happens. If i was you, i would def. go lcd, they last longer, and the picture is just as good.
ED- enhanced defenition
sd- standard def.
HS- High def<- THe way to go!

IF you do go high-def, make sure you have HDMI inputs because its the new latest and greatist input. You can always expand with it later, hd-dvd, bluray dvd xbox306, ps3 and all the other cool toys.

DLP is also a great option. not nearly as big as an old school projection, but not a tiny lcd. it depends on the room you have. The picture quality is about the same as the lcd and plasma

the best way to find a brand name is to go to the store(bestbuy, circuit city ect) and look at them yourself. All pictures look different and its matter of personal opnion. You could also do a google search for reviews of lcd, plasma or dlp tv's and see what others say about um.

hope i helped some


*edit. must of posted at the same time, if its going on the wall, no DLP.. to big

[MOFO]

Originally posted by 250exen


DLP is also a great option. not nearly as big as an old school projection, but not a tiny lcd. it depends on the room you have. The picture quality is about the same as the lcd and plasma




Ummm I have a 46" DLP and its 13" deep... not even CLOSE to old school CRT projection.

[MOFO]

Ok, here's the quick and dirty... this is one of my other hobby's.

EDITED ** I stole this from another site where someone created a GREAT post explaining the technology's - he does a much better job than I would - and its a time saver! He covers every topic and I agree with everything he states in here **

OK, since there seems to be a whole load of "TV X vs TV Y" threads that have come up lately, I've taken some time to write out what I think is the ideal process for choosing a new television. If you have any questions or comments, please IM me.

So You Want A New TV

Good for you, buying a new display should be an enjoyable experience, and if you make the right decision, something you can enjoy for quite some time. In the following paragraphs I will attempt to inform you on the important aspects of TV's that you should consider, and give you a step-by-step process to choosing the correct display for your needs.

Step 1: Where is the display going?

Think about the environment you are going to be putting the display in.

Do you have a lot of windows or bright lighting in the room? How far away from the display will you be sitting? Do you want the display mounted to the wall, or are you ok with having the display on a stand? How much depth, weight is acceptable? Can you get the cables from your components to the display in an aesthetically acceptable fashion? All of these things should be considered before deciding on a display technology.
In reference to viewing distance, a good general rule is to be farther than 2.5x the screen size from a 720p-based display, or farther than 1.5x the screen size away from a 1080p-based display.

You can infer from that my feeling on 1080p-based vs. 720p-based sets: unless you are closer than 2.5x the screen size away, you will likely see no benefit from a 1080p set compared to a 720p set if they are equal in all other aspects.

Step 2: What kind of display is best for me?

Following is a quick breakdown of the different types of technologies. Understand that the following statements are general, and some TV's may break the mold of their kind. Also keep in mind that there is a range of quality in each technology, I'll address that later:

Direct-view CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), available in 26-34" screen sizes
Positives: Best picture quality of any display technology currently on the market. Wide viewing angle. Solid reliability record with no consumable parts to replace. Least expensive of all display technologies.

Negatives: They're heavy (34" generally weight about 170-200lbs). They're deep (34" about 20" deep, although new technology has some closer to 14"). The glass screen is glare-prone. They're the least sexy of all displays, unless your friends are learned enough to appreciate the great picture.

Direct-view LCD, available in 17-65" screen size
Positives: Shallow depth of cabinet and very light weight make placement simple, including wall-mountability. Very bright picture. No image retention makes them ideal for use as PC monitor. Very little glare. Good viewing angle.

Negatives: The worst picture quality of display types, generally characterized by poor black level, inaccurate coloration, and artifacting (smearing/blocking) with fast motion. Definitely not the display type for the discering videophile. Expensive when compared to Plasma of equal size.

Plasma, available in 37-80" screen size
Positives: Shallow depth of cabinet and light weigh make placement simple, including wall-mountability. Uniformaly bright picture quality. Very good viewing angle. Best picture quality of wall-mountable display types, best models rival CRT picture quality. Probably the sexiest of all display types.

Negatives: Highest potential for image retention of any display type, although probably not a big worry unless you leave static images on the screen for a long time. Few models are built to native HDTV resolutions, so quality of scaling is extremely important. Glass front panel can glare. Plasma panels consistently lose brightness every time they are turned on, however, most people will move on to a new television long before their Plasma is noticeably less bright.

Microdisplay Rear-Projection (SXRD/LCD/DLP/DILA) available in 42-73" screen sizes
Positives: Much less expensive than similar sized flat-panel televisions of equal picture quality. Good to excellent picture quality depending on model. No image retention risk. By far the most popular large-screen HDTV category.

Negatives: All current models utilize a user-replaceable lamp with averages in lifespan from 2000 to 6000 hours of claimed life and range from $150 to $1000 to replace, most are under $400. Viewing angle is not as wide as plasma, CRT, or direct-view LCD, but still acceptable for most users. Depth ranges from 14-22", so they require a stand or cabinet to sit upon.

Front Projection (DLP/SXRD/LCD/DILA) avaiable in 70-150+" screen sizes
Postives: The closest thing to a real theatrical experience can only be achieved with front projection. Screen is wall-mountable or even retractable, so front projection systems take up no floor space.

Negatives: Lighting must be very low for front projection picture quality to be acceptable, preferably completely dimmed. User-replaceable lamps like those in microdisplays get similar lifespans and costs. Picture quality that truly competes with the other technologies is not cheap: be prepared to spend double the price of plasma if you want to double the screen size and keep the same picture quality.

Step 3: The Face Off

Once you have decided on which basic technology is right for your needs, the next step is to actually go and look at the displays. Picture quality is something that can not be quantified purely by numbers on a page, because many of the most improtant aspects of creating a picture (scaling and processing) are not measurable; many measurable specs can be measured in a number of ways to make the numbers appear more appealing. The truth of the matter is, the only way you can tell if a display has a good picture is to see it for yourself.

Ideally, you want to shop at a place that has all of the displays you're considering on display and on the same source. If possible, try shopping at a place that doesn't have the TV's under extremely bright lighting (Costco/Circuit City/Walmart are all generally pretty bad, if you want to make the final purchase there, be my guest, but view them elsewhere). Vitrually all larger cities will have at least one medium-size AV specialty retailer that will have the sets displayed in a more real-world atmosphere. Also, if the specialty AV dealer spends an hour helping you out and providing good service, you owe him your business if his prices are even mostly competitive.

Now, the next step of choosing is to actually view the sets on an equal playing field. Most all sets come out of the box tuned to look acceptable in a Costco-type atmosphere, which means the picture is usually massively oversaturated with color, noisy, and unrealistically colored. The quick and dirty way to level the playing field is to get the remote for the display, set all of the picture settings (contrast/color/brightness/etc) to the middle position, turn off all picture enhancements (edge enhancement/contrast enhancer/flesh tone tweaker/etc), and try to get the same source on all sets. Look for which set has the most realistic colors, the best detail, the best depth-of-field. Most places show bright/vivid material for demo, try to find something with dark scenes so you can see how well it does with shadow detail. The one thing that is over-rated is how bright the picture is. It is virtually impossible to build a set with extremely high brightness that can do anything else well, and the only time you need something that bright is if you will have massive amounts of ambient light at all times.

This may seem counterintuitive to many of us men, but bring along the wife and ask her opinion. Women tend to have better vision than men, and if she feels like a part of the process she'll be more forgiving when you both agree that the more expensive one really is what you should be buying.

Now, here's the hard part for most people. PICK THE SET THAT YOU LIKE BEST! You have to be the one who lives with the set for the next 2,5, or 10 years, make sure it is something you really like. Picture quality is partially subjective, so let your eyes do the deciding.

Step 4: Setting It Up

I won't go into hookup here, because it differs for every system. There are numerous setup guides available on the internet, and thousands of helpful people on a/v web boards who will help you out with hookup if you can't figure out the cryptic manual. Many dealers often offer installation services that may be worth the money if you are a busy person and don't want to burn hours figuring everything out. Smaller AV specialty shops will usually help you out over the phone or in the store for free.

I strongly recommend the purchase of a calibration DVD to help with basic setup of picture settings. The Monster Cable/ISF setup disk is available from the Monster Cable website and is excellent. It really is a must-have for every display. If you really want to get the best possible out of your new set, give it about 300 hours to break in, then have an ISF-certified calibrator come in and work their magic. It seems expensive, but the improvement is very noticeable. You can find a list of calibrators at http://www.imagingscience.com.

**********************

My $0.02 in addition to above.


Some items to keep in mind. HD programming will increase your current bill (usually $7-10 on avg). Your current DVD player will look like crap. Put aside atleast $150-200 for a decent upscaling DVD player. Do not count on the TV speakers to sound good at all - plan to invest in a quality audio system. I would not recommend those $300-500 Home Theater's in a Box. I would start with a quality 2 channel system and add quailty speakers as you can afford them. You'll thank me later!

[MOFO]

Originally posted by juanki


the thing with plasmas and lcd tv is that they last 5-6 years with good resolution, and then you have to get other tv, with proyectors, you change only the bulb. mine will last 4000 hrs wich is about 167 days running straigth, lets say that you watch tv for 4 hrs daywill last 1000 days that is 2.78 years. and buy a bulb for 100 dls and thats it.


Wrong. Today's Plasmas have a 1/2 life of around 60,000 hours. At around 60,000 hours you might notice the brightness has been cut by 50-60%. By the time you notice ANY kind of video quality loss, you will have already bought a new TV due to technology changing.

[MOFO]

If you really want to fill your head with info about this... go to... www.avsforum.com.

Thats my other hang out... ;) Once you find a TV you like, go to this forum and research the TV model. I promise you you'll find more than enough "real world" info about a certain TV model you are going to buy.

Feel free to send me a PM for further discussion... like I said, its something I really enjoy and spend WAY too much time and $$$$ on! :D

[MOFO]

Ahhhh... here's some eye candy. :D My current setup.

[Guy400]

I love my 55" Sony 3LCD rear projection (A20 series). I was committed to buying a DLP until I went to the store and discovered I was one of the very small minority whose eye picks up rainbow:( Watching HD programming is stunning now and I'm very reluctanct to watch anything on a SD channel. My big screen is down in the rec. room in the basement and I watch as much HD as I can get down there. When I have to watch something that's not on an HD station I go upstairs to the living room and watch it on my old 32" Toshiba.

My brother just called me on Sunday afternoon and told me he just picked up the new 55" Sony SXRD:grr: Looks like I'll have to sell mine and buy a new set to keep up with the Jones' :D

[400exrider99]

lcd will never wear out like other tvs

[MOFO]

Originally posted by Guy400

My brother just called me on Sunday afternoon and told me he just picked up the new 55" Sony SXRD:grr: Looks like I'll have to sell mine and buy a new set to keep up with the Jones' :D


That is one TV I would recommend - great picture!

[Guy400]

I've stood in front of one at Best Buy but I'm anxious to see one in a house setting. All I know is that I'm completely happy with mine but after seeing the SXRD it is clearly better than mine. On top of buying that TV he gets an Onkyo receiver and a Polk RTi8 home theater system. It's not the most top-of-line stuff but it's a hell of lot better than my $400 1000w Sony system.

[polcat1p]

My 42 inch sony lcd hd. Love it.
You can see the tv from all angles

[Quad18star]

Here's a couple that we went and looked at tonight . Give me your opinions .

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0770HDS0010075424&logon=&langid=EN

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0770HDS0010073647&catid=23524&logon=&langid=EN#

This one really caught our eye . They have one as an open box sale .... coems with everything , same warranty , etc for $1999 rather than $2599

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010073637&catid=

[honda350r]

It is all about the Sony SXRD !!!

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by honda350r
It is all about the Sony SXRD !!!

Nice TV ... just a tad too big for me though .

We don't have a very large living room , so at most you're only sitting about 8 feet away from the TV , that's why I think a 42" TV would do perfect.

[honda350r]

They make a 50" SXRD cost around 2500.00 and it will be perfect at 8" or closer!!

[firefighterjosh]

Man I want a new TV now lol. I still have the 27inch from wal-mart for $100 lol.

I am just afriad to buy one since the technology is changing so much. Seems like If I go out and spend 2 k on a tv in 3 months the same TV is now $500.

[honda350r]

Originally posted by firefighterjosh
Man I want a new TV now lol. I still have the 27inch from wal-mart for $100 lol.

I am just afriad to buy one since the technology is changing so much. Seems like If I go out and spend 2 k on a tv in 3 months the same TV is now $500.


Get used to it!! My SXRD has gone down over 500.00 in less than six months .. Oh well

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by firefighterjosh
Man I want a new TV now lol. I still have the 27inch from wal-mart for $100 lol.

I am just afriad to buy one since the technology is changing so much. Seems like If I go out and spend 2 k on a tv in 3 months the same TV is now $500.
Hey man , don't feel so bad .... we're still stuck with a SMALL 19" TV . Ever try watching sports on a TV that small?? It's not fun !!!

I agree ... technology is changing so much , that I know if I buy a TV tomorrow , it'll be obsolete in no time ... but these sales on the ones we were looking at end tomorrow , so we gotta act fast . :ermm:

[firefighterjosh]

Originally posted by Quad18star
Hey man , don't feel so bad .... we're still stuck with a SMALL 19" TV . Ever try watching sports on a TV that small?? It's not fun !!!

I agree ... technology is changing so much , that I know if I buy a TV tomorrow , it'll be obsolete in no time ... but these sales on the ones we were looking at end tomorrow , so we gotta act fast . :ermm:


I am afraid of reliablility too. You can buy a 1989 warrior for 2k and beat the **** out of it and it will never die. You can buy a new 7k 450r and it will blow up in 3 days of riding:scary:

My old $100 27inch is awesome no problems. Then I here of all these nice TVs going for 2k - 10k having problems.

[MOFO]

Originally posted by Quad18star
Here's a couple that we went and looked at tonight . Give me your opinions .

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0770HDS0010075424&logon=&langid=EN

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0770HDS0010073647&catid=23524&logon=&langid=EN#

This one really caught our eye . They have one as an open box sale .... coems with everything , same warranty , etc for $1999 rather than $2599

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010073637&catid=


First off STAY WAY FROM EDTV AT ALL COSTS!!!!!! Its not HDTV.

If you like the Samsung brand of 40" LCD panels, I would look for this one ----> http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS4095DXXAA.asp

worth the extra $$$.

If you can't find it, go with this one.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7689192&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050039&id=1138083504654

Also be advised that LCD "panels" are prone to ghosting with high speed action (ie sports). I'm not sure how well the latest models work, but I know that was an issue in the past.

[MOFO]

Originally posted by firefighterjosh

My old $100 27inch is awesome no problems. Then I here of all these nice TVs going for 2k - 10k having problems.


nah, go watch a football game on one of these sets. Your 27" will no longer be "awesome".

If anyone is worried, DO RESEARCH with the link I provided and make sure you get the extended warranty for 4 years...

I've had mine for 2 years now and NOT ONE ISSUE. :D

[firefighterjosh]

Originally posted by MOFO
nah, go watch a football game on one of these sets. Your 27" will no longer be "awesome".

If anyone is worried, DO RESEARCH with the link I provided and make sure you get the extended warranty for 4 years...

I've had mine for 2 years now and NOT ONE ISSUE. :D

Might have to do so...Now if I can just get the woman to agree

[Quad18star]

Thanks for all the great info Eric , it'll help our decision making !!!

[red2004 TRX450R]

I got Sony Bravia LCD and it is great, one of the best pictures I have ever seen!!
my friends dad has a High dollar plasma and he is pissed because he likes my LCD better!! and he has ghost shadows in his TV from watching the Bloomberg channel!!

my other friend has a DHP and its OK, lot cheaper than a flat but it gets a rainbow effect on the white if a dark color is close by.

[MOFO]

Originally posted by red2004 TRX450R
I got Sony Bravia LCD and it is great, one of the best pictures I have ever seen!!
my friends dad has a High dollar plasma and he is pissed because he likes my LCD better!! and he has ghost shadows in his TV from watching the Bloomberg channel!!

my other friend has a DHP and its OK, lot cheaper than a flat but it gets a rainbow effect on the white if a dark color is close by.


Yep, I've heard great things about the Sony Bravia too - its probably one of the best LCD panels out there.

[JLanphear]

We have a 42" plasma that we've had for a little over 2 years. I haven't noticed any quality loss, but unless it's dramatic I suppose it's hard to remember what it looked like 2 years ago.

It hangs over the fireplace in our living room.

Looking to get another one mounted to the fireplace in the bedroom...or else we will get a larger one to replace the one in the living room and move this one upstairs.

Anyway, I don't know much about TV's, but I figured I'd just post some random info from our experience.

-Josh

[MOFO]

Greg... any updates?

[Quad18star]

No new info just yet . I went back on friday to check out the Samsung but it was already sold . We're going to keep shopping and maybe hold off till the Boxing Day sales . I'll update more when I get home on Monday , right now I'm at the cottage ( my parents home) and using dial-up ... SUPER slow .

[trick250r]

Originally posted by MOFO
Ahhhh... here's some eye candy. :D My current setup.




yeah comcast :p

[MOFO]

Originally posted by trick250r
yeah comcast :p

I'll take Comcast over DirecTV ANYDAY comparing HD quality - atleast in my area.