[lnmcas02]

Ok, I started to thread jack one of DougZ's threads with this question so I thought I'd start one dedicated to it. I'm in the market for a 50-52" LCD or plasma TV and I've done some research and am kind of leaning towards the plasma. Anyone have personal experience/knowledge with comparing these tv's? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Whatever Dude]

In that size i would be leaning towards LCD.

j/k. As i mentioned, plasma has better pic quality in that size, and I hear they don't "Burn in" like they used to. My buddy, who does home theater installs for a living, has two giant plasmas, and chose them over LCDs for their superior pic quality, but thats all I can offer.

 

[silversx80]

Plasma has a better contrast ratio and a quicker image refresh (not to be confused with refresh rate). It'll still burn in but that image will dissapate after a short while. LCDs are brighter, use less energy and can produce better image clarity. The picture can leave trails because the previous image will not clear 100% before the next one(usually will go unnoticed) so it isn't ideal for gaming and sports.

 

[lnmcas02]

In that size i would be leaning towards LCD.

j/k. As i mentioned, plasma has better pic quality in that size, and I hear they don't "Burn in" like they used to. My buddy, who does home theater installs for a living, has two giant plasmas, and chose them over LCDs for their superior pic quality, but thats all I can offer.

Thanks again man, every little bit helps! I also like that the plasma's in that size are considerably less expensive than the LCD counterparts.

 

[dan46n2]

LCD's have a matte screen finish.
Plasma's are glossy.
Plasma's work better in a dark room. If you have a room with alot of light, consider LCD.
That's all I got really.
With that said, I own a 40" Sony Bravia LCD capable of 1080P.

 

[ASCSurveyor]

I heard somewhere that Plasma's are more expensive to "service", and that if one thing goes wrong with them, you pretty much have to replace the whole TV. Any truth to this?

 

[DieTrying310]

I sold TV's for a couple of years at Best Buy and staring at and researching them for so many d*mn hours in a day gives you a good idea how they look and perform side by side. That being said:

Plasma - Was dominate for a long time due to contrast, refresh, and resolution. Not so much anymore. Great for dark rooms and dark movies/games thanks to a great contrast ratio.

LCD - Avoid the ones no names and ones with glossy screens (started adding those last year) and they're hard to top. Better resolution, refresh is on par with plasma, colors are d*mn close if not equal to plasma on most sets. Great for pretty much everything in every type of light.

Me personally I'd take an LCD every time.

 

[DieTrying310]

I heard somewhere that Plasma's are more expensive to "service", and that if one thing goes wrong with them, you pretty much have to replace the whole TV. Any truth to this?

If it's a board or a button then it can be serviced but it's expensive regardless of TV type. If the TV starts to dim, which plasmas do with time, you have to scrap them. There is no "recharging" a plasma like is sometimes mentioned. On an LCD a backlight can be replaced by a service center and some of the newer models have lights that are easier to swap out by a consumer to save service costs.

 

[ASCSurveyor]

Ah, I see. Gotcha.

 

[Whatever Dude]

I heard that there are like 3 manufacturers of the actual LCD screen, and that the TV manufacturers all buy them from the same places, then put their fancy cases around them and stuff. Not sure if thats true.

 

[MrDan]

Since we couldn't find an installer who would hang a TV in our room, we went with a rear projection LED. It's the nicest tv I've seen in person under $10k. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

It was also about 1/3 the cost of comparable 61" LCDs and Plasmas ;D And no bulbs to burn out.

 

[DieTrying310]

I heard that there are like 3 manufacturers of the actual LCD screen, and that the TV manufacturers all buy them from the same places, then put their fancy cases around them and stuff. Not sure if thats true.

That is actually pretty close to true. A few places make their own but it's rare, most buy from the same few big companies.

 

[solidONE]

Plasma screens draw a lot more power than a equivalent LCD to, dont they? And they are physically heavier for the same amount of visible area, I heard.

 

[DieTrying310]

^^^ Also true.

 

[Whatever Dude]

How much cheaper are they than LCD in the larger sizes? (50+)

 

[DieTrying310]

That varies a lot by manufacturer. Anywhere from equal price to ~$1000 cheaper. Just depends on the brands you want.

 

[DANCOOL123]

2 DOWN 2 TO GO. Currently replacing every tv in the house with LCDs mounted on the wall. It actually makes the house a little cleaner ,gets rid of that stand or ent. center that becomes a catchall and collects dust. I do not have a big house so the extra space it creates in each room is great. And I dont have big rooms, so a huge tv is not needed. You can get a lot of tv for 600-800 now days. a 60+ inch screen would look rediculous in my house, as much as I would like one.

 

[lnmcas02]

I'm gonna head to circuit city tonight and do some more comparison shopping after I activate the new credit card ;D Hopefully I can take advantage of some liquidation sales. I guess with the new technology in both the plasma's and the LCD's I can't really go wrong w/ either. As long as it's 50-52", has a sharp picture and I can mount it on the wall I'll be happy.

 

[Zach]

I'm gonna head to circuit city tonight and do some more comparison shopping after I activate the new credit card ;D Hopefully I can take advantage of some liquidation sales. I guess with the new technology in both the plasma's and the LCD's I can't really go wrong w/ either. As long as it's 50-52", has a sharp picture and I can mount it on the wall I'll be happy.

check prices before you pull the trigger at circuit city.

you've been warned.

 

[lnmcas02]

check prices before you pull the trigger at circuit city.

you've been warned.

Yeah, I'm gonna be sure to do some comparison shopping before breaking out the plastic. Any suggestions on where to look for good deals?