So, I've decided with this new job of mine I'm gonna buy a tv for myself. I want one of those thin ones, as my room doesn't have much space, but I don't know what is better. Plasma and LCD look practically the same to me, but the LCD ones seem to be more expensive. Is it a better quality picture or something? Also, what are projection tvs? Is there a difference between normal projection and rear projection? Finally, is it reasonable to get any one of these types, about a 30" for $1500-$2000 Canadian? (probably 1200-1700 American I'd guess)

While I don't know much about their respective qualities, a Plasma TV is going to eat up a huge amount of power compared to a LCD TV, and from what I have heard plasma TVs generally have a shorter life. On the other hand LCD displays are likely going to have dead pixles and a smaller viewing angle.

If you go looking at more TVs one of the things to go look at is the quality of black that the different TVs can display. Most non-CRT based televisions have a very hard time diplaying a good black.

[ 06-11-2005, 09:58 PM: Message edited by: Seraph ]

I've certainly noticed that with my LCD monitor, perhaps plasma screens give a better black?

Hmm... what, might I ask, are dead pixels? Just where nothing shows up in a spot?
The viewing angle shouldn't be that big of a worry, I'll generally be straight across from it. Non-CRT based? What's that?
(As you can tell, I'm very basic with all this stuff ;) )

Dead pixles are pixles that don't behave normally. That generally (but not always) means that they are stuck on some color, or fail to display some color.

CRT = Cathode Ray Tube,
Just about any TV that isn't flat is a CRT. Same with Computer monitors. One thing I've noticed is that once you go more than 15" on a CRT Monitor the thing gets huge.

Are dead pixels really all that noticeable? Or only if you really look for them?
CRT, hmm... probably wouldn't be usable for the kind of tv I want. I'm sure I'll survive with black that isn't completely black though.

<font color=skyblue>The recent studies I have done on my own have produced a little information about this topic.

Plasma is a bit clearer and sharper in image because of that black feature.

LCD is a bit less expensive.

You do not need HD Ready unless you have HD TV, or HD Cable or whatever...unless your DVD player has True Digital hookup. True digital will make DVD player to your HD TV be better than it is through the analog cables people are currently using.

Plasma TVs have to be completely replaced if they go out.

LCD TVs...I think are cheaper on repair.

Those dead pixels may not be a problem if there are only a few scattered...but if there is a concentrated cluster of them,,,then you'll be forever pissed off. My unique suggestion is this. Since it is such an expensive purchase, I will ask the store employee to open the box of the one I am buying and let me personally inspect that screen during play to see for myself that it has no flaws.

This is what I am talking about...HDMI and DVI cables.

http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/faq.asp

http://www.datapro.net/techinfo/dvi_info.html

I think the HDMIs are better, if I remember right. Some Video cards are now coming out with this hookup to go to the monitors for better kick-ass graphics. One problem is that none of the DVD players I saw in store that day at Circuit City had the connection in the back. I suppose you'll have to shop for the right player. </font>

I bought about 6 months ago - and I went for a good quality HD plasma (yamaha) - it was the picture quality that blew me away the most.

Plasma lives have improved a great deal these days, and even when you look at the older generation I know of many sets now 10-15 years that are still looking good.

I was interested in Larry's comment that LCD was cheaper than plasma - no way is that the case over here in OZ. I could get a 42 inch plasma HD from anywhere from 4000 - 8000 (,ome set me back 7G), but the 37 inch LCD's started at 8000. If I wanted a 42 inch LCD it was going to cost 12-15G - too much for this cupcake.

Stuff both of them, there is nothing but crap on tv anyhow ;) Invest your money on sex drugs and rock/ roll instead [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] (and by a cheap CRT for those hungover mornings in bed) [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Hmm... I think the price is about the same for LCDs and Plasma over here. So it's a toss up between better picture and shorter life or worse picture, some dead pixels and easier repair. I'm leaning towards the plasma right now...are there any other advantages/disadvantages for the two? Also, what the heck are projection tvs?

Projection TVs are simple. They have a projector (usually installed in teh ceiling... if you're rich ;) )

They project the picture onto a screen.

A rear projection simply projects onto the back of the screen... (in reverse, so that it appears the right way round from the front.)

That means you need space behind the screen as well... and if a crt is too big... then a rear projection tv will be as well.

Oh... so you couldn't buy normal DVD's to play on it? Or could you, and it would do whatever and project it?

Sure you could. It'll project whatever signal you feed it.

Really... so my Xbox and stuff would work too, I suppose. How much space does it need to project it?

Big con to Plasma screens is a huge burn in issue. Plasma has a higher risk of burn in than CRT's do.

Burn? Do you mean starting on fire burning? Or some other kind of burning?

Agreed there. The quality really does blow you away when you see it for the first time - it's stunning.

Burn in is when an image sits on your screen for awhile. later, say when you turn off the TV the image (rather a shadow of the image) is still there. The image is pretty much burnt into the screen. It'll be there forever.

<font color=skyblue>Actually, I take back what I said when I said I "thought" that Plasma was more expensive. This is why. I just now remembered that the guy at Circuit City told me that Plasma was a little cheaper than LCD these days for one reason. The media has spread the word that plasma has alot of problems and is harder to take care of and that one should only last a person 10-12 years. With that on the mind of a person, they'd be crazy to buy one over LCD...unless the price was too appealing.

For your comparison questions...

Plasma or LCD??

Plasma or LCD??

</font>

10-12 years?! I was thinking, from your comments, it would be 5 years or something. I'd probably have upsized by then, anyways.
Firestorm- Oh, I see, so if you leave a game or something sitting on, or if you pause a movie and forget about it, it'd burn on it? There's no problem if you turn things off right away though, is there?

Screen burn is an issue that I was warned of. That's why the better plasma's have their own programmable screen savers [img]smile.gif[/img] . All I really have to worry about is not leaving the pause button on a DVD and walking away for a few hours. I figure if I am silly enough to do that I deserve what I get.

I've got a 120" full hd projection system (720p). Projection is the ultimate for Home Theater configurations, but there are a couple important points to consider.

- The larger the screen you want, the larger the room you need to have. My screen is in my bar, it's a 35' x 40' space. If your room is small you can still go front proejection, just don't get too agressive with screen size. The rule of thumb is that seating distance should be 1.5x screen size... so with my 10' screen I have the front row of seats at about 15' from the screen.

- Projection systems work best in a dark ambient environtment. My Bar has HEAVY curtains on the windows, and is pretty darn dark even on a bright afternoon... if I open the curtains, ambient light will strike the screen and cause some loss of quality from washout.

- Bulbs have a limited lifespan... usually 2000 hours, replacement bulbs cost about $500.

If you can do it, there is nothing better than front projection. EVERYONE who's seen my system has been totally blown away, the experience is very close to going to a theater... big picture and better sound... without the annoyances of dealing with other people and expensive ticket prices. Including the projector, screen, mounting hardware, HTPC, and THX Stereo I've got maybe $15k invested... that's a whole lot cheaper than it would have cost just a few years ago. You can get a nice projector for $2k-$4k, decent screen for a thousand or so, cables another couple hundred... then just add a sound system of some sort and video source and you're in business.

You don't have to worry about that either. I think modern DVD players have a screensaver that kicks in after being paused for 5 minutes or so.

That sounds a nice set up Thoran. One of my friends has something like that. Rich like you wouldn't believe. The projector retracts from the ceiling, as does the screen, to cover the about 40" tv that they have behind it (I do not know why they have both ;) ) with a push of a button on the remote.

But then... the set up you named costs about 10 times what Sir G said he was looking into ;)

A minor hiccup, no more! :D

What has this world come too I thought this was the best Idea so far. Sir G at your age you needed to be out flashing your wad of cash at chicks. Not in your room watching porn on a good T.V. ;)

But if you need a good t.v I would just get a Flat screen t.v. I have a sony 32" trintron Wega and the thing is great. And the money you save you can still get a few chicks(aka girls). [img]smile.gif[/img]

I prefer plasma, because it's strength 7 and AP 2.

Not really, he's talking about 2k for the tube, you can get a decent projector for 2k and screen for another thousand. All the rest of the stuff you'll need in either case.

What has this world come too I thought this was the best Idea so far. Sir G at your age you needed to be out flashing your wad of cash at chicks. Not in your room watching porn on a good T.V. ;)

But if you need a good t.v I would just get a Flat screen t.v. I have a sony 32" trintron Wega and the thing is great. And the money you save you can still get a few chicks(aka girls). [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]Aren't free movies good enough in this day n' age? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Thoran- Yikes... $3K would take twice as long to save up from $1500 or so. I don't really mind if the quality is worse than normal tvs, and my dads making a great movie theater setup anyways. This tv I'm getting is more for just watching tv while I lay in bed (not that kind of tv, Macky. ;) ) or while I'm playing computor/doing homework. I only make $5.90 an hour, part time so I don't want to be saving for 10 months or something. ;)

I think quality is also very dependent on the manufacturer. Some plasmas look great, some look pretty average. Go to a TV store and see them all lined up on the wall so you can compare.

I've got a 37" Sharp LCD which is mega sharp - to me it looks better than the plasmas I have seen, but it is heaps more expensive for an equivalent size.

Dead pixels? Aren't they a plasma problem, not an LCD problem? I thought that was when the gas things stop working (highly technical, I know!).

The only slight problem I find with LCDs is that when there is loads of detail flashing past on screen, sometimes the pixels 'drag' a little, as though the TV can't get the data up on screen quick enough.

Ahh... I thought I read that you wanted to spend $2k. I think you'll have a challenge getting a decent large LCD or Plasma screen for $1500 or less, there are some out there but I wonder about the quality. You could of course go for a small LCD screen, you can get those under $1500 but they'll be a bit smaller than we've been talking about (30" or less), plasma's in the 42" range can be had for less than 2k but they're REALLY on the low end of the price spectrum (make sure you see what they look like first). LCD's over 40" are going to cost WAY more than $2k

Well, $1500-$2000, but $2000 being the extreme max. I'm looking for, probably, a 30" TV (nothing massive, but nothing too small either). I just don't want to be saving for a really long time.

Well if you're looking in the 30" range I think you should be able to find something. Plasma's tend to be a bit cheaper but I don't know that they go as low as 30", IMO LCD's provide better image quality but they tend to cost more.

Personally I think LCD provides better image quality than Plasma, but in the interest of disclosure I should say that I work for the largest manufacturer of LCD glass in the world... so I'm not exactly unbiased. I'd recommend that you hit a store with both and do your own comparison. Expect to pay more for LCD, and if you feel Plasma gets you the image quality you want you should look at is as a decent option. For the space you're looking at projection probably doesn't make a lot of sense (unless you have a HUGE bedroom ;) )

<font color=skyblue>I was just now listening to Clark Howard on the radio, a financial expert, and was talking about this very subject.

He says that for the money, the LCDs are the better buy in the long run, though he has a friend that disagrees and says that Plasma cost will come down enough in the next three years to make it worth the money.

He also says that we should know that in a magazine that deals in consumer money spending or something reports that some high-cost name brand TVs are coming from companies that make the identical quality with a lesser cost, being that they just are not carrying the name brand. he said that in that magazine, there were two examples of TVs that compared the same TV with and without the name stamp...and the cost difference was doubled.

He said that in the past 90 days, LCD costs have dropped very well, and he estimates that they will be dropping more and more as the consumer demand grows. That is why I am waiting for a while before I buy mine.

One more thing...he said alot of people pay the extra cost to have HD ready or HD integrated...without even knowing what that means,,,and then they do not get the true HD quality because they do not have access to that type of incoming signal. There are TVs made that do not have the HD-ready mechanisms with it...and that is the type that I would buy, since I do not nor ever will have Digital Cable...unless they make it standard and the analog gets removed from consumer options. I just don't watch TV shows that needs the digital clarity. I want to watch my DVDs in digital clarity, however,,,and that is why I will buy a DVD player with the true digital hookup that I linked to earlier in this discussion...before I buy my Digital TV. </font>

[ 06-14-2005, 02:01 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

I run my HD projector from a high end PC (HTPC or Home Theater PC), it allows me to do things like dynamically process DVD movies to improve image quality to near HD levels. I don't have broadcast TV but I'm told it doesn't work as well with TV because the image is just too crappy to do much with. At this point HD broadcasting is just getting going, but expect huge advances in the next couple years. There is an HD VCR currently available (that works very well) and you can rent HD movies online, so it's very close to the point where it'll make sense to pay a bit extra to get those HD capabilities.

Once you see an HD movie you'll NEVER want to go back to TV quality.

As far as LCD's go... as I said my company provides most of the lcd glass being used in the world, and I can tell you that there are NOT a lot of manufacturers making LCD panels. Most of the makes you see in Circuit City are actually rebadged units or in some cases purchased panels with added electronics.

They seem to be about even, I guess I'll just look at the quality of each when I go to buy it. Just one last question though... would you reccomend a widescreen or just a normal one? Some widescreens I've seen really stretch the picture on normal tv, which is why I'm wondering.

Depends on what you plan on watching... if you mostly watch TV then go for the normal aspect ratio, if you mostly watch movies get widescreen.

If you mostly play games get widescreen (xbox 360 will be widescreen I seem to recall, and a PC doesn't care either way)