LCD Vs. Plasma ?

corm500

Hi guys

I am looking to buy a full hd tv 46 to 50 inch. I have about €1400 to spend. I have heard that Samsung or Panasonic are the best for that price range. What I find confusing is which format I should go for LCD or plasma. Anybody got any ideas? Also any TV recommendations would be gratefully accepted. My set up is DVD/DVD Recorder/Sky +/HTPC.

Cheers

Corm500

Morlar

Get ready for some fanboy responses on either side. I think that plasma use more electricity than LCD and also plasma may have an issue with 'burn in'.

byte

I personally think the pictures from Panasonic plasmas are great, however, they do use a bit more electricity (not sure how much, as my Panny seems to vary on power usage, depending on the brightness of what's on eg. a dark scene uses less power than a bright sunny scene).

Personally, I'd suggest going for Panasonic if you go plasma anyway. As for LCD, maybe Sony W-series upwards, or Samsung 6-series upwards, not overly familiar with Panny LCD range.

eddie65

I had a LG plasma and the gas went in it after only two and a half years I now have Samsung 40" LCD. There is the issue of burn in with plasma if you have a still image on for a long time it leaves an image on the screen.

jimmycrackcorm

The whole "burn-in" thing is something from the early plasmas and not an issue any more. On the other hand LCD screens can have problems with the CFL tubes and inverters going; so the screen actually works but is completely dark. The problem with gas going in a Plasma screen is rare as they have a typical MTBF of 60,000 hours.

I have both LCD and Plasma and I have to say that the Plasma has a much richer picture. I have Samsung which I like but the experts recommend Panasonic as being the best.

ShaunC

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

The whole "burn-in" thing is something from the early plasmas and not an issue any more. On the other hand LCD screens can have problems with the CFL tubes and inverters going; so the screen actually works but is completely dark. The problem with gas going in a Plasma screen is rare as they have a typical MTBF of 60,000 hours.

I have both LCD and Plasma and I have to say that the Plasma has a much richer picture. I have Samsung which I like but the experts recommend Panasonic as being the best.

that sums up my thoughts on the debate, they are similar as far as reliability issues go, you only ever hear minority issues like burn in etc, I know lots of people with plasmas and lcd and have never heard one complaint, I have a 42in Hitachi 6600 plasma and am planning on getting a 50in panny full HD plasma (check out Richer Sounds thread) for about €1100.

corm500

Having had a look around I think plasma might suit me better. What do you guys think of this model? :

Panasonic TH-50PZ80B - 50" Widescreen Viera 1080P Full HD Plasma TV - With Freeview.

Anyone have any experience of it. Also would the freeview tuner pick up the RTE digital trials, that are going on at the moment?

Cheers

Corm500

Zonda999

corm500 wrote: »

Having had a look around I think plasma might suit me better. What do you guys think of this model? :

Panasonic TH-50PZ80B - 50" Widescreen Viera 1080P Full HD Plasma TV - With Freeview.

Anyone have any experience of it. Also would the freeview tuner pick up the RTE digital trials, that are going on at the moment?

Cheers

Corm500

That model is mpeg2 only which means its useless foe the dtt trials(And full service when it comes). The 50pz81, would however pick up the irish DTT and also give you all the freesat UK channels if connected to a satelite dish

DelsFan

My conclusion (will be glad to hear opinions from others):

I'm going with the 42" Panny Plasma because:

I don't want to pay the extra for the Pioneer Plasma,
Apparently burn-in with the Plasma is a thing of the past,
The Plasma technology is better at displaying sports and action movies,
A good plasma set displays more detailed blacks (and nearly infinitely different levels of black, whereas the LCD blacks are more like on or off).
The plasma set displays a good picture when viewed off-axis, the LCD does not.
AFTER setting a plasma set properly (changing to pleasant warm setting, not "torch" mode) the plasma sets supposedly use only slightly more power than the LCD's.

The only downside I see is that LCD's work a little better in bright rooms - it seems this gap is closing as the Plasmas are getting brighter, and I can shut the curtains if necessary. But I can't make footballers run slower or have guests watch in a nearly straight line.

Jev/N

DelsFan wrote: »

The plasma set displays a good picture when viewed off-axis, the LCD does not.

Looking at my LCD at the moment I can see the picture displayed perfectly up to 80+ degrees off axis?

Maybe you're thinking of computer LCD screens? my laptop has an issue with colours when viewed far off axis

Kanedmick

Hi! I am also facing this dilemma but at a smaller size - 32".

I have been trying to find a LG 32PG6000 to have a look at before deciding- anyone know any shop in Dublin environs that might stock?

Thanks!

von Neumann

corm500 wrote: »

Also would the freeview tuner pick up the RTE digital trials, that are going on at the moment?

Corm500

Hi, I bought a pioneer plasma about 18 months and pick up the digital signals, really great picture etc.
Even picks up some uk channels but can't view as no permission . I think you can get a freeview card and put it in a slot at the back of the tv. I was aways a bit vague on this!

riccol1966

Plasma pluses:
- best picture quality (look around the web, you will see top end plasmas always win out)
- best viewing angle, i.e you can sit anywhere
- really large screens available (60" and up)

minuses:
- early models prone to screen burn
- heavy to mount
- higher electricity consumption
- no plasma units available below 32"

LCD pluses:
- lightweight
- lower electricity consumption
- no screen burn
- lots of sizes to choose from

minuses:
- lcd backlight detracts from picture quality
- image not as smooth
- optimal viewing angle required

In summary, if picture quality is your #1 requirement then plasma wins hands down. Otherwise consider the good and bad points of both