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Plasma or LCD?

#1
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4/29/09 at 7:03pm
  • Joined: October 2000
  • Location: Norristown, PA
  • Post Count: 237
Guess this gets asked every other week but I didn't see the answer in a search or at least nothing in the last couple years

Anyway, I'm gonna buy a new TV in a week or so. 46" or maybe 50". 50" is kind of pushing it for the space I have but it will just barely fit. I've been looking around on Amazon and other sites and it just seems like Plasmas are cheaper than LCDs lately. Didn't it used to be the other way around? Does that mean one of the formats is dying? if so which one? When I look at them at stores Plasmas tend to have a nicer picture for me, but I'm sure I would be more than happy with either format once I get used to it.

I don't need everything to be perfect cinema quality down to the last pixel, I just want a real nice picture. I'm currently thinking about this 46" from Panasonic or this 50" from Samsung.

I'll be using it for movies & tv and video games (Wii and maybe a PS3)

Some call me Tim.

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#2
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4/30/09 at 8:00am
  • Joined: August 2000
  • Location: SF Bay Area
  • Post Count: 856

Re: Plasma or LCD?

Neither technology is dying, although LCD has always had a larger market share, probably because it is brighter and works better in rooms where light control is an issue. There were some legitimate problems with early plasmas, but those were resolved years ago. Some sales people, either through ignorance or flat out deception, will try to use those early problems to move customers to more expensive LCD displays.

Except for the Pioneer Kuro line, plasma has been less expensive than similar quality and size LCDs for several years.

The best (and 2nd best) plasmas beat the best LCDs in overall picture quality. If you have reasonable light control in the room, plasma is the better option, IMO. The Pioneer Kuro plasmas are the best, period. However, Panasonic plasmas are a pretty close second, with 3-4 LCD units fighting it out further back for 3rd, 4th, etc.

Here's a face-off of 50" displays done last year that has a lot of good info. Link. FYI, one big change since this face-off was done is that Panasonic now manufactures the glass plasma panels for Pioneer.

How far away will you be sitting? If you check that face-off you'll notice that the Pioneer and Panny plasmas were 720p, while most of the LCDs were 1080p. New 50" 720p Pannys can be bought for less than $1K.
Dan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--Benjamin Franklin
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#3
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4/30/09 at 9:10am
  • Joined: October 2000
  • Location: Norristown, PA
  • Post Count: 237

Re: Plasma or LCD?

Cool thanks for the info. I guess I will go with plasma then My girlfriend has a 60" LG plasma and it's real nice. I heard Pioneer's were great, but then I also heard they stopped making them so I wasn't really considering them.

Some call me Tim.

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