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Need guidance-plasma or LCD?

#1
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10/7/09 at 10:36pm
  • Joined: August 2006
  • Location: North Hollywood, California
  • Post Count: 25
 Came into a little money and the wife has finally given the OK to a flat screen.  I am debating between a plasma (50" Panasonic) or LCD (52" or 55" Samsung), and really don't see much of a difference between LCD and LED to justify the higher price. 

The beast would be on top of an antique cabinet about 6 feet off the floor (non-negotiable) and am concerned about the viewing angle, along with about 35 inches of space from the cabinet to the vaulted ceiling (also non-negotiable).  Would also be upgrading the receiver (need a 6.1 due to having that configuration already installed, but would use 7.1 and wire for 6.1) and am considering either a Yamaha or Denon.

I would appreciate any suggestions from the experts here-any suggestions.  So far, most I've heard from are leaning towards the plasma, and my choice of manufacturer has been praised, but if anyone here can make a case for LCD, I will listen.

Thanks in advance.

Oh, is there a more inspiring sight in all this world. . .than the sight of a grown man. . .facing singlehandedly. . .a half-a-ton of angry pot roast?-
"In Old Mexico," by Tom Lehrer

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#2
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10/8/09 at 3:18am
  • Joined: March 2000
  • Location: THX/ISF'er By Night - Calgary
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Greetings

If you are putting it that high, you really have to be aware of viewing angles.  Plasma sets have great viewing angles .... while LCD units don't.  You might see a picture is about all the only claim on the LCD side.  But what would it look like?  "YOU'D SEE A PICTURE"

Brightness and color changes are far more dramatic on LCD ... but also depends on the brand as well.  None are close to plasma though on this matter.

Make sure the Stand you put it on tilts the image down.  Having to look up is a giant pain ...

LCD can stand up to gaming better than plasma ... although plasma would handle gaming better than lcd because it is faster.  Just watch out for uneven wear if you are not careful.

Also consider when your most critical viewing will take place ... day time with tons of sun light ... or night time when the light is controlled.  It matters.  If night time ... is it ... go plasma ... if day time is paramount ... then scale tips slightly to LCD.

regards

Michael @ The Laser Video Experience
THX Video Systems Instructor
ISF Calibration Instructor
Lion A/V Consultants Network
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#3
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10/10/09 at 11:38am
  • Joined: October 2009
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Well.. I've read a lot of David Pogue from the NY TImes and I've also read a lot of home theater magazines. Having had tons of TVs in my life time, I think the best thing at this point is to go with LCD if it's in an open and bright room. If you've got a fairly dark room, like a home theater with surround sound.. .get a plasma. darker blacks and crisper colors with a plasma from my experience. Right now I have a DLP and an LCD. Both are pretty good. Picture quality on DLP is superior at 720p, even though my LCD (52" Sharp Aquos) does 1080p. The only thing I have that even does 1080 is my DVD player with upconversion... So just like Michael above, get something practical for where the TV is going to live.
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#4
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10/11/09 at 10:29am
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for what it's worth, i bought a 46" samsung LCD LN46B640 and put it in my HT in my basement.  Picture looks great.  I'm in a lighting controlled environment and watch sports and primarily movies. 

However, after watching the Dodgers pummel the Cardinals the other night, I noticed more blurring and "trails" than I can deal with.  Example - when the Dodgers would come in from the outfield in their bright white jersey's with blue "Dodgers" on the front...  the word "Dodgers" seemed to "trail" up and down their chest.  I can only think that the response rate at 4ms just can not handle the quick motion fast enough to change the pixels from light to dark.  You would think that 4ms would be unoticable but believe me IT IS!  ...and no I was not intoxicated at the time  :)

Watching college ball yesterday had some problems too...   a noticeable "halo" effect around the players helmets and not a very crisp picture during plays where a lot of the players were in the picture...

I'm now taking the tv back and exchanging for a plasma.


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#5
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10/13/09 at 7:14am
  • Joined: November 1999
  • Location: New England
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riley,
also consider your cable provider as the issue....not necessarily the panel itself
The Sonodome - circa 2001
The Newest Sonotube - circa 2001
Gregg's DVDs updated...sometimes
Lion Audio Video Consultants usually current
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#6
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10/13/09 at 1:57pm
  • Joined: October 2009
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Was it the same channel?
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#7
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10/15/09 at 2:53pm
  • Joined: February 2006
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Man, why so high? I hope you have recliners or something that will be putting your head at the correct viewing angle, otherwise you're gonna have a stiff neck. Unless you get a stand that will tilt it down at your head, an LCD is most likely going to suck. I'd go with plasma, even if it weren't for the drastic viewing angle. Blacks are better, they're crisper, they're just better overall.
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#8
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10/15/09 at 3:58pm
  • Joined: December 2006
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I think everyone has stated the obvious about the height issue. I would not buy a TV at all if it had to put it 6 ft. up.
Anything you get will either look bad or you will have serious health issues. But I have recent experience with both Plasma and LED. My living room set went out. I purchased an LG 60 inch for there. It has THX certification. I watch sports, hi-def movies and hi-def TV over Verizon FIOS. I run Onkyo receiver with Bose speakers. Well, the picture on the  LG plasma is awesome. The processor speed is fast so takes care of the sports issue. Then the old bedroom plasma went out. (It got hot in there with the plasma, no comment) Well, I might get blasted here in this forum, but I bought the new Vizio. It is 55 inch. 240htz processor, local backlighting. The picture is beyond belief. I tweeked it a bit just to see daylight vs night viewing but went back to factory. I paid $1976 US at Sams Club for this set. You would be very happy with the picture. Vizio always does this to Sammy and Panny. It is funny to see. Below is a little bit of writeup and the link to full.

"LED backlights like the one on the Vizio VF551XVT use "local dimming" technology, which turns off or dims the backlight in dark areas while leaving it turned-on in brighter areas. The result is significantly improved black-level performance, a major ingredient in picture quality. CNET recently reviewed the LED-backlit LG LH90 series, for example, which exhibited excellent black level performance, although the 55-inch member of that series costs $2999." (Remember the Samsung is 120Htz and and edge backlit, not local like Vizio.)
Link to writeup: http://ces.cnet.com/8301-19167_1-10133231-100.html?tag=mncol;txt
In conclusion it is worth the extra money for LED. I bought the 3 yr extended warranty because this TV technology is so new.
Good luck.
 

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#9
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10/15/09 at 5:40pm
  • Joined: September 2009
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 I would vote for the plasma technology. It offers excellent black depths and the details are trully excellent. If you manage to find the Pioneer KURO PDP-5090 go for it without question. It is the best there is right now. It is a bit pricey but worth every penny.

Otherwise stick with LED technology. Neutral colors are neutral and deeper blacks. With Samsung go for the 7000 series.....
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#10
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10/16/09 at 10:24am
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Not knowing how your room looks, and since you say you have to have the antique cabinet involved have you thought about buying one of those motorized brackets?  I've seen the ones where they popup from behind your dresser, but maybe you could mount one to come out of the side of the cabinet.  Not knowing if there is any room beside the cabinet to make this possible, I'm basically just spitballing here.  Since you have to use the cabinet, this may be a solution to your height issue.  You can mount it so it comes out at a more appropriate height.  If this is not possible, disregard.  As always your mileage may vary.
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#11
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10/16/09 at 1:38pm
  • Joined: August 2006
  • Location: North Hollywood, California
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The antique cabinet and the vaulted ceiling above it are dictating the decision I made, which is the Panasonic 50" plasma at Best Buy for $999.99, plus getting new Yamaha 7.1 receiver (which will be used for 6.1, since that is what I installed a few years back and very happy with it) and a Panasonic Blu-Ray player and getting it delivered and connected for $1500-not a bad deal at all.

The older 27" set is up on top of the cabinet and has been for over 5 years and there have been no neck problems or back problems for either of us, so this should be no problem at all.  The tipping point was the viewing angle and any image loss-the LCD relatives up in WA is gorgeous, but the set is right at eye level when you sit and when you stood up or sat on something a bit high, you would notice a bit of image loss.

Thanks for all the advice-it is greatly appreciated.

Oh, is there a more inspiring sight in all this world. . .than the sight of a grown man. . .facing singlehandedly. . .a half-a-ton of angry pot roast?-
"In Old Mexico," by Tom Lehrer

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#12
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10/19/09 at 6:30pm
  • Joined: June 2009
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i pretty much concur with the above observations.  i have a five year old Panny 42" 720p plasma, which still retains all of the rich color and well defined blacks that panny plasma is known for.  However, i bought a 37" Panny S1 series 1080i LCD last month and i have been on the fence.  the color is a bit washed out, and even with Dish Network HD, it has a bit of the halo effect described by johnnyutah.  i don't know whether i should return or not.  true, it is very bright and detailed, but comparing to the plasma, the plasma still amazes me with color brilliance in both sports and movies.
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#13
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10/20/09 at 11:16am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiep View Post

Was it the same channel?
No it was a different channel - baseball and football.   I noticed again last night watching "Heroes" that the blurring effect is still there.  This time extremely noticable in darker shaded areas.. like when there were semi-close ups of characters faces and they had shadows around eyes and hairlines.  the eyebrows and eyes seemed to blur...

I have a quality HDMI cable - 1.3 and all - so not sure if that is causing the problem or not.  I have Comcast HD and Comcast says they don't know what I'm talking about when I called them.  My wife says she doesnt notice it as much as i do. 

I spent the better part of the day on Sunday watching football at my local Video Only store and watched a similiar samsung LCD to what I have vs. the Panasonic 50G15 and Samsung 50B650 next to one another.  I dropped them all into "Standard or NAtural" modes to try and compare apples to apples the best I could.  The LCD still had those noticable "trails" but not to the degree I have in my tv.  The plasma's did not have that issue.  They all had little pixelation issues surrounding the players when they were in larger shots...  salesman said that was due to the cameras they were using on the field that they were zoomed in too much coupled with the component cables they were using AND that they fed 6 tv's with one box.  Do I believe him?  I don't know but I do know that, ultimately, the Plasma's looked better .

The salesman seemed to think too that I might have had my Sharpness too high... Had it at about 45 and now its at 0-10. I believe that I have seen some of the "halo" effect go away.  But not by much...

i don't know.. maybe I ate too much acid and mushrooms as a kid...    ;)   just kidding...

The guy said he'd throw in a free Panasonic PD60 blu-ray with the panasonic and get the price down to about $1000.  seems to make sense to me...



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#14
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10/25/09 at 1:17pm
  • Joined: September 2009
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Just bought the Panny 50in G15 and love it.  All the above mentioned problems I had with my LCD are now (for the most part) gone!   Still some issues with the "halo effect" around football players in the wide shots but it is barely noticeable and i mean barely.  Must be the comcast signal coming in...

This is my first plasma and I am sold on the technology!  My lcd had a great picture but nothing compared to this more "realistic" and "natural" looking plasma.  Watched a movie last night and was blown away!

my vote, AbbyNormal, is plasma without hesitation....
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