New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

LCD Suggestions Needed

post #1 of 8
1/20/12 at 7:18am
Thread Starter 
Hello All,
The Mrs. and I are about to step up to a 1080p capable TV and I'm looking for some brand suggestions. The room that it is going in is pretty bright during the day and there is a window directly across from where the TV will be mounted, so we have decided to go LCD for that reason. My wife wants to go 40-42"; I want to step to a 46-47" set. According to all the sizing guides I have seen I can go much larger, but that is not going to happen due to cost. Performance is important to me, but reliability gets the higher priority here. I tried using Consumer Reports to help make a decision, but most of the tested sets are already beign superceded with the next models. The market is moving faster than consumer publications can keep up with. Given what I have said above, who do you like? Are there a few that are the top of their segments in terms of performance and reliability? Is it just what looks good to my eyes? Any help or suggestions will be very much appreciated.
Best,
Adam.
Reply
post #2 of 8
1/20/12 at 8:04am
Greetings

If viewing angles matter, then plasma is still king.

But if you must have LCD/LED ... then LG and Panasonic have best viewing angles by far over other LCD companies.

Then Sony

then Samsung

then Sharp

Higher end LCD/LED sets tend to have very reflective screen surfaces to make them look upscale. They can reflect more light than a plasma set and may look worse as a result in the same room.

Lower end LCD tend not to have the reflective surfaces.

Performance... Samsung most accurate. Sony and LG next. Sharp and Panasonic less accurate.

Regards
Reply
post #3 of 8
1/20/12 at 9:37am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice, appreciate it. I have been reading that LCD technology has come around enough, that veiwing angle isn't nearly the issue that it used to be. I was watched a Phillips LCD last night in Sam's and moved way off to the side, almost 180 degrees and I could see everything fine. I saw an LCD and a plasma side by side and the viewing angle performance seemed pretty close to equal. Don't get me wrong; I actually prefer the look of the plasma, but I don't know if it will work as well as an LCD in the room that we are putting it in.
Thanks,
Adam.
Reply
post #4 of 8
1/20/12 at 9:40am
CNET Article/Comparison Chart Of Matte Screen LCD TVs:

http://reviews.cnet.com/2795-6482_7-378.html?tag=mncol;txt
Reply
post #5 of 8
1/20/12 at 10:38am
Greetings

When I talk about viewing angles ... it is different than the way the manufacturers talk about it. When they say 178 degrees ... all they mean is that you will get a picture. What does that picture look like? Who cares ... you will get a picture.

I'm talking about the image quality looking the same as if you were head on and off at an angle. Black levels become gray on many LCD tvs. Colors change significantly at off angle viewing.

If all you are concerned with is simply getting a picture ... then any LCD will do. If you want a reasonably intact image with off axis viewing, then it matters.

Plasma set images look the same head on or at 80 degrees off axis. LCD images do not.

Regards
Reply
post #6 of 8
1/20/12 at 6:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael TLV View Post

Greetings
When I talk about viewing angles ... it is different than the way the manufacturers talk about it. When they say 178 degrees ... all they mean is that you will get a picture. What does that picture look like? Who cares ... you will get a picture.
I'm talking about the image quality looking the same as if you were head on and off at an angle. Black levels become gray on many LCD tvs. Colors change significantly at off angle viewing.
If all you are concerned with is simply getting a picture ... then any LCD will do. If you want a reasonably intact image with off axis viewing, then it matters.
Plasma set images look the same head on or at 80 degrees off axis. LCD images do not.
Regards

Let me ask you this question, how well do the anti-glare films work on the plasmas? Do they take away from picture quality, contrast, etc. of the set? Are these films the magic bullet? I would definitely more closely consider a plasma if I knew that I could get rid of the glare/reflection while keeping the picture quality.
Reply
post #7 of 8
1/20/12 at 9:31pm
Greetings

Nothing gets rid of the glare ... but the non glare coating is better than nothing.

You can't have quality viewing in a non reference environment. It's just one compromise after another.

There ain't no magic bullet. Every tech has a down side or many down sides ... they all happen to be different from each other.

Of course plasma sets are not so good if you are the type of person that likes to watch two or three channels all the time. The channel logos will burn into the tv. I have a friend that likes to watch Speed vision a lot ... I can see it in the corner all the time ...on everything he watches.

regards
Reply
post #8 of 8
1/23/12 at 8:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael TLV View Post

Greetings
Nothing gets rid of the glare ... but the non glare coating is better than nothing.
You can't have quality viewing in a non reference environment. It's just one compromise after another.
There ain't no magic bullet. Every tech has a down side or many down sides ... they all happen to be different from each other.
Of course plasma sets are not so good if you are the type of person that likes to watch two or three channels all the time. The channel logos will burn into the tv. I have a friend that likes to watch Speed vision a lot ... I can see it in the corner all the time ...on everything he watches.
regards
There is reference and then there is reality. My reality is that I have a relatively small living room that can be orientated just so many ways, which is to say that the TV can only be in one spot and that is 180 degrees opposite of a window that lets in much needed natural light. I just can't create a special "reference environment" to make way for a true home theater experience; I don't have the space, money or spousal support for that sort of thing. The fact that I've got her on board to buy a new TV is quite an accomplishment given the times, going for a "reference environment" so I can get a plasma would be my "Waterloo" and I would rather not go there. All of this and the ability to burn images into the screen of my nice, new, expensive plasma TV???? Please don't get me wrong, I really appreciate your input and opinions on the matter, but your last post has built an excellent case for a matte screen LCD.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home