Choosing a plasma TV (1 Viewer)

[mark72]

I am contemplating buying a 42" LG Plasma TV. I've never owned any LG products before. Does anybody have an opinion (good or bad) about the quality of their Plasma TV's? Or their reputation in general? The model # of the one I'm looking at is 42PC3D. I'm also considering a Hitachi Plasma (model # P42H4011) as it is similar in price. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bassman99floyd]

I'm not sure if the board will agree with me, but I wouldn't even consider a plasma tv. I would rather get a LCD TV.

These TV's have a light source that enable you to see an image. LCD's and DLP's are made, such that when the bulb burns out, the consumer can replace the bulb, as if it were in a lamp. Once the bulb in a plasma TV goes, you'll need to buy another TV.

LCD's are also a flat TV, that you can hang on a wall like Plasma.

I'm curious to see what other people say??

 

[snaskit]

nice

 

[joseph westcott]

LG is not a bad product but has never been considered a leader in plasma or LCD panel design.

Here is a link that may help you decide if you are looking for the best performers in plasma or LCD.

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/

Both techologies have come a long way and the differences in performance have become marginal over the last couple of years, and they keep getting narrower. Burn in and off axis viewing angles are less of a problem so unless you have a decerning eye or some difficult placement choices, get what you can afford.

bassman,

I think you could benefit from these links. This one in particular should help you discern between the two technologies.

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv-plasmavslcd.shtml

 

[mark72]

Thanks for all the feedback! I should have mentioned in my original post that the reason I've narrowed down my search so tightly is unfortunately due to my budget constraints. The LG Plasma unit is currently available at a local electronics store for $1299. The Hitachi is about $100 more. I guess the LCD vs Plasma debate still rages on, but after doing some research I decided on plasma because as I understood it, plasma displays richer, deeper blacks than LCD and LCD suffers from "the rainbow effect". I'll be using my TV mostly for watching DVDs and sports as opposed to gaming. Is my info outdated? Do you guys think LCD is the way to go? Please keep the ideas coming...

 

[DownTown22]

I'll have to agree with joseph - LG doesn't really make bad TV's, but they also don't make great TV's.

I highly recommend the Hitachi. I bought the same model and I don't have any complaints. The image looks amazing. The reason why Hitachi TV's are cheaper than most, is due to the fact that more people go towards the "bigger name" TV's like Panasonic, Pioneer, Sony, etc. No matter what anybody says, it's not because Hitachi doesn't make good products!

Also, for watching a lot of sports programming, you really can't go wrong with a plasma. I use mine for everything - SD programming, HD programing, sports, DVD movies and some gaming - and it's all looked good, especially my DVD's!

I did a lot of researching and viewing of TV's (both LCD and Plasma) before I finally decided on plasma, and I couldn't be happier!

 

[keith021773]

I have owned 2 Hitachi Ultravisions.. One was the 50UX22B and it lasted for 13 years.. Loved it! I just recently bought a DLP Ultravision and I love it as well.. You really can't go wrong getting an Ultravision.. I highly recommend them! They are alittle more expensive, but they last and always look great!

 

[joseph westcott]

I just helped a friend of mine pick out a Panasonic 42" plasma. It was about $1200 at Circuit City. The non glare glass model was almost $200 more. The model number is Panasonic TH-42PX75U, I think. Model numbers are pretty screwy once the big chains get involved. They seem to generate their own numbers. And from the links I provided, Panasonic seems to the consistent market leader. I was impressed after calibration. Blacks were the best I have seen on a flat panel.