Samsung DLP vs. Plasma (1 Viewer)

[ben pivar]

Trying to come to a decision on a 50" HD Display. Because I'm limited in space because of my entertainment center (it's built into the house), I have a maximum width of about 49.5" making the Panasonic and the Pioneer plasmas too wide. I've also been looking at the new Samsung HLR5078W. I checked out the DLP and both my wife and I thought we liked the performance of the plasma a bit better, but I also realize that the video signal at my local Hi-Fi Buys sucked. We watch a lot of movies and I like some sports. My wife watches a fair amount of TV. The room is very bright - one wall is completely filled with windows and the room is not a dedicated home theater room.

Right now I'm leaning toward the Samsung HPR 5072 Plasma. It's about $600 more than the DLP. It's also 1080 P capable, but I understand there aren't many sources for such a signal, so I'd be buying ahead of the curve.

Thoughts?

 

[ben pivar]

Correction - The cabinet is only 49" wide...

 

[mylan]

I would buy whatever fit the best. I don't have specs on any of these sets. Plasma is cool, no doubt, but bear in mind that they can burn 4x3 and letterbox images in, as well as those pesky station "bugs" that alot of channels are putting in the right corner. Newer plasmas may be better than previous designs, some even shift the pixels ever so slightly to try and prevent burn in but it is still a concern. I would not play video games either, as people tend to pause them.
You are correct that there are not many 1080P sources, blue ray or HD-DVD may change that IF they can ever get their format wars figured out, right now its overkill.
Rear projection DLP or LCD is a good option, there is no chance of burn in and both sets look really good, I have a Sony 60" LCD that I love. You just have to have about 17" depth in your cabinent to make either work.

 

[ben pivar]

What do people do to reduce the possibility of burn-in on Plasma. I hear that this is less of an issue with some of the newer sets. I was leaning towards the plasma because of brightness as one wall in my room is full of windows.

 

[mylan]

Well, really all the things I said before. Don't pause video games or TIVO for too long, mix up your veiwing between 4x3 tv shows and wide screen veiwing should help.
If you are going with an HD tuner, alot of primetime is in widescreen, which would fill in your screen. Ask to see the specs and make sure that models you are interested in have that pixel shift feature.
You could check on Some newer Sonys or JVC that have a system known as Dila or SRXD which is sort of a hybrid of LCD and DLP that is brighter than either, still no burn in with this type of display. HI FI Buys is good about their return policy, so make the plunge. I deal with the Buford store, i've never had a problem.

 

[John_F]

If you already have an audio system, you might want to consider the Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK.

Good luck,
John Flegert

 

[anthony_b]

I have a built-in entertainment center that's 50 inch wide and I purchased the new Sony 50inch (50a10) LCD wich is only 46 1/2 iches wide, and it's great set. Speakers are on the bottom.

 

[TicoTVA]

Hi There guys, I see a lot of talk about Burn-in well here's the last conclusion via IDC research

CONCLUSION ...
The commonly held beliefs about the viability and performance quality of plasma TVs
turn out to be merely myths when held up to the discerning eye of quantifiable testing.
In particular, concerns about plasma lifetimes and image retention ("burn in") are half-
truths that may have been legitimate concerns for early generations of plasma
displays, but are non-issues with today's current generation products. Yes, plasmas
may show signs of retention if still images are left on the display for very long periods
of time (such as 24 hours or more), but even in this extreme example, the result is
only temporary. Today's plasma TVs essentially heal themselves with subsequent
viewing of regular TV material. As a result, more common scenarios of 5 to 10 minute
(or even several hour) image pauses will not cause permanent damage.
When it comes to image quality and accuracy across wide viewing angles, plasmas
perform very well, enabling a consistent viewing experience anywhere within a room.
Color accuracy and black levels, both of which are critical to create an accurate, rich
image, are also very strong on plasma TVs. In fact, the plasmas that were tested
actually outperformed the reference CRT on black level and nearly matched it on
color accuracy. Videophiles and other consumers who value a high-quality image
should really appreciate these results. The contrast ratios on plasma TVs may not
reach the high levels touted by some other TV technologies, but as explained earlier,
the value of a contrast ratio without an accompanying black level is questionable.
It's also worth noting that the testing did not cover response time (because of the
controversies surrounding how to accurately, fairly, and consistently measure it),
which is generally perceived as an advantage that plasma displays have over TVs
using other technologies.