HDTV Advice

[Jeff7181]

I'm in the market for an HDTV... moderate size, between 30 and 40 inch.

I've been looking mostly at LCD displays, but there's some good deals on Plasma as well. I remember a while ago people were saying to avoid Plasma, thought I don't know the exact reason but I thought it had something to do with the longevity of them.

What are the differences between LCD and Plasma? Which one is most versatile in terms of different lighting conditions? Which is better for gaming? (I intend to use it with an Xbox 360)

I'd like a 1080p TV, but it seems there's not too many in the size that I want... besides the obvious Westinghouse 37 inch, are there any other nice 1080p TV's in the 30-40 inch range?

 

[venkman]

Plasma had a bad reputation for developing burn in where the shadow of the image would get stuck on the screen. That factor is quite rare these days but you can get image retention, where you will see a static image (i.e. a health bar in a game) cause a slight burn in that fades away after while. LCDs are considering better for gaming because of the lack of Burn-In/IR and they also look much better in bright light conditions. Plasma TVs, due to their glass surface, cause a decent amount of glare.


I don't think there is another 1080p TV that is less than 40" besides the Westy. Maybe Sharp makes one, but I don't seem to recall. Samsung makes a VERY NICE 40" 1080p LCD that you should be able to find around $1500 these days. It is last years model but it is still excellent and has a better picture than the Westy 37" which is understandable since it is twice the price. Vizio is going to have a 42" 1080p LCD on sale for $999 at Costco at the end of the month.

 

[PurdueRy]

Now there is a lot of controversy over which technology is better. However, many people have mistaken opinions over what makes one better than the other.

LCD's main advantages are:

- Can be found in smaller sizes(<37")

- Can have higher resolution in a smaller size

- Lighter

- Easier to repair if it were to break

- In some cases, Less glare

Plasma's main advantages are:

- Better colors and contrast

- Larger screen sizes are available and for cheaper than LCD

- Wider viewing angle

- Better response time(very small difference if any however in practical application)

- Screen not as easy to damage(it has a glass front)

Some issues that are often brought up but are for the most part incorrect:

Plasma does not have major problems with burn in anymore as many people suggest

Plasma does not necessarily use more power(when TV is on, backlight is always on on LCD technology. Each pixel on a plasma screen can be turned off and on individually and produces its own light)

LCD Technology does not necessarily last longer(both are often spec'ed around 60,000 hours to half brightness(Which is 20 years of life at 8 hours a day)

 

[pennylane]

I agree with PurdueRy.

While plasma burn-in is definitely over-hyped, many plasmas still have "image retention." I personally wouldn't worry about it unless I was using the plasma with an HTPC or something.

I think plasmas look better and they have a lot of unwarranted negative publicity. Aside from better colors and contrast ratio, they have much better black levels than LCD. The new Pioneer models have black levels as black as the bezel of the TV.

If I had to choose between plasma or LCD, I'd get plasma. But, based on your requirements, you should probably go with LCD because of the size and because it works much better than plasma under bright light conditions (plasmas have glass panels that are prone to glare). If you really want 1080p at <40", you'd definitely have to go with LCD. Though, at that size, 1080p isn't a huge deal and picture quality in other aspects (color, contrast ratio, etc) is much more important for the quality of the overall image.

 

[Jeff7181]

Good info guys, thanks.

Think 1080p would be that much better than 720p if I were to use it as a computer monitor at some point? Or maybe text would be too small at a distance on a 37 inch TV at 1920x1080?

 

[mshan]

I've got the 37 inch Westy and it's awesome as a computer monitor.

I use it as a desktop monitor, sitting about 3 ft away (I think ideally it should be about 4 ft away) and everything looks beautifully sharp and just seems right. Thing gets so damn bright that I leave it on setting 0 when using it as a computer monitor, and 2 or 3, depending on which brightness level looks more right, when watching hdtv or dvds full screen on the monitor. Max level of 5 is really really bright.

If used just as a tv, 1366 x 768 is probably going to be fine. As a computer monitor, you're obviously looking a lot of desktop real estate.

 

[venkman]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Good info guys, thanks.

Think 1080p would be that much better than 720p if I were to use it as a computer monitor at some point? Or maybe text would be too small at a distance on a 37 inch TV at 1920x1080?

If you are going to use it as a Computer Monitor then get a 1920x1080p LCD. If you don't plan on using it as a CPU monitor or will do nothing but use a HTPC as a front end for your video content, then once again you can get away with less.

 

[Jeff7181]

Ok... sounds like I'll save my pennies and get a 1080p one. Maybe by the holidays the prices will come down a bit too.

 

[mshan]

I remember reading over at AVS Forum that the only calibration that the Westy needed was for the greyscale to be changed to "warm".

Image is probably quite accurate, but the added (?) vividness / pop that the Syntax 337H has as a tv is pleasing to the eye. In comparison, the Westy can seem slightly dull looking as a tv.

 

[Nevada]

I recently purchased this. It's a 40" 1080P Bravia from Sony. Picked it up for $1770.