Trying to decide between 3 TVs (one plasma, two LCD): advice?

[bovinda]

Hey guys, trying to decide between these three TVs, and need to decide somewhat quickly. I'm trying to read reviews and other info as fast as possible, but wanted to see if any AT'ers had any advice regarding which way to go with these three TVs:

Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U

Samsung LN52A650

Samsung LN52A850

Any thoughts?

EDIT: specifically, what about gaming (both console and PC)? Any lag issues or other issues with any of these TVs?

 

[spidey07]

You're going to get a quality display out of those. I'd go with the plasma but really you need to see them for yourself to decide. You really can't go wrong with any of them - you're choosing a porsche or a ferrari.

 

[bovinda]

Yeah, they all look great, I just can't make up my mind. Would you go with the plasma on principle (plasma vs. LCD), or is there a selling point for you?

 

[s44]

Plasma: better black?, more power draw, glare issues
LCD: more accurate colors on the Samsung?, 120hz frame interpolation, slightly larger screen

Both are supposed to do 2:2 or 5:5 on 1080p/24.

 

[bovinda]

Hmm...it's just not going to be an easy decision, is it. Well, which would be better for gaming (both console and PC)? Does anybody know if there are lag issues with any of these sets?

 

[krotchy]

The Plasma has the possibility of Image retention during long gaming sessions. Depending how long you typically game in something with fixed health bars or other things this could be a concern.

All 3 screens are glossy so that is not a factor on the plasma.

The 850 is really just a skinny version of the 650. If you wont be hanging it on a wall with a super-slim profile mount I see no reason to jump to the 850 (unless blue is really big to you bringing the 860 into play)

So really its the 52A650 vs the 50PZ800 IMO. The Panasonic will handle motion detail better, have better blacks and dimmer whites (slightly in both cases) but may suffer IR. The Samsung has de-juddering 120Hz Processing which can give things a smoother appearance, but it depends on the person how much they enjoy it (I do). Both have good scalars that will be more than adequate for regular viewing.

IMO it should come down to a couple of things. Do you plan to mostly watch movies, or mostly game and possibly use it as a PC Moves = Plasma, Gaming/PC = LCD. Also 2 Inches is not insignificant it is 8% more screen.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: krotchy
The Plasma has the possibility of Image retention during long gaming sessions. Depending how long you typically game in something with fixed health bars or other things this could be a concern.

All 3 screens are glossy so that is not a factor on the plasma.

The 850 is really just a skinny version of the 650. If you wont be hanging it on a wall with a super-slim profile mount I see no reason to jump to the 850 (unless blue is really big to you bringing the 860 into play)

So really its the 52A650 vs the 50PZ800 IMO. The Panasonic will handle motion detail better, have better blacks and dimmer whites (slightly in both cases) but may suffer IR. The Samsung has de-juddering 120Hz Processing which can give things a smoother appearance, but it depends on the person how much they enjoy it (I do). Both have good scalars that will be more than adequate for regular viewing.

IMO it should come down to a couple of things. Do you plan to mostly watch movies, or mostly game and possibly use it as a PC Moves = Plasma, Gaming/PC = LCD. Also 2 Inches is not insignificant it is 8% more screen.

This post sums it up well, especially the last part. More gaming - go LCD. More movies, go plasma.

I owned a plasma prior to getting my LN46A650 and miss some things, and don't miss some things. It comes down to games vs movies. I don't miss the IR while gaming, but I miss the PQ when it comes to movies.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: krotchy
The Plasma has the possibility of Image retention during long gaming sessions. Depending how long you typically game in something with fixed health bars or other things this could be a concern.

All 3 screens are glossy so that is not a factor on the plasma.

The 850 is really just a skinny version of the 650. If you wont be hanging it on a wall with a super-slim profile mount I see no reason to jump to the 850 (unless blue is really big to you bringing the 860 into play)

So really its the 52A650 vs the 50PZ800 IMO. The Panasonic will handle motion detail better, have better blacks and dimmer whites (slightly in both cases) but may suffer IR. The Samsung has de-juddering 120Hz Processing which can give things a smoother appearance, but it depends on the person how much they enjoy it (I do). Both have good scalars that will be more than adequate for regular viewing.

IMO it should come down to a couple of things. Do you plan to mostly watch movies, or mostly game and possibly use it as a PC Movies = Plasma, Gaming/PC = LCD. Also 2 Inches is not insignificant it is 8% more screen.

It is not a simple as that. It really is a tough decision. Both the Panasonic plasma and Samsung LCD are great for gaming, however they both have their issues (no tech is perfect just yet). People report green fringe which is a result of phosphor lag on the Panasonic plasmas when playing games. It's most noticeable when doing quick turns. You can also get image retention on the Panasonic plasmas with extensive gaming sessions, but it will go away after normal TV/movie viewing (full screen). But I really wouldn't worry about this on the Panasonics. They are really good when it comes to minimizing image retention. Panasonics are definitely better than Samsung plasmas in this department though. And the great thing about gaming on a plasma is the smooth motion and very little input lag (close to a CRT).

As for the Samsung LCD, you'll get quite a bit of input lag unless you put it in "game mode" which will get rid of all the nice 650 video enhancement features. In other words, you have to reduce the picture quality when you run it in "game mode." It still looks good, but it could look better if you had the ability to adjust the picture controls.


As for me, I game on a plasma and LOVE it! I wouldn't trade it for any LCD on the market. But I wouldn't trade it for any other plasma on the market either. Absolutely no IR after gaming, and the picture and motion are both perfect.

 

[bovinda]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the input. I guess gaming lag is a big concern at this point, I'll have to see if I can do some research on that. Since we might be wall-mounting it, I do like the slimness of the 850, but have trouble seeing how that would be worth $500+ more.

After viewing both sets today, I think I'm leaning towards the LCDs right now because the plasma seemed just a little bit noisier to me, though I'm not sure it's something I'd really notice in regular viewing. The lag issue concerns me though, I'll have to look into that some.

Any other observations/suggestions still welcome! It looks like it's going to be a hard decision either way, though I don't think I'll come away unhappy in any event.

 

[CFster]

Happy with my 50" Panny plasma. I went back to the store and couldn't believe the motion blur on the LCDs - even the 120hz sets.

I also do some gaming and haven't had any issues.

And finally, to get a 50" plasma for less than a 46" LCD made it a no brainer for me.