Plasma vs. LCD (and EDTV vs. HDTV)

[jbripps]

Hi all,

Just read the recent consumer reports, and I'm still up in the air on what's better out there.

I would like to get a flat screen tv to place on the wall by my bar area. It does not need to be the best tv in the house, but I do want to do a 42" there, as that size would be perfect for the space.

Anyhow, as an HDTV owner, I am not "blown away" with HDTV (and I have a great tv too), so it is not my first priority for the bar area.

I have read about EDTV which apparently is not too much less in quality as HDTV. Can anyone shed any light on this? The models I'm considering are Panasonic 42PD5OU and believe it or not, the Viore that Walmart has for $997 (got very good reviews on the technical A/V sites). They are out of stock now, but I'm sure more will arrive in the future at that same price.

I will do the larger HDTV when my dinosaur massive large projection goes, but by then, prices will be super low compared to today.

Thanks,

[Halm]

I spent several months researching this last year. The very short version is: 1.) rule of thumb is plasma works best in normal to below normal lighting. LCD works best in normal to bright lighting. 2.) A year ago a 42" LCD was very expensive. 3.) EDTV vs HDTV was pretty easy for me. At that time the best of the HD spec's was not out. Specifically 1080p. It is now. Reportedly DVD makers will move from 480p (EDTV) to 1080p soon. Broadcast TV will hopefully follow.

Finally, it is generally accepted that at 8' or greater viewing distance the human eye can not tell the difference between EDTV and HDTV.

I went with a Panasonic EDTV. I already had DirecTV so I just added a HD receiver. The difference is unbelievable.

My 2 cents. . . Hope it helps.

[plain fan]

I have got to disagree. IMHO you are wasting money on anything that is not HD and since you're talking plasma that is quite a bit of money.

A few other FYIs:
Yes DVD will be moving towards 720p/1080i but there are competing formats so don't expect anything approaching a standard for a while.
Yes EDTV is better than SDTV but HDTV is better than both.
Currently some models offer 1080p but not many.

[Halm]

Plain Fan, Help me out. . . With 1080p now available, why in the world would you buy a 720p/1080i set? 1080p is going to be the daddy!

[Howard Agency]

This sounds good. Costco has 'em. Comments? Should I spring for it?

Vizio

[Halm]

Howard, I have to ask again: Why buy a 1080i component when 1080p is now available? You won't be able to take advantage of 1080p DVD's when they come out and same thing when broadcasts begin in the new spec?

Now, I agree that the prices for traditional HDTV have come down but so have EDTV. Spend it now or spend more later, IMHO, on older technology.

[jbripps]

Keep it coming fellas. I like the stats on that vizio howard. Can anyone shed some light on the contrast factor (10,000:1, vs. 3000:1). Not sure what that means. Also, if anyone knows of any other good deals, please share! Consumers loved the Pannys.

Best,

[Halm]

Info? You want info??? Go here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40

[JeremyD]

I'm pretty happy with my Samsung DLP 50" HDTV - had it about a year now - regular TV is ok - but HDTV - when it's broadcast is sharp sharp sharp!

[jbripps]

Yeah, I saw that forum in the past, but it's very technical and just posted here in order to hear from our community. Looks like most people rave about the Panasonic, a good bang for the buck. But if I can get one of the walmart deals, I'll just go for that.

Keep 'em coming.

[red-beard]

Well, if you keep waiting for the next thing, you'll never get anything.

No one is broadcasting in 1080p, yet. And only a few are broadcasting in "standard" HD.

720p vs 1080i

full progressive is better for action (sports)
Higher resolution is better for movies

I disagree on EDTV being as good as HDTV. I can definitely tell the difference between 1080i and 480p at 8-10 feet. Easily. THe biggest problem evaluating TV's at that to see the difference, you must view an HD broadcast. Most DVDs are only EDTV quality, or less (480p or 480i). PLay that on a 1080i set and you'll see 480p.

I stayed out of the plasma vs. lcd debate by buying 30" crt 1080i HDTVs. They are going for about $599. (16:9). Some of the LCD's are getting close, $599 for a 27" 720p.

[Eric H]

I think it's gotten to the point where it's foolish to buy a larger, more expensive TV that's not HDTV compatible. Prices are falling fast, too - I read an article somewhere that HD sets should fall another 40% in the next year. HD Tivo is out there, too, but I'd wait on that a while...

I have DirecTV with the HD subscription and view HD over-the-air a lot, too, with a $20 antenna. I can switch between the OTA HD broadcast and the standard DirecTV to compare and there is absolutely no comparison (I watch mostly sports). Seriously - it makes me wonder how I ever enjoyed watching anything before... HD really is spectacular and guests notice it without any prompting... football games are very popular at my place

That said, not all HD viewing looks the same... depends on every link in the chain... for example, I've read that satellite HD transmissions are often compressed whereas OTA transmissions are not... anyway, good luck...

[87coupe]

Another thing to think about is longevity. Plasma's have issues with burn in, wich leaves you having to always stretch/distort the picture of anything that is not the correct aspect ratio. LCD's do not have this problem, and is a much more mature technology.

[Howard Agency]

Cut to the chase. 50" or so under $2500. Survey says: ???

[karlusmagnus]

Hey Jon .. in same boat ... i'm a bit all over the map ... yesterday i was looking at panny p700u and p900u projectors as i mainly watch movies, but after looking at this thread i see Syntax Olevia LT37HVS for $1515 with $300 rebate, so now we are at $1215 shipping included / no tax ...
these prices are falling fast, and as philips make syntax lcd screens, it looks tempting, plus it has HDMI.
i saw a pretty good review of 32" olevia at extremetech.com a while back, and they spoke pretty positively of it.
Anyway, if i bite the bullet i will let you know.
Karl.

[84porsche]

After talking to the guy at Best Buy the other day, I am sold on DLP as the way to go. He mentioned that Plasma/LCD are analog TVs and DLP is digital (digital light projection) which all basic stations have to be compliant by 2009 or sooner.

[chuckw951]

In January 2003 I bought a Sony 34" CRT widescreen HDTV. At that time it cost about $2500 + the HDTV antenna + the HDTV set top box. (These sets sell for about $1500 these days)

I decided to buy a CRT because (1) plasma TVs were very expensive; (2) LCD projections were just coming out; and (3) the last Sony TV I owned was in the family since 1983 and still had a great picture.

Most of the time we watch analog cable and the set has a nice picture. DVDs look great as well. After we bought the TV we had to go out and buy a stand. This TV is a monster and weighs 225 pounds. So unless you bolt your TV to the wall, also consider that you might need to buy a stand to put it on...and interestingly they are not that cheap.

For certain TV shows and sports we turn on the HDTV and it's great. Analog TV is now $66/month with no pay channels. Add "digital cable" and another box and the bill would approach $80. Since many programs are not in HD we haven't signed up for the digital cable or the dish.

A while back Congress set a transition date for regular TV to DTV. Legislation is now pending in Congress (if it hasn't already passed) that set a date for the transition for sometime in 2008 or 2009.

I would like to buy a bigger set and have been reading about LCDs, Rear projection TVs and plasmas. The prices continue to come down. I really like the new Sony
50" Grand WEGA™ SXRD™ Rear Projection HDTVKDS-R50XBR1.
But at $4K (+ Sony stand for $500) that's alot of coin. I figure two years from now it will be selling for $1500 given my track record with electronics purchases. I bought a 4 megapixel Sony digital camera for $700 a couple of years ago...

Without an extended warranty, I worry about the cost to get one of these sets fixed. It's not like it would be easy to take it anywhere for service...and likely not inexpensive.

I was thinking about getting one of the $998 Walmart plasma TVs. I figure if I can get 4 years out of the set before it breaks I'll be ahead of the game. Being an "early adopter" gets expensive! And if it lasts until 2009 I could always get another decoder box (which will be subsized by Congress for many Americans). Sure it's not HDTV, but after a couple of beers I can't tell the difference anyway.

Finally if I did upgrade, what do I do with my current 34" set?

[chuckw951]

Originally posted by 84porsche
After talking to the guy at Best Buy the other day, I am sold on DLP as the way to go. He mentioned that Plasma/LCD are analog TVs and DLP is digital (digital light projection) which all basic stations have to be compliant by 2009 or sooner.

This doesn't make sense to me.

[chuckw951]

Originally posted by 87coupe
Another thing to think about is longevity. Plasma's have issues with burn in, wich leaves you having to always stretch/distort the picture of anything that is not the correct aspect ratio. LCD's do not have this problem, and is a much more mature technology.

Are you talking about LCD TVs, Rear projection TVs (using LCDS to do the projection) or both? I've seen LCD screens with bad pixels. Perhaps both technologies have drawbacks? It's all very confusing to me.

[84porsche]

Originally posted by chuckw951
This doesn't make sense to me.

I was told that the both plasma and LCD tvs are set up to receive analog signals (over the air) while a DLP can only receive a digital signal (DVD, SAT etc.). The negative of DLP is that local stations received through over the air antennas have crappy pictures until they are required to switch. "The transition period to DTV is currently scheduled to end on December 31, 2006."

See this link for more explanation on the DTV changes -
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/policy/dtv/

Does this help at all?