Plasma/LCD TV

[Billbo]

Looking for a 37-42" Plasma/LCD tv. Any tech guys available for what to or not to buy??? Not brand loyal, just want a quality product that will last.

[Deschodt]

I sometimes have to support the ones we have at work for some sales presentation PC systems (100+ across the country). I know we tried several brands. Gotta say I am not impressed, they all go berserk after a couple years... We recently went with Sony DLP units instead, not quite as thin but a heck of a lot lighter and more reliable so far ! Jsut an option...

[91S2]

check out reviews of just about anything at cnet.com

[RickM]

Warning: Brain dump about to take place....
I've been waiting for the newest Pany 50" Plasma. Apparently the "just replaced" 50" had some big shoes to fill as the newest iteration has not had stellar reviews. So now I look for an older 50 (or 500) model. Pany has had some of the best plasmas for the money. The same may go for the smaller models. Just be careful and read as many reviews as possible.

Also, I have been watching a Sony 37" Bravia (LCD) for a while now and I'm very impressed. Costco sells for a decent price but you should be able to do better.

Other tidbits: A friend has a Maxent 42" from Costco (recently on sale for $1499) and couldn't be happier. He said that while a few other units were better the price and decent quality sold him. Besides you're not comparing side by side with other units when home.

Other well regarded brands are LG and Hitachi.
IMO, Pioneer (Elite) is one of, if not THE, best out there...but you'll pay. Beware of the 41" Pioneer at Costco. It is a stripped down Costco-only set and does not compare favorably to it's slighty more expensive counterparts.

Things to consider....LCDs typically have a lower contrast ability as compared to Plasmas. The latest generation has them fairly close though. Dead Pixels are another consideration....just like with computer LCDs.

Plasmas have had burn-in problems and should be broken in properly. Also less of an issue with the newest technology.

Try to research the features you'd like to have. From DVI and HDMI ports to 1080 standards and cable card ports......there's plenty to consider.

[Rot 911]

And keep in mind that Plasma screens get washed out in high light rooms, best to use in rooms that have no windows or windows you can cover up. LCD does much, much the same situation.

[RickM]

View angle is another consideration with LCDs. Again, less of an issue with newer sets. Performance does vary between brands and even between same-brand models.

BTW, the Maxent 42" is still @ $1499. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11109761&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=

[krichard]

Not a major brand like Sony or Pioneer... but a real contenter with an amazing picture. True 1080P capabilities and more inputs than you can shake a stick at. 2 DVI and and 1 HDMI. I've seen it and can say it really does have an excellent picture.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7699163&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat33900050026&id=1138084694260

I'm no expert but I do love HDTV and do have some pretty good experience. My media room has a Samsung 61" DLP. In the living room I have an LG 44" LCD projection. In the master bedroom I have an LG 50" Plasma. In one of the guest rooms I have a 27" Westinghouse which has never given me any problems. The Plasma has the best picture quality of the sets I own so I love flipping back and forth between The Tonight Show and David Letterman when laying in bed.

The 42" Westinghouse in the link above beats the plasma in my opinion.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

FWIW, I understand the Plasma gets dim over time especially in rooms with normal light. DLP bulbs can burn out as often as twice a year, but some last for years on end. LCD has a more limited front viewing angle. A couple of repair techs I talked to (just guys working in factory authorized repair stores, not people I knew) both said they would not own a DLP until after the price of the bulbs went down. They did not like plasma and were luke warm on the older generation of LCDs. They liked the old Hitachi and Sony picture tubes or the Sony, Panasonic, or Aqueous LCD sets. I'm still waiting for my 19" Panasonic to go out, 10+ years old...

[Jims5543]

I have had my Zenith 42" Plasma for 4 years now. All the mythical problems I hear of have not happened to me.

It is in a bright room with lots of windows. I play video games, sometimes for hours (i.e. Grand Turismo 4) I have never had burn in problems.

We watch this TV a LOT my kids watch it the wife and I will watch it. It is in heavy use and not a problem.

The only thing it does do, make a lot of heat. I shot it with a pyrometer and the screen hits 110°-120°. It will warm up a small area.

My Zenith is not a 50" because I could not justify paying 2.5X the price of this 42". ($2400 in late 2002) Like Rick M said about his friend, I also could not justify buying a top of the line when I knew once home, it would not make a huge differance. My brother was just over Sunday watching the F-1 race on it and loved the picture.

If buying now, 4 years later, I would probably explore the LCD scene more. It was not mainstream 4 years ago.

[914ray]

I have a 37" LCD DELL .
It's a great tv. Nice picture and color, good sound, good looks and it has 2 HDMI inputs. High deff stuff is amazing.

[gr8fl4porsche]

I don't have much to add except my 35" Mitsubishi CRT has been working flawlessly for over 16 years - and it was a shelf model when I bought it. I am not sure about Mitsubishi these days, but their old stuff is rock solid.

[azasadny]

I bought a 32" Dell LCD HDTV back in January and I've extremely happy with it. I believe the model is a WD3201 and i use the HDMI ports on the rear to my DirecTV HDTV box and the picture is gorgeous!

[Bryan Beaumont]

PANASONIC.... Go to cnet.com and see what they say about the Panasonic plasmas. VERY competitively priced and hard to beat the picture at any cost. Be sure to check contrast ratio on your purchase (higher the better), very important with a plasma.

[matthew-s]

I have a 42" Panasonic - and an ED (enhanced definition) at that. I find the ED (480p) to provide a great picture at a good price (although the price difference between HD and ED may not warrant passing up 1080 anymore. I am very pleased.

Take a good hard look at the commercial models, especially if you have at least a stereo receiver and speakers you are planning to use along side it. The commercial models tend to have more advanced / longer life screens, and come in a little cheaper than the consumer models, since they do not include speakers and a few other bells and whistles (which makes them cleaner looking, in my opinion). Good luck

[RallyJon]

Not to be old fashioned, but I wish someone made a >34" widescreen CRT.

[Billbo]

Thanks for the help guys. This sure seems complicated, kinda wish they gave me a choice of chocolate or vanilla.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Chocolate is the ONLY major food group!!!!

[1fastredsc]

I don't remember where i read it but the newest gen of DLP tv's have the color wheels operating at a much higher speed and therefore have even better picture than previously.

[artplumber]

Originally posted by Kurt V
And keep in mind that Plasma screens get washed out in high light rooms, best to use in rooms that have no windows or windows you can cover up. LCD does much, much the same situation.

IIRC Plasma actually has better contrast/brightness than LCD, so is a better choice for bright rooms. LCD sharpness is catching up to/at Plasma levels. Burn-in is a 10000 hour problem, and the brightness also decreases to around 50-60% of the original box brightness.

[RickM]

Originally posted by artplumber
IIRC Plasma actually has better contrast/brightness than LCD, so is a better choice for bright rooms. LCD sharpness is catching up to/at Plasma levels.

As I mentioned above....

Originally posted by artplumber
Burn-in is a 10000 hour problem,

I think brightness is more the 10000 hour disease. The first 100 or so hours is when the phosphors are most susceptible to "burn in". That's why a proper break-in is necessary. However, less important than in the past. Pany actually invented a phosphor which is less sensitive to this phenomenon.