LED Vs Plasma flat screen
 

In a strange turn of events out TV died and our tax return arrived.

Therefore next week I'm of to Costco to buy a new 50" flatscreen.

From a price-point plasma seems to more screen for your buck.

What say ye PPOT?

My TV is placed in a room with a lot of natural light, so I'm not sure a plasma would be good (too many reflections from the various windows). That would be the deciding factor between those two choices for me. Right now I've got a LCD TV that I'm happy with. The LED might not offer much of an improvement on picture quality, but it uses less electricity for the green-factor. Maybe not necessarily enough to offset the difference in purchase price between LCD vs LED, though.

Yeah, my biggest concern is ambient light... however most of our viewing is at night and we have pretty good light blocking drapes in the living room.

Another point is Costco seems to be the default for this type of purchase, any point in checking at Target, BestBuy, etc.?

I have a Plasma in the den and an LED in my bedroom. I think they both have great pictures but the LED is a bit sharper and the colors are clearer. I am not an expert but I would say either choice is a good one.
I just purchased the LED from Newegg and it was a bit cheaper than all of the big stores as well as free shipping and no tax so you might want to look at them to compare prices.

I'm sorry but you are incorrect

Plasma and LED are recommended for rooms with high natural light

LCD is recommended for darker rooms

Go to whatever stores have the models that you are interested in and then check Amazon for price. If Costco is better, then purchase there.

Plasma = Darker, uses more juice, and generates more heat. Some folks like the look better, though.

And it's cheaper!

IMO I'd research brands more than type of TV.

I really like the CNET reviews, very informative about what you should and shouldn't worry about; what's marketing fluff and what isn't.

TV Reviews: LCD TVs, flat-screen TVs, plasma TVs, 3D TVs - CNET Reviews

this is my living room which obviously gets a ton of light and my new 60" LED which just replace my 50" Plasma
both Tvs show great in my room

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395351309.jpg

Pretty sold on Samsung... we have about a dozen here at work and they run seven days a week six hours a day... but they are all LED :confused:

Bottom line is I only have $600 and want 50-55 inch so I think I am stuck with a Plasma.

This is what we are looking at: (sorry for the cell phone pic, taken last week)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395351871.jpg

Got a 60" Samsung LCD from Costco. Hard to beat when you consider the cost, return policy and extended warranty option. I did not want/need a smart TV, so it worked out perfect.

We have a Panasonic 42 " plasma in our living room and a Toshiba 42 " in our sunroom both pictures are damn near perfect. We purchased the plasma first, to our eyes it was a superior picture. Yes it does get warm but picture quality is great. When we decided to purchase for the sunroom many stated the glass screen of a plasma was not good for natural light/reflections. That's why we bought the Toshiba, I guess LCD/LED TV's have a plastic screen. Anyway my wife and I can't tell the difference between the two they are equally great. My advice, go check out various brands/sizes and buy the one that looks the best to you ! Regardless of what technology it is.

Sorry, I am not an AV expert. My information comes from what's widely printed on the web:

Plasma TV Problems - What Are the Problems With Plasma TVs?
Plasma Screen TV Problems | eHow

I've never had a plasma, so cannot comment from FHE. Maybe they don't have reflectivity problems, contrary to their reputations.

I've got a 60" Samsung plasma.

Great picture, kills more watts than an LED/LCD, and there is burn-in, but the ghost images go away after a while, and there is a utility built into the tv to "wipe" the ghosted images.

I have a 60 inch Panasonic Plasma, second best one they make, would not go much lower in the line up.

Costco doesn't sell plasmas the last time I checked.

Like others have said, if you have windows which let in a lot of light and you do any daytime TV watching on the weekends go with a LCD.

Otherwise in a dark room plasma reigns supreme.

However to be appreciated sources like antenna TV and Blu-ray are best. In addition the LG LCD I have does a better job of automatically adjusting to the proper aspect ratio, the Panasonic plasma often requires me to push a button on the remote.

Some people get caught up in "features", and you will find more "features" on the LCD's, the money goes into the basics with plasmas.

My thread from a year ago"
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?7694-Panasonic-Plasma-TV-Product-Line-Up-Hierarchy

Now everyone is raving about OLED's.
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?7694-Panasonic-Plasma-TV-Product-Line-Up-Hierarchy

I have a 46 Samsung LED smart TV and and 42 LG LCD. All I can say is The LED image quality is better than LCD. No experience with plasma though.

LED is just another form of back lighting, it is still a type of LCD.

Plasma is another animal.


What is the Difference between LCD and LED HDTVs? — QVC.com

Costco's return policy is not near what it used to be. Don't make it a deciding factor on where to make your purchase. (Disclaimer: Our last 2 TVs we bought at Costco.)

I dunno - we bought the 47-inch Sony LCD, Absolutely wonderful picture, great black levels, terrific performance in lighted situations - we're very happy with it. But then we would be, having moved up from a 12-year-old 34-inch set.

When I got my new tv I was watching a lot of old black and white Bette Davis flicks. I started with an LED and ended up returning it for a plasma. Blacks looked all blocky and wonky to me. The plasma has really great color and contrast. Blacks are smooth.

But plasma is becoming a thing of the past.

Announcements made in the past year or so would indicate that if you want one, you better act fast.

It took me close to a year to get used to motion blur on our LCD which is rated as one of the better ones for that.

The plasma took no adjustment at all going from the old CRT tube TV we had.

Even a little background lighting can diminish the plasma's superiority, the LCD by comparison is almost bullet proof to room lighting effects.

A couple of years ago, I tried a 60" Sharp LCD TV from Costco as an interim and found the IQ to be pretty lacking. I returned it.

I bought a Panasonic 60" plasma, second model from the top. It has awesome IQ, and even when the room is somewhat light I prefer its IQ.

I strongly prefer the IQ of plasma.

Lighting aside, Plasma = film & LCD = video. There is a difference but under $1K buy the one you like.

Ian

so is non LED LCD
THE FLORESCENT TUBES are old tec
they use more power and run hotter and burn out

the edge lit LED sets are not as good as direct lit LEDs

plasma is also older tec but still has the best black areas
but is hot , power hungry , and suffers burn in problems
also watch out for cheaper plasma sets that are only 720 in bigger sizes
you really want 1080 today
pansonic vera sets are about the best plasma sets but higher priced

4K sets are out but there is no programing except a few internet down loads

btw I would not mess with 3d or wifi in a tv just get a blueray player with wifi streaming

I still cant figure out why this has become a trend. IMHO that is the worst place to mount a TV. It's not natural to look UP at a TV. I can't look at one like that for more than 30 minutes without getting a neck-ache!

I have a Panasonic Viera 1080 plasma and Panasonic Blueray player, very happy. I watch mostly movies and TV series late in the evening when I get home, so room darkness is not a problem.

Does Costco sell the high end models? I've never shopped at one so just asking. Best Buy sells good stuff if they're still in business.

I have a Panasonic GT Series plasma. It is/was one of the highest rated plasmas on the market. The picture is impeccable. It's also has active 3D, which is shockingly good on Blu-Ray movies.

Definitely the finest TV I've ever owned.

My set-up is for both HT and 2-channel stereo and I have no neck strain with the TV above the fireplace.

Of course it may help that I have a chair set up in the sweet-spot which is nicknamed the "day dreaming chair" because of it's high angle of incline. You sort of naturally view the crack between the wall and an 8 foot ceiling.

When lying on the couch nearby a few pillows easily adjust the viewing angle.

I have a knock-off of this famous chair and ottoman.

Herman Miller: Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman | Sgustok Design
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395390494.jpg

Panasonic Plasma TC-P60ST50.................takes some adjusting to fine tune, but worth it.

However for that brightly lit room originally posted a LCD/LED will be more viable on weekends/daytime.

I just bought my second Panasonic Plasma.....from Sears of all places !

I've had a Samsung 50" plasma for 3yrs and I still love it.

The sharpness the OP saw at Costco could be due to the TV setup. Retailers will set the TVs they want to move into flame mode (high contrast and brightness), ie makes the picture pop to draw attention.

A good test is to run a low quality signal to the TV and see how you like that picture. Death by TV info can be found at Display Devices

If price were no object I would get the 80' top of the line 240Hz LED... and I would be driving a 991.

Back to reality, as I said we are in an under $1000 budget for a TV.

Don't need/want 3D or smart, just going for most TV for the dollar and that pans out to Plasma (I am old school and believe in the mantra "ain't no substitute for cubic inches").

The flat sceen in the picture I posted (taken by my wife when I wasn't there) is a Samsung 52" plasma @$550, if they still have them at costco Monday that is more than likely what I will pick up.

We are upgrading from a 36" CRT so anything would be a huge upgrade. :D

Checked online (I'm not going to spend all day shopping for a TV) Newegg, Tigerdirect, Bestbuy cannot beat that deal.

Thanks for all the input!

If you wait a while, Vizio will be introducing their 4K TV's later one this year at a price that laughs at other 4K TV's. Starting at $1000.

Vizio 4K TV for $1K - Most anticipated tech of 2014 (pictures) - CNET Reviews

I've got three Vizio TV's here now. I like them quite a bit, haven't had any problems at all. My oldest one was bought in 2008.

Don't ignore Sears, they frequently have really good prices.

To echo Gogar, research what you want on CNet. They have excellent objective reviews that apply quite a bit of science, not just a guy looking at a TV.

Plasma will be fine in a bright room. We just moved a plasma from our living room (3 big windows) to our master bedroom (dark) to make space for a bigger LCD in the living room, I think the plasma was slightly better in both locations. I believe one is a Toshiba and one is a Panasonic.

I have played around with Vizio and Panasonic here at work and would buy one in a heartbeat.

As with most things in life this is an exercise in economy, so Monday morning I'm borrowing my brothers truck, picking up my friend, hauling the 36" boat anchor to the recycling center, Costco is just a few blocks from that same recycling center. Whatever the biggest screen I can get for around $600 of three above manufacture I will pick up, then stop by my buddies business in Cereitos to pick up my coil-overs for the Miata (to be installed Tuesday) then back home to install the new flatscreen.

Do you watch a lot of sports? That was the deal breaker for LED for me, hockey just didn't look good on it.

I got a 50" Panasonic a few years ago (a VT series Viera) and really liked it, so after a few years with only one tv in the house I upgraded to a 65" Panasonic ZT Viera for my living room and moved the 50 upstairs. My living room is bright at some times of the day, but it doesn't bother me. It wasn't cheap but like Gogar said the reviews on CNet cemented the decision for me.

I keep my tv's for years so I didn't mind the expense. I'd say get the plasma.

Bill

For the price, they're quite good really. I've been very impressed with mine.
When the 4K tvs hit, I'l' be picking one up. Probably as a monitor for the PC. That's gunna be a BFM for sure, seeing as how they start at 50 inches. I'm pretty happy with 1080p as a TV, but 1080 for a monitor could use just a little improvement. Besides, I just did some serious upgrading to the PC and should be able to drive a 4k display with ease. :D

Interesting article on the value, or lack thereof, with 4K.

Why Ultra HD 4K TVs are still stupid | TV and Home Theater - CNET Reviews

Of course this is always the catch 22 of any electronics purchase... whatever cell phone, flat screen, computer, laptop, tablet, etc. you but in a few months there will be a bigger better one at a lower price available.

I am notorious for scanning the Internet for the best performance and price on any purchase (big fan of CNET) but to keep my sanity I don't play the "but in a few months" game. I set a budget and time frame and buy within that... I kid you not, the coil-overs I just bought... in a few months a manufacture is supposed to come out hot new product at a great price, but the shocks on my 1995 Miata look to be OEM and need to be changed yesterday... same with the 36" CRT, it blinks on and off randomly... some nights not big deal... some night a huge PITA.

And then there is my wife... she has given the green light to spend the tax return on these items... she is not a huge fan of TV and has even less interest in my automobile hobby. If I don't move on these now the funds may get reallocated. ;)

Heh heh. My BIL and sister (both architects) also have that chair/ottoman for TV viewing. Knock-off, too. (They're architects, right?) :D

Just picked up a 55" Samsung 7100 LED. It's pretty amazing how good the picture is over the 3 year old 1080p Sony Bravia it replaced. $1500 but amazon couldn't get it shipped properly so it was delayed a week. They took $350 off for my trouble, so I am quite happy.