# Plasma Vs. LCD TV?



## Pydpiper (Oct 3, 2008)

Got a call today, I won a 42" plasma TV .
I called to see if I could fork over the extra money and upgrade to a 50", being the greedy guy I am. I was told I can, they are basically issuing a credit for the value of the 42" plasma and anything I add comes out of my pocket, fair enough.
Well today I went to go price these things out, turns out there is a whole pile of options.
What is the difference between a LCD and plasma, anything I am going to notice? It will be my main TV, on all the time for the kids, the odd Wii game played through it and in a fairly small room, well lit. Does one last longer than the other?
I am having a hard time figuring this out, and would appreciate any input from those who know best.
Thanks!
David


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## bullfrog (Oct 3, 2008)

Wow what a nice prize!!!

Plasma is worse in high-altitude locations and worse for videogames or heavy news watching where the ticker or a paused game can essentially "burn" into the screen. They also don't do as well in bright rooms as reflection can be an issue. *BUT*, plasma has a phosphor covered screen that can produce more lifelike, deeper and better colors than LCDs. Plasma quality is also closer to tube tvs.

LCDs use less energy, weigh less (if mounting in a tricky place) and don't have burn-in or altitude issues. 

Realistically, the difference is negligible and comes down to personal preference IMHO.

ENJOY!!!!!!!! :twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs


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## PhantomPhoton (Oct 3, 2008)

It really does depend upon make and model. Plasma screens have a very good contrast ratio and good viewing angle compared to LCDs. Estimated lifetime on plasmas is 50,000+ hours according to manufacturers. 

Again make and model... some LCDs are great and many others are terrible. The big thing for LCDs is response time. How long it takes to make, display, change a pixel. A good LCD TV should have response times under 10ms. Generally LCD's have dominated the smaller under 40" niche whereas plasmas have been dominant in larger screens. LCDs are getting bigger now though. I think I'd go with plasma unless they're offering up a really sweet (and expensive LCD).


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## BenjiBot (Oct 3, 2008)

My young kids loved our new LCD screen, especially poking it with fingers/pens/a table leg (!) to get that funny damaged LCD effect. I ended up removing it and putting the old CRT back in place. Am I right in thinking that plasma screens are protected by glass? This would have been a better option for me, but maybe depends on how old your children are. Watch out for flying Wii controllers too!


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## HoopleHead (Oct 3, 2008)

plasma. LCDs may have some benefits, but overall still havent overcome plasmas.


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## Pydpiper (Oct 3, 2008)

I was expecting something more definitive.. That was pretty much split up the middle.
So far through the internet, sales reps and owners I have learned that Plasma has a shorter lifespan for a daily TV than LCD, Plasma can burn in the picture, not that is a concern, I think. Plasma creates better and deeper colors.
I have satellite, but not HD, and likely never will, I have 3 kids, 6, 5 and 2, yup 2, so touching may be an issue. My wife is pretty happy about the upgrade, so I want to make sure that what ends up sitting here will be sitting here for a while.


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## HoopleHead (Oct 3, 2008)

maybe too specific but my friend wrote this up for me, if it helps:


so I vaguely remember one of you asking me about TVs while I was drunk... I don't even remember what I said... but just got latest issue of Home Theater which reviews the Panasonic TH-50PZ85U.

So for the best possible playback of Bluray, you prefer a TV that does not need to do 3:2 pulldown which introduces noise, loss in detail. Most Pioneer TVs display at 72Hz, or 72fps. Bluray content is 24p = 24fps. 72 / 24 = 3 exactly so there is no need to "make up" frames or drop frames to get the picture to match the display. If you care about movies more than cable than this is what you want. Cable TV is full of noise anyways due to their own compression to save bandwidth, so really you shouldn't care about cable.

Most TVs display at 60 fps (or double this, 120Hz) because it's cheaper to do. 60 fps / 60Hz is what cable channels come to your TV at. Pioneers cost more partly because they have to build their own proprietary chips to display at 72Hz... that and they typically have superior processing over anyone.

Definitely Panasonic and Pioneer make the best flat panel TVs still. Plasmas still kick LCDs *** because black levels are far superior for Plasma. LED-backlit LCDs have promise but you need a super-smart processor to "calculate/guess" what part of the screen needs to be darker than the other.. lots of room for error here. Only big reason still to get LCD is if you are in a room with lots of sunlight.

Pioneer has Elite models that cost a lot more and basically provide more manual configuration to optimize the display... and slightly better processing than regular KUROs. I think technically Elite models can only be sold by certified Pioneer sellers so that limits competive pricing.

Panasonic now has models that display 24p content without 3:2 pulldown. Panasonic calls it retardedly "24p cinematic playback" not to be confused with "24p playback (2:3)" on their site which is 3:2 pulldown. Unlike the Pioneers which do this by displaying each frame 3 times = 72Hz, Panasonic does this with only doubling the frames, 2 times = 48Hz. The Pansonic models so far that support this are TH-50PZ800U, TH-50PZ850U, TH-58PZ800U. However, 48Hz is XXXXXXX slow refresh rate... and if you read the CNet review on Panasonic's "24p cinematic playback", it causes noticeable flicker making it *totally useless*: http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-viera-th-50pz800u/4505-6482_7-32886472.html

So it's purely a marketing game on Panasonic's part to appear like they can "do it" too but really it's unusable.

*Latest Panasonics*:

The Pansonic models with "800" in the model name are THX certified which is totally useless and a marketing scam. Companies pay $ to get a XXXXXXX THX stamp on it and make people believe it's better if it has THX sticker. pointless. 

*50"*
TH-50PZ85U (~$1800):
TH-50PZ800U (~$2000): THX certified. "24p cinematic playback". better colour, more ports than TH-50PZ85U.
TH-50PZ850U (~$2400): this model is the most "advanced" in their lineup, more settings, better colour, better processing, direct IPTV interface for picasa, youtube, "24p cinematic playback".

*58" *
TH-58PZ800U (~$3000): on par with TH-50PZ800U.

*Latest Pioneers:*

All display @ 72Hz, direct 24p content.

50"
KURO PDP-5020FD (~3000):
Elite KURO PRO-111FD (~$5000): 

60"
KURO PDP-6020FD (~4000)
Elite KURO PRO-151FD (~$6000): 


*Summary*

You can't touch latest Pioneer KUROs really for quality. Their black levels are so good you *can't even measure *any light from it when it's displaying black and they play 24p (bluray) content without any loss in quality, ie, no 3:2 pulldown necessary. 

However, the Panasonic TH-50PZ85U is $1000 cheaper than KURO PDP-5020FD. From the Home Theater review on TH-50PZ85U, it does a great job at most things, doesn't process everything correctly but bottom line is you can't find a better TV _for that price_.


Pioneer has already announced that they will no longer make their own panels because it's too hard to compete, too costly for them... but they will soon source panels from Panasonic. This doesn't mean that they will have the same quality because there's more going on than just the panel to produce the picture, ie. the processing. Sony and Samsung have been using the same panels for years. However, this does mean that Pioneer TV prices will eventually become cheaper. I think Pioneer models won't use Panasonic panels until very late this year or early next year. 

Review of KURO PDP-6020FD: http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasmadisplays/908piokuro/

Pioneer Elite KURO 111FD vs Panasonic TH-50PZ850U:
http://hdguru.com/first-pioneer-elite-kuro-pro-111fd-review/252/

Good list of Best Buys: http://www.hometheatermag.com/buyersguides/flatpanels/


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## LuxLuthor (Oct 3, 2008)

It all depends on specific brands and models. There are LCD's, then there are LCD's. You almost have to spend some hours learning about the current offerings, reading reviews, even visiting some stores to see differences. Keep in mind that many stores (BestBuy, Circuit City, etc.) do not have all models properly set and calibrated, so not even what you see is an accurate reflection of quality. Look for correlation among some independent review sites. You can start with a site like Consumer Reports, but in general they don't keep on top of new products very well.


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## HoopleHead (Oct 3, 2008)

also note that pretty much anything you get will be quickly "outdated" so my rec is to set a price range and then get the best value you can and dont get tooooo hung up on the latest and greatest. you just want the latest tech that serves your purpose, and nothing more.


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## HarryN (Oct 4, 2008)

I favor plasma TVs, and my wife prefers LCD (based on looking at many).

A very interesting but simple test is to play the "credits" from the end of a movie - the ones where the words of everyone who helped make the movie are going vertically up the screen. Not that this is going to be your main way to watch, but some models will handle this much better than others. It is an interesting test of how other motions on the TV will come out.

My daughter actually got sick watching this on some TVs - I think actually a level 6 Samsung was the best for this (in our price range)

LED backed LCD is just amazing - and amazingly expensive the last time i looked. The proto I saw at Lumileds a few years ago did not shut down colors over part of the screen or vary the lighting color across the screen - but - it did allow dynamic control of the entire brightness and color point. This was actually simpler than I thought it would be. Color was amazing, and there was sort of an enhanced depth effect vs other back lit methods.

Reflection is a problem on any screen that is high gloss. Stand about 10 - 15 ft away and way off to the side of a TV - if you can see mirror like images, it will have reflection challenges. Many plasmas, and some LCDs do this - make the picture sharper. Some of this can be dealt with how you mount the TV.

Guess what - your current TV probably does this as well.

In the end, we decided to wait - we just could not find a reason to spend the money based on so little being on TV.


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## Eric_M (Oct 4, 2008)

I picked this one up about a month ago:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pana...06522/catOid/-12869/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

One of the only plasma TVs with an anti glare screen.

We have it installed in a fairly bright room and have had no problems at all.

We don't have Blu Ray and do not plan on getting it any time soon so the resolution is perfect for us.

Our family is very happy with it.


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## BVH (Oct 4, 2008)

Another fan of Pioneer Elite Kuros. Have one and just WOW! Mine is 8th gen. 9th gens are out and with yet deeper blacks and a higher true contrast ratio. I am told by those in the know on AV forums that it is sometimes not possible to tell the difference between the deep black gloss bezel and the screen when in a pure black scene. Thinking about getting a 9th gen for a different room. Also, if you use a break-in disk (free on-line) for about 150 hours, your chance of image retention is greatly reduced.

A ton of great reading. Member D-Nice is is amazing with his contacts, ifo and set-up settings.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1039269&page=201


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## Wattnot (Oct 4, 2008)

+1 for Panasonic PLASMA! It's the only one that can do black and it's best for fast motion. 

Don't worry about high altitude . . . that doesn't even start to be a problem until 10000 feet. 

Things I was warned about with plasmas is: Do NOT let them freeze. A good example of that would be moving during winter months up north. Second is NEVER LAY THEM DOWN EVEN FOR A MOMENT. It does something to the screen and can permanently damage it.

The LED's and hybrid technologies are getting better and better but if you want the best possible picture, like someone already mentioned, get a Panasonic or Pioneer plasma.


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## BVH (Oct 4, 2008)

Sitting a Panny and Kuro side-by-side for a black comparison would be no contest. The Panny bites the dust!


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## PhotonWrangler (Oct 4, 2008)

Plasma pixels are actually miniature fluorescent lamps. Each cell contains a gas mixture that, when ionized, produces UVC light as well as a little bit of visible light. The UV excites the phosphor coating on the front, converting it to red, green or blue. In this respect plasmas are self-emitting, which accounts for their good contrast ratio, wide viewing angle and excellent brightness.

The main downside is that the phosphor coating ages over time, as the caustic UVC energy slowly eats away at the phosphor coating. This is why it's important to look for features like image orbiting, which shifts the entire frame by a few pixels in a circular motion very slowly. This helps to spread out the phosphor aging a little more evenly.

For the same reason, when viewing letterboxed or pillarboxed programming, set the borders to medium grey instead of black. This will help to even out the wear pattern. You can accomplish the same thing by setting all SD content to stretch across the entire screen.

Good luck and enjoy your new prize!


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## StarHalo (Oct 4, 2008)

I'm mostly about bang-for-the-buck setups (especially with the cost of this flashlight hobby), so when I pieced together an HD system just a few weeks ago, I was looking for something that was visually impressive enough to let everyone know it is indeed an HD setup, but at reasonable cost..

Sony currently makes a 32" 720p LCD Bravia model that retails for *$690* . Granted, it's not theater-huge, but you know from the first glance that all the color depth and detail expected of a Bravia-badged TV is there. According to the resolution-vs-distance chart, if you sit more than five feet away from your television, as I do, you would be unable to tell the difference between a 720 and 1080 unit in this size class. Also, nearly all network stations only broadcast in 720p, so there's literally no difference when viewing live TV (a good thing, since name-brand 1080p TVs start at $1000..)

Speaking of live TV, my cable provider, Verizon, offers their HD lineup of channels for an extra $5 a month - I skip a latte a month and get ~100 HD stations.

Next up is the DVD player - Blu-Ray is very impressive, but at $300+ and the cost of buying your movie collection all over again, more than a bit pricey. The for-now solution is an upconverting DVD player, and here again Sony has an all-quality no-frills upconverting DVD player for $80. Skipping over the $70+ HDMI cables at the B&M stores, a 6' length can be found online for $5 with shipping. After everything is connected, the result is near-HD quality (looks like HD with less film grain) with the same DVDs I already own.

I dig my all-new sub-$800 HD setup, visitors and guests marvel at what is instantly recognizable as a quality HDTV picture, with none the wiser that I spent less for all of it than what most people spend on the TV alone. If you're looking to get into HD but are scared off at some of the prices you're seeing in the links above, it can indeed be done on a budget :thumbsup:


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## LuxLuthor (Oct 4, 2008)

I can't say enough good things about this *Oppo upcoding DVD player*. I spent hours trying to find the best, and at this price level $170 it had the highest praise. I have used it for hundreds of hours since buying, and I'm thinking about buying a 2nd just to have a backup.


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## LukeA (Oct 5, 2008)

Find the money for a surround sound system. TV speakers can't rattle the pictures on the wall if you want them to.


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## spock (Oct 5, 2008)

both plasma and lcd have good points. plasmas are a little heavier and may be subject to "burn in" on the screen. lcd is lighter, no "burn in", but their viewing angle(left to right)may be more narrow. having said that, i bought a samsung 52" Lcd(Ln52a650)from amazon last week. current price is $2032.75 plus free shipping and no tax for me. lowest web price i could find from a reputable site. local bigbox stores were $2500-2700 plus tax. this is 1080p @120mhertz. using hd cable as source, it is phenomenal. rated number 1 lcd by consumer reports. using samsung dvd combo player(dvd-vr357)upconverting to 1080i with 6' hdmi cable(amazon $1.89+$3.00 ship). see no need for blu-ray at this time. pioneer, panasonic and lg also make fine sets in plasma and Lcd. read consumer reports and web reviews for feedback.


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## Flashanator (Oct 5, 2008)

I was waiting on Laser TV's @ one point, one of their amazing advantages was meant to be their difference in price. But it seems that was hyped BS.

I just cant justify these expensive displays with only >1080p.


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## raggie33 (Oct 5, 2008)

i have a olevia 437v lcd that i love .boy i wish i won a tv the only thing i hate about my 37 is it is to small its my bedroom tv but i wish i went 50 like u are


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## gadget_lover (Oct 5, 2008)

spock said:


> lcd is lighter, no "burn in", but their viewing angle(left to right)may be more narrow.




I was very pleasantly surprised when I looked at some LCD TVs recently and found that the viewing angle could be very wide. One in particular, a Mitsubishi model, was as bright when standing next to it as it was straight on. That was a viewing angle of more than 170 degrees.

Of course, when you are that far off center the picture looks funny, but my chair is currently at about 40 degrees from center so 160 degree would be great for us.


Daniel


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## Darkpower (Oct 5, 2008)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Plasma pixels are actually miniature fluorescent lamps. Each cell contains a gas mixture that, when ionized, produces UVC light as well as a little bit of visible light. The UV excites the phosphor coating on the front, converting it to red, green or blue. In this respect plasmas are self-emitting, which accounts for their good contrast ratio, wide viewing angle and excellent brightness.
> 
> The main downside is that the phosphor coating ages over time, as the caustic UVC energy slowly eats away at the phosphor coating. This is why it's important to look for features like image orbiting, which shifts the entire frame by a few pixels in a circular motion very slowly. This helps to spread out the phosphor aging a little more evenly.
> 
> ...


Actually its a miniature neon light, not a fluorescent light. In a fluorescent light , a mercury vapour is excited releasing a very short wavelength light which the phosphor coating absorbs and re-radiates the UV light to visible light. 

In neon, the gas itself is ionized to a plasma (atoms stripped of outer electron orbits) without necessarily emitting light and the gas is generally xenon which then causes the phosphor to excite.

Anyhow, I have a large LCD 41 inch by Samsung and Pioneer Plasma 43 inch (both already about 4 years old) and I simply prefer the LCD. The Plasma has some ghosting artifacts because of phosphor persistence. Plus the Plasma is prone to "image burn" and eventually the reds die out first. On the other hand, the LCDs have Cold Cathode Fluorescent tubes that are used for back-lighting which someday will just go poof. But my understanding is that is can be replaced for under $100 by any qualified service center.

There definitely is a difference in visual quality that is hard to describe mainly because the Plasma is the primary light emitting surface and the LCD is a an indirect transmission with the primary light source being filtered by tiny dichroic filters.


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## StarHalo (Oct 5, 2008)

gadget_lover said:


> I was very pleasantly surprised when I looked at some LCD TVs recently and found that the viewing angle could be very wide.



The aforementioned $690 Bravia has a 178-degree viewing angle. Basically you'd have to lay your head against it before it'd go dark..


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## Lunal_Tic (Oct 5, 2008)

I've had better luck with LCDs in normally lit rooms. Even at the electronics shops around here the plasmas are generally shown in dimmed rooms for best viewing.

-LT


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## Superdave (Oct 5, 2008)

As an electronics engineer who has repaired TONS of them.. I recommend you go with a LCD. 

I work in a casino and a few years ago we hung 16 42" LG Plasmas.. grantid they are on 24x7 but they lasted about 2 years, some lasting only 6 months and there are still 2 hanging on. We've been replacing them with 42" LG LCD's. The difference in picture is huge. the LCD's are much brighter. A propperly calibrated LCD should out-perform a Plasma.. but few have the equipment to do so. 

we had 1 NEC 61" Plasma that lasted 3 years solid with no cleaning.. it finally died a few weeks ago and we're planning a funeral involving a 2 story drop and a sledge hammer. :devil:



Common failures in LCD TV's are usually limited to the power supply, Most are simple fixes costing maybe $1 (few caps).. For the average home user you should never have to worry about that.. or CCFL failure which usually happens at 3-5 years of being on 24x7. 

Plasma TV's generate alot of heat which slowly dries out capacitors. They try to counteract the heat by installing fans.. which pull dust and crud into the chassis.. coating the boards in crud. Some monitor fan RPM and when the fans get full of crap the TV just won't turn on. Pretty annoying. :shakehead


I have both at home and haven't turned on the plasma in 4 months..


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## MWClint (Oct 6, 2008)

+1 for pioneer plasmas

got to celebrate my 8G pioneer kuro elite's 1 year birthday recently
with the Transformers blue-ray release.  Being able to watch movies in 
24fps->72hz is breathtaking. an experience worth every penny.

3:2 pulldown is more annoying than flashlight pwm flickering.
when fast moving scenes get blurry due to pulldown it makes my eyes
blink, as my eyes want to refocus. and then i get a nasty headache
towards the end of the movie. 
the pioneer was medically necesary. :laughing:

also i cant play console games at all, or computer games without forcing 
vsync on. and i cant ride in the backseat of a car. Its all gotta be all related somehow. hahaha


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## Pydpiper (Oct 6, 2008)

The deed is done! Brought home a 50" Samsung plasma. Sat it in it's place, wiped the tear of joy from my eye before the wife seen it and started in on the wiring.

OK, so now the connections.. I used the basic R/W/Y from my sat receiver, I have no component output on my sat receiver. I do have the optical on both the TV and the sat receiver, is that of any benefit?


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## raggie33 (Oct 6, 2008)

do u have hdmi?if so use it


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## Burgess (Oct 6, 2008)

I bought a Panasonic TH-50PZ85U Plasma TV last month.


It performs *Great* ! 

Everybody who sees it has the same comment. :twothumbs



But . . . .


I can't get this TV to display *Picture-in-Picture*.


Am i overlooking something ? ? ?


I guess i kinda' thought that ALL new TV's have this feature.

:huh2:
_


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## Pydpiper (Oct 6, 2008)

raggie33 said:


> do u have hdmi?if so use it




The tv does raggie, but not my reciever


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## raggie33 (Oct 6, 2008)

is ya receiver hd?


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## Pydpiper (Oct 6, 2008)

nope, one step at a time..


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## raggie33 (Oct 6, 2008)

well thats ok the tv ya got does a good job at upconverting the pic from non hd to hd thats one of the benifits of a higher end tv you will love it.if ya ever get some extra cash get ya a ps3 and watch a movie such as transformers or planet earth on it you will tear up for sure the ps3 is one of the best bluray players out and it also wil play games and is about the same price as a basic bluray player.


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## Pydpiper (Oct 6, 2008)

raggie33 said:


> well thats ok the tv ya got does a good job at upconverting the pic from non hd to hd thats one of the benifits of a higher end tv you will love it.if ya ever get some extra cash get ya a ps3 and watch a movie such as transformers or planet earth on it you will tear up for sure the ps3 is one of the best bluray players out and it also wil play games and is about the same price as a basic bluray player.




That PS3 tip is worth it's weight in gold raggie! I will remember that one, thank you. We have a wii now (you helped with that purchase too), so that will have to do. We don't do a whole lot of rented movies, but if the PS3 has any good hunting games I will be in to one soon.


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## raggie33 (Oct 6, 2008)

you will love the ps3.everytime i watch a bluray movie on it i sit there with my mouth open almost in shock.im guessing there will be a ps3 price drop before christmas you may also want to invest in the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V6LST0/?tag=cpf0b6-20 to set the hdtv up if ya plan on geting the ps3 get the one i linked to if not get the dvd version.there great to set up seting on ya tv


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## Fallingwater (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm not at all crazy about flatscreen TVs, so I never bothered getting much info about them. One thing I do know is that plasma screens have a limited lifespan. I'm not sure how long that is - thousand of hours, probably, or there would be class action lawsuits springing up all over the place - but they aren't like old CRT televisions which you could expect to last for decades if repaired every now and again. Sooner or later the plasma is going to run out, and then you can throw your television away.


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## Vikas Sontakke (Oct 7, 2008)

StarHalo said:


> Sony currently makes a 32" 720p LCD Bravia model that retails for *$690* .
> ...
> ...
> I dig my all-new sub-$800 HD setup, visitors and guests marvel at what is instantly recognizable as a quality HDTV picture, with none the wiser that I spent less for all of it than what most people spend on the TV alone. If you're looking to get into HD but are scared off at some of the prices you're seeing in the links above, it can indeed be done on a budget :thumbsup:



Please provide details such as where to purchase your hardware. I am in the market for 32" LCD and was initially thinking about going cheap with Sharp @ Costco for $500. But I have seen Sony Bravia in their mall store and it had stunning picture.

- Vikas


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## HarryN (Oct 7, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> I'm not at all crazy about flatscreen TVs, so I never bothered getting much info about them. One thing I do know is that plasma screens have a limited lifespan. I'm not sure how long that is - thousand of hours, probably, or there would be class action lawsuits springing up all over the place - but they aren't like old CRT televisions which you could expect to last for decades if repaired every now and again. Sooner or later the plasma is going to run out, and then you can throw your television away.



This is dead on. There are some CRT based 32 in TV's out there - takes some effort to find one though.


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## raggie33 (Oct 7, 2008)

im no expert but i bet both lcd and plasma tvs will last at least 10 years.in 10 years you will want anew tv anyways they will probaly be hologrphic by then


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## Darkpower (Oct 7, 2008)

Pydpiper said:


> nope, one step at a time..


 You gotta get the HD reciever. Gotta get it. 

Its a world of difference. True HD at 16:9 1080 progressive scan is just awesome... almost has a 3D quality because it is so clear that it feels like you're not looking a flat field, but at a stereo-scopic image. 

My Dad had a large Pioneer Plasma display from early on and he was using it with DirecTV standard definition. I had to twist his arm to convince him that the bundle of money he spent on that panel was being wasted because true HD has about 2.5 (maybe more) times the resolution. Watching old NTSC signal on a large expensive panel is like buying a Ferrari to drive to the end of the driveway to get the mail and newspaper, because the gas cost too much to take it elsewhere.


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## StarHalo (Oct 7, 2008)

Vikas Sontakke said:


> Please provide details such as where to purchase your hardware. I am in the market for 32" LCD and was initially thinking about going cheap with Sharp @ Costco for $500. But I have seen Sony Bravia in their mall store and it had stunning picture.



It's the Sony KDL-32L4000, and pretty much any major retailer carries it (here it is at Best Buy for $650: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...y+bravia+32+720&type=product&id=1206142174666). My wife and I picked it out while browsing at a B&M store, it stands out so well visually from the other offerings in this price range that you can't miss it. I should also mention that it has two HDMI inputs, so it's ready for both an HDTV and HD DVD source. Just remember to buy your HDMI cable online, not in the store.


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## raggie33 (Oct 7, 2008)

man if i was you id never have a 32 inch tv i have a 37 inch lcd in my bedroom and i get mad at my self everyday for not getting a 47.but then again im single so i dodnt have to worry about a wife yelling at me for a huge tv in are room


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## Burgess (Oct 7, 2008)

:lolsign:
_


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## Vikas Sontakke (Oct 12, 2008)

StarHalo said:


> It's the Sony KDL-32L4000, and pretty much any major retailer carries it (here it is at Best Buy for $650: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...y+bravia+32+720&type=product&id=1206142174666). My wife and I picked it out while browsing at a B&M store, it stands out so well visually from the other offerings in this price range that you can't miss it. I should also mention that it has two HDMI inputs, so it's ready for both an HDTV and HD DVD source. Just remember to buy your HDMI cable online, not in the store.



I just picked up that TV. Now I am looking to purchase a good up-converting DVD player.
The one which I have seems to have trouble hooking up to the Sony TV using component video.

Please recommend a good and cheap DVD player which can do justice to this TV.

Thanks,
- Vikas


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## raggie33 (Oct 12, 2008)

welll u want a cheap upconverting player im not sure if there is one but i havent cheacked ina while the if ya can get extra money the ps3 upconverts very good plus you can play blurays and games maybe they will drop in price.dang i gues s my asnswer is that good but i am trying to help wish i new a beter answer


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## StarHalo (Oct 13, 2008)

Vikas Sontakke said:


> I just picked up that TV. Now I am looking to purchase a good up-converting DVD player.



The Sony upconverting DVD player I mentioned in my blurb is the Sony DVP NS700H/B (H/B is black, H/S has silver accents), here it is at Best Buy for under $80: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...NS700&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1201307506837

Connect it using HDMI cable, which you can find over on Amazon for ~$5 total with shipping - don't buy the HDMI cable at your local store, where prices begin at $60+ (for a cable, yes, really).

The picture quality once you have everything set up is excellent; while you can tell it's not quite Blu-Ray (only if you've seen Blu-Ray before), the TV and DVD player together have such a high quality image that you can actually see the limitations of the DVD format. The DVDs you have now will look very close to HD, in most cases it just looks like HD with less film grain.


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## LukeA (Oct 13, 2008)

HarryN said:


> This is dead on. There are some CRT based 32 in TV's out there - takes some effort to find one though.



CRT? Are we kidding? CRTs use three times the energy of a similarly sized flat panel and have terrible refresh rates. And use many times more energy when off. Not to mention the weight and volume. And the glare. And the lead content...

CRT is dead.


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## bullfrog (Oct 13, 2008)

StarHalo said:


> Connect it using HDMI cable, which you can find over on Amazon for ~$5 total with shipping - don't buy the HDMI cable at your local store, where prices begin at $60+ (for a cable, yes, really).



+1 

I can't believe how much some people pay for this :shrug:


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## PhotonWrangler (Oct 13, 2008)

Monoprice is another good source for inexpensive HDMI cables. They even have them in neat colors. Also Harbor Freight is starting to carry them.


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## Burgess (Oct 14, 2008)

Wow ! 

Thank you, PhotonWrangler, for that Link. :thumbsup:


Just bought a USB cable yesterday,

and i seem to have *OVER-paid* a bit.



*By about 600 Per Cent ! ! !*



But now i know better. 


_


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## PhotonWrangler (Oct 14, 2008)

Yeah Burgess, I cringe when I hear how much some people pay at the big box stores for HDMI cables. Yikes! There's been a lot of discussion about "cheap" vs "good" HDMI cables, and the bottom line seems to be this: if you're running a distance of 10' or less, an inexpensive cable is probably fine. If you're running extended distances though, there's a small benefit from using some of the better cables, although the percentage of improvement is arguable. They definitely do NOT make a better picture though. Digital is an all-or-nothing medium - you either get a great picture or you get nothing at all. Those purists who swear that they get a "better" picture with their $100 "M" cable would be hard pressed to demonstrate this on an analyzer.


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## Vikas Sontakke (Oct 15, 2008)

Component cables used to be cheap at Monoprice but these days those have gone up in price. Any other source for component cables?

- Vikas


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## Pydpiper (Oct 15, 2008)

A lot can change in a week..
I went from not wanting HD to getting a HD receiver for my satellite, another satellite with many HUD channels as well as the proper DIM cables..
Thanks for all the help!


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## StarHalo (Oct 15, 2008)

Just a quick update: My Verizon FiOS service has updated their channel lineup as of today, and I'm now getting *roughly twice* the number of HD channels I was getting before, I'd estimate 200 HD channels, about two dozen of which are HBO and Cinemax channels :huh:


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## NA8 (Oct 16, 2008)

Vikas Sontakke said:


> Component cables used to be cheap at Monoprice but these days those have gone up in price. Any other source for component cables?
> 
> - Vikas



You can make very high quality (but a little stiff) component cables by using your cable TV cable (RG6 etc) and add RCA connectors to it by soldering or buying a good compression crimping tool and the appropriate RCA compression connectors. 

Search for LRC SNS1P6RM on this page: 

http://www.hometech.com/techwire/coaxconn.html#20.3mm

Or you could use a compression "F" connector, plus an F to RCA adapter (GC-AFF2RM) instead.


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## NA8 (Oct 16, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> I'm not at all crazy about flatscreen TVs, ... but they aren't like old CRT televisions which you could expect to last for decades if repaired every now and again. Sooner or later the plasma is going to run out, and then you can throw your television away.



Sony had a nice 34" HDTV back when, but I think they're gone now. CRT's couldn't scale up to larger sizes gracefully. They weighed a ton for starters and the linearity and convergence suffered at the outside portions of the screen. In comparison the flat panels are lighter and have perfect linearity which is shocking after a lifetime of CRT viewing. 

The CRT's weren't being set up properly at the factories either, they seemed to think you should spend an extra $300+ for a custom in-home calibration. Some clown would come over and glue magnets to your picture tube and kill a chicken or two for effect. The results were nice, but it was a pain in the ***. It was all ok if you were rich, but these days a good flat panel, much larger than 34", is a lot more fun. The old CRT's sure had nice colors though.


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## tupni (Jan 26, 2009)

Perhaps, checking the LCD TV Ratings might be a good step in the right direction. I myself found it very helpful when I have no idea at all about certain products.


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## Mike Painter (Jan 27, 2009)

tupni said:


> Perhaps, checking the LCD TV Ratings might be a good step in the right direction. I myself found it very helpful when I have no idea at all about certain products.



The first few date from 2007 and that was a *long* time ago in the TV world.
Even this thread whcih essentially ended October of last year is a bit dated.


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