Plasma vs LCD

Toxis

DLP... no thanks. The only way DLP could compete with an SXRD/LCoS tv would be if you run a three chips but then the cost wouldn't compare to what they should be. Not only the cost factor but the color still wouldn't be as close to reality. Oh well... the days of picture quality are in a coma. I'm curious to see what they'll come up with that will have as good if not better than a CRT.

Schris22

I went shopping for my own tv, nowhere near that range, but I looked around and have to agree that the Sony SXRD's are cool. They are releasing a new one in a month or less i believe is what I was told. A2000? NOt sure if it replaces the SXRD, I think it's for the LCD projections. Anyway yes i liked that one much more than the JVC's and sammy dlps.

Someone mentioned westinghouse, I looked at every one of their LCD's and only liked one picture from about 5 or so. This makes me think they are capable of more, but all the others just weren't set up right so I will check them out at another store.


Chris

PhantomOG

I'd consider the new model SXRD's from Sony, but not until I actually see them in store and confirm the viewing angle is adequate. I have a really large/wide living room and I'm pretty sure I'll only be happy with a plasma.

Maestro

Just picked up the Sony XBR1 40" yesterday - Saturday - and the unit was shipped to my place this morning - one hour before World Cup Final! Set up time: 15 minutes (including calling cable company for Hi-Def authorizing). I'M STUNNED!! Absolutely wonderful. I was thinking on getting the S2000 46", but the XBR1 in black just looks a lot sexier to me - black is beautiful!

Apparently the prices on the XBR1s are dropping since the S2000 series is here and the new XBR3s are on the way for the fall. I couldn't wait until fall because as I was watching Germany vs. Portugal, my 32" RCA after 15 years of service just gave up and started smoking and crackling right as Germany scores the 3rd goal!!

All I can say is...DAMN! What a picture. Colors just come out at you. Well...
got to get back to the game; halftime is over.

Toxis

Great choice!!! By far the only flat panel out right now I'd ever own, especially after the huge price drop they just took! Phenominal choice man. Enjoy.

SKsolutions

If you think Plasma is dim, I wonder what Kmart you are shopping in.

In my experience those that sing the loudest praises of CRT's, don't sing them for their picture, but for the sake of not having the cash to buy a plasma.

Plasma and CRT tech is more alike than different. Phosphor is phosphor. Gun it in red, green, and blue. ,,, or just eliminate the gun and light the screen.

The staunchest holdouts seem to be the cheapskates. . . not that there's anything wrong with that.

fredv

Is this a good deal? http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=201964939&adid=17653&dcaid=17653

PhantomOG

i've read bad things about philips branded plasmas. might want to check out the AVS forums for reviews.

personally based on what I've read and seen in stores, I'm probably going to get a Panasonic or Pioneer.

mmcgehee

PhantomOG wrote:

i've read bad things about philips branded plasmas. might want to check out the AVS forums for reviews.

personally based on what I've read and seen in stores, I'm probably going to get a Panasonic or Pioneer.

Philips actually got sued not too long ago for their ambilight catching peoples houses on fire, did a 13,000 unit recall.

As for the Panasonic, consumer reports likes them but they are WAY over-rated. Not to say they're a bad TV, but you can get a lot better plasma for your money.

Now Pioneer, THATS a TV. The new ones were just released (still 1080i though, if you want P you have to get an Elite model) and they look beautiful. I highly recommend Pioneer, and as a person who stand around TV's all day long that's gotta stand for something. :P

Again, both are great TV's and I'm sure you'll love either.

ND13

Toxis wrote:

to bad CRT tubes don't come bigger... then you'd see a real picture.

Yep, it pisses me off that RCA quit selling their 38" ws hd tube tv. I really wouldn't care about the size and weight issue in order to get that picture quality. The main reason I upgraded from my Philips 30" ws hd tube was to get more size. I almost went with the Sony 34" XBR, but took the Westinghouse 37" flat panel lcd home and I'm very pleased so far. Hard to beat the value/quality ratio with them, imo. I'd been shopping for one for a long time and held out for the price drop. I saved about $350 of the price from December.

The Philips is going in the bedroom as soon as I get a stand that will support the 120+/-lbs.

fredv

Catching fire is the last risk that I want to take!! To me, PQ is important but not as much as the reliabilty and safety. I have reading glass, driving glass, and progressive. So, the diff between the best and the good is probaby not very noticeable to my aging eyes :-) If my 10+ years 27" Sony CRT didn't act up lately (hue somtimes is set to max regardless), I probably wouldn't post my question :-) Since 50" is the max that I can go and Philips is out, my choices are probably not that many .....

Maestro

After a few days of solid viewing, I'm still floored over the Sony 40" Bravia XBR1! HD is just friggin' outstanding!!!! Regular cable viewing is great as well.

I recently had my cable lines replaced (upgraded by cable co.), so that might have had an impact on why the LCD looked great as well (compared to my old 32" RCA TV). So I would suggest having your cable/satellite co. upgrade your lines before purchasing such that your judgment of whatever you choose, plasma or LCD, is really based upon the performance of the video display or the transmission of data from your cable/cable box.

Some of the DVDs I viewed to test the blacks and colors:

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (Track 4 "The Game") - The vivid colors are absolutely amazing during this scene. A perfect visual demo for any LCD or plasma display in general. The DVD is mastered in Hi-Definition so that should make your display shine - the XBR1 sure did do that! Jump to the forest scenes and WOWZER the beautiful greens and violets, etc. Oh...my...God! PRAISE HEEYIM!

UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION - This DVD is mastered in Hi-Def as well. I saw no problems with black hues: blacks were blacks, no grey/blacks were detected. Excellent movie by the way (Kate looks sooooo heavenly).

DARK CITY - Again no problems with dark hues. Maybe the issue of grey/black was resolved by the time this LCD was built (April '06).

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK - Need I say more?!

No complaints here! I forgot to mention, that the crew who delivered the LCD did not leave until the unit was inspected (for travel damage, cosmetic abrasions, etc.), turned on, and tested for any pixel defects. Otherwise if there was a problem, it would have been taken back and another unit delivered on a later date. They even hauled away the old big and bulky RCA (buh-bye!). Customer service was par excellence!! Did I mention I got a 5-year warranty? Total cost: $2,400.00.

PRICELESS!!

PhantomOG

Maestro wrote:

No complaints here! I forgot to mention, that the crew who delivered the LCD did not leave until the unit was inspected (for travel damage, cosmetic abrasions, etc.), turned on, and tested for any pixel defects. Otherwise if there was a problem, it would have been taken back and another unit delivered on a later date.

sounds good. I'd feel safer buying a plasma online if i knew for sure delivery occurred like that. where did you buy it from? b&m? online?

Holydoc

PhantomOG wrote:

sounds good. I'd feel safer buying a plasma online if i knew for sure delivery occurred like that. where did you buy it from? b&m? online?

Panasonic Direct offers "white glove" service with their plasma purchases. I opted to go the cheap route but was able to "entice" the delivery company to unpack and set-up my new plasma. Very professional service all the way around.

SKsolutions

PhantomOG wrote:

sounds good. I'd feel safer buying a plasma online if i knew for sure delivery occurred like that. where did you buy it from? b&m? online?

Most use a bill of lading shipping service that will wait until you unpack it. My first plasma came, and I was in hurry to get back an appointment, so I gave the screen a cursory check in the inner box, signed the receipt and the guy took off. I came home later and saw the crack in the glass. Long story short, it's insured by the company for hidden damage. I had a tracking number for my new one in less than three hours. www.PlasmaHouse.com
Would recommend. For a few more sheckels, they will unpack and hook it up.

Maestro

PhantomOG wrote:

where did you buy it from?

Circuit City!

AlanD

It doesn't look like it's been mentioned yet, but even today's "extra endurance" plasma can burn in:
a) you watch a lot of 4:3 content and do not stretch it out
b) you play a lot of videogames
c) you have kids who watch Disney Channel or Nickelodeon 4-5 hours/day, everyday. The station identification logos aren't a problem for most people (most people watch enough variety), but you still hear about problems in cases where there's only *one* channel being shown all day (i.e. a plasma that runs CNN all day in a bank)

SKsolutions

greyest grey. . . . . can't display black even when off. . .

If plasma is still grey, then LCD must be only able to reproduce a bathtub-water white as it's darkest color.

Toxis

lol... SKsolutions. The self proclaimed, self taught expert. Gotta love the internet and all of it's information. I mean, people's opinions (not facts) speak more than reality. Honestly man, maybe when you get into the industry and get some training from people who make the technologies, then you'll have some real information to go off of.

brettw22

Maestro wrote:

I'm still floored over the Sony 40" Bravia XBR1!

Did I mention I got a 5-year warranty? Total cost: $2,400.00.

PRICELESS!!

I don't know how much the warranty was, but $2400 seems a bit steep for only a 40" display.......(and technically, you can't say "Priceless" after you've just typed out the price)...

tommyboy

lcds- don't like
plasma- closest to CRT, (there you go holydoc;) )
dlp- don't like
lcd projection- don't like
sxrd- better than other projections
CRT- still the best.

the more I watch look at lcds, the more I hate them. The contrast on them are just terrible. When it comes to playing games and watching movies, nothing beats the ole crt.

edit: I hoped my change of words are not as offensive as what I stated before

PhantomOG

well, when you are sitting 15 feet away in a very large room CRT just won't do. They don't make them that big and even if they did it would weigh 500+ lbs.

I want a large screen (50"+), very wide viewing angle, and a good picture that comes from a set that doesn't take a forklift to move. Plasma is the only technology that can offer me all of that at a reasonable price. Sure, I love my old 32" Sony Wega HD, but from my couch it looks like a postage stamp.

mutelight

tommyboy wrote:

lcds- suck
plasma- suck
dlp- suck
lcd projection- suck
sxrd- better than other projections
CRT- still the best.

the more I watch look at lcds, the more I hate them. The contrast on them are just terrible. When it comes to playing games and watching movies, nothing beats the ole crt.

Of course, because you have one.

If you were to see any of those other displays calibrated correctly you might think twice. The largest display you can get using CRT tech is 40" and its the Sony Wega which is 4:3 aspect ratio, which they don't even make anymore. Not only that it weighs 300lbs and is two feet deep. If I had the choice between the best CRT on the market or my current display which is nowhere near top end and doesn't have the same black level as CRT its a no brainer for me. I am extremely impressed with its performance as you can see in one of the images on my system showcase page I took a picture with House paused on the screen and the image is in no way doctored and it was taken by a digital camera from and angle with a ton of JPEG compression layed on top of it. I am in no way saying that LCoS is the best tech out there because that is impossible to say as each tech has its advantages and weaknesses, it is simply my tech of choice.

PhantomOG

each technology has it pros and cons but to say "everything but CRT SUCKS" sounds like sour grapes to me. Have you ever seen a properly calibrated decent plasma planel showing HD material?

tommyboy

mutelight wrote:

Of course, because you have one.

If you were to see any of those other displays calibrated correctly you might think twice. The largest display you can get using CRT tech is 40" and its the Sony Wega which is 4:3 aspect ratio, which they don't even make anymore. Not only that it weighs 300lbs and is two feet deep. If I had the choice between the best CRT on the market or my current display which is nowhere near top end and doesn't have the same black level as CRT its a no brainer for me. I am extremely impressed with its performance as you can see in one of the images on my system showcase page I took a picture with House paused on the screen and the image is in no way doctored and it was taken by a digital camera from and angle with a ton of JPEG compression layed on top of it. I am in no way saying that LCoS is the best tech out there because that is impossible to say as each tech has its advantages and weaknesses, it is simply my tech of choice.

I worked at circuit city for two years and saw and worked with every technology out there (at least in the cheaper market:) ). The best tv that we carry in the past couple years while I worked was the 34 xbr (the 950 and 960). And are you guys forgetting the crt projections. Even though most of them sold today (at least at circuit city) are absolutely terrible now, back a couple years ago when we had the old hitachis and sonys, they still look better than most projection tvs on the market today (at least when watching dvd movies).

See the difference between me and other people is that I don't care if it ways a **** load and is very deep. you (usually:) ) only have to move your tv once, who cares how much it weighs. I would rather it weigh a ton and not sacrifice contrast ratio, just my opinion.

mutelight

tommyboy wrote:

I worked at circuit city for two years and saw and worked with every technology out there (at least in the cheaper market:) ). The best tv that we carry in the past couple years while I worked was the 34 xbr (the 950 and 960). And are you guys forgetting the crt projections. Even though most of them sold today (at least at circuit city) are absolutely terrible now, back a couple years ago when we had the old hitachis and sonys, they still look better than most projection tvs on the market today (at least when watching dvd movies).

See the difference between me and other people is that I don't care if it ways a **** load and is very deep. you (usually:) ) only have to move your tv once, who cares how much it weighs. I would rather it weigh a ton and not sacrifice contrast ratio, just my opinion.

I respect your opinion and the nice thing about analog displays is they are scalable compared to when you watch a DVD on LCD, DLP, LCoS you are scaling the image to the fixed pixel panels which affects the image quality. But you are totally welcome to you opinion and I can definitely see where you are coming from but making blanket statements like that without stating it is your personal opinion can give the wrong impression. But no doubt man CRTs are badass.

tommyboy

mutelight wrote:

I respect your opinion and the nice thing about analog displays is they are scalable compared to when you watch a DVD on LCD, DLP, LCoS you are scaling the image to the fixed pixel panels which affects the image quality. But you are totally welcome to you opinion and I can definitely see where you are coming from but making blanket statements like that without stating it is your personal opinion can give the wrong impression. But no doubt man CRTs are badass.

sorry, i didn't mean to offend anyone by my first statement. Every tv has its pros and cons, Im sure when (I should say if) I get married, I will be told to get that big **** tv out of the house.

Holydoc

tommyboy wrote:

lcds- suck
plasma- suck
dlp- suck
lcd projection- suck
sxrd- better than other projections
CRT- still the best.

the more I watch look at lcds, the more I hate them. The contrast on them are just terrible. When it comes to playing games and watching movies, nothing beats the ole crt.

I respectively disagree about watching movies. I have a Sony Wega Trinitron 32" and a Panasonic 50" Plasma. Both calibrated using AVS. High definition movies on the plasma are just breath taking to watch as compared to the Sony. I would never go back to the sony and my friends would slaughter me if I told them when football starts we will be watching the CRT.

As far as playing games, I do not play games so I will not comment on that aspect.

But to say something sucks when you don't even own them is just ludicrous.

tommyboy

Holydoc wrote:

I respectively disagree about watching movies. I have a Sony Wega Trinitron 32" and a Panasonic 50" Plasma. Both calibrated using AVS. High definition movies on the plasma are just breath taking to watch as compared to the Sony. I would never go back to the sony and my friends would slaughter me if I told them when football starts we will be watching the CRT.


As far as playing games, I do not play games so I will not comment on that aspect.

But to say something sucks when you don't even own them is just ludicrous.

was the 32" hd or analog? but I should change my statement about plasmas, they are the closest thing to a tube tv so...

mulveling

He didn't say plasma sucked. He said it was the closest thing to CRT, which is good :cool: Oh, and when us CRT zealots are raving about tubes, think of the "HD" part as implied. The old standard definition tubes suck, no way around that. I share a similar opinion as tommyboy, except my version would go like this:

HD CRT - awesome image; my favorite!
Plasma - sweet image; closest to CRT and my 2nd favorite
DLP - can look really really nice (especially 1080p sets) but doesn't look nearly as natural or accurate as CRT/plasma, especially colors
LCD direct view - again, can look really really nice (the Wesinghouse sets are bargains) but not as natural as CRT and blacks levels are still fairly poor in a darkened room (its black levels in a bright room are hard to beat though).
LCD rear or front projection - I don't like these. Used to own an LCD PJ and the same artifacts bug me in the newer ones
DILA/SXRD - Haven't spent enough time to judge these yet