Television Purchase

[endaround]

1) Plasma cost a lot more to run

 

2)Plasma becomes unwatchable if there is a glare in the room

 

3) I think its better but transporting plasma used to be near impossible since you could never lay it on its back

 

No reason to get 1080P over 720P if they don't even have a 1080P signal

 

And, screen size can vary where a 42" class might actually be 41" across.

[danzig6767]

1) Plasma cost a lot more to run

 

2)Plasma becomes unwatchable if there is a glare in the room

 

3) I think its better but transporting plasma used to be near impossible since you could never lay it on its back

 

No reason to get 1080P over 720P if they don't even have a 1080P signal

 

And, screen size can vary where a 42" class might actually be 41" across.

Yea, i prefer plasma's over LCD's picture wise, but before anyone buys a plasma, they should check first how much glare/sunlight will come in the area where the TV is placed. I have a 50's plasma and the picture is absolutely fabulous, but where i have it placed, glare is pretty much no issue. My cousin though also has a 50' plasma, but he has a large window in the front room which causes quite a bit of glare during the day unless he shuts the blinds.

 

Panasonic does make a few plasma's with anti-glare and i used to have one, it works well, but it is an added cost to a standard plasma. If glare won't be an issue, i'd get a Panasonic plasma because most people i know have an LCD and IMO, my plasma has a better picture than all of them.

[valpocrewsader]

No reason to get 1080P over 720P if they don't even have a 1080P signal

Interesting. I didn't realize that OTA broadcasts weren't 1080P -- with a little bit of research, that appears to be the case. Yeah, no reason to reach beyond 720P in this case then. Thank you.

 

Power consumption was something I thought about, but according to the charts I've seen it's a difference of less than $2 per month.

 

Glare is a legit concern. Their living room has a large bay window on a wall that's perpendicular to the TV, but that's it, I think they should be okay. I've managed to make do with my plasma despite having windows on the wall opposite the TV and only 12 feet away. Definite glare sometimes, but not the end of the world....

[danzig6767]

No reason to get 1080P over 720P if they don't even have a 1080P signal

Interesting. I didn't realize that OTA broadcasts weren't 1080P -- with a little bit of research, that appears to be the case. Yeah, no reason to reach beyond 720P in this case then. Thank you.

 

Power consumption was something I thought about, but according to the charts I've seen it's a difference of less than $2 per month.

 

Glare is a legit concern. Their living room has a large bay window on a wall that's perpendicular to the TV, but that's it, I think they should be okay. I've managed to make do with my plasma despite having windows on the wall opposite the TV and only 12 feet away. Definite glare sometimes, but not the end of the world....

Plus, when it comes to plasma glare, you really only notice it much when watching a movie or show with lots of black or dark backround to it. If say you're watching a day Brewers game though, the glare is barely even noticeable. For me, i have my plasma in a place where the big window is behind the TV so i get pretty much no glare.

 

Considering i got my 50' Panasonic plasma for only 650 dollars and how fabulous the picture is after i played with the settings until i got it how i wanted, i'm thrilled with the purchase. Glad i waited a bit to for getting a 50' because around two years ago my uncle bought a 46' Sony Bravia LCD that set him back around 2000 bucks and my plasma has significantly better picture IMO.

[Invader3K]

1080p sets have the big advantage with Blu-Ray movies. I believe one or both of the satellite providers have "on demand" movies available in 1080p, but that's it. Broadcast HD is either 720p or 1080i.

 

The whole power consumption thing gets way overblown. I think when plasma sets first came out, they weren't very energy efficient...but nowadays the technology has gotten a lot better and the operating cost difference is minimal compared to LCD sets.

 

As I've said before, I personally prefer plasmas, but I doubt your grandparents are going to notice the difference or care. For about $500 I'd think more LCD sets would be available.

[valpocrewsader]

For about $500 I'd think more LCD sets would be available.

I guess I'll have to see what's available in stores. Just judging from Sunday ads, I've definitely seen more name brand 40"-42" plasmas in the $450-$500 range than I have name brand 40-42 LCDs for 450-500.

[endaround]

There's this sale right now at Sam's club:

http://www.samsclub.com/s...d1390293&iid=MerryMonday|Homepage|Right|42_Hitachi

 

It maybe one day only though.--It showing up $498 online (and sold out) and $450 at the Sam's in Waukesha

[LouisEly]

Can we get a Search Tag for HDTV/TV sets? There have been several threads on this in the past. Considering that there's a search tag for "manboobs", I think TV shopping warrants its own search tag.

 

Also, one thing to be careful of on Craigslist is that a significant amount of stuff on it is stolen. Another thing to be careful of specifically to TVs, I've seen posts offering great deals on TVs that link you to foreign websites. Most people here are bright enough to recognize that scam, but be cautious - as they say, if it sounds too good to be true there's gotta be a catch. Ask if they still have the box it came in or the instruction manuals.

[1992casey]

I've tagged this topic and a couple of others. I didn't search extensively, though. If anyone wants to post some appropriate URLs, a mod can add tags to those topics.

[NeedMoreFans]

I'm reviving a very old topic.

 

I'm TV shopping, and I have narrowed my search down. Two TVs, both 50", same brand, same features. One is LED, one is plasma. The LED is $300 more. Is it worth the extra $300 for an LED TV?

[Raw Biz]

I'm reviving a very old topic.

 

I'm TV shopping, and I have narrowed my search down. Two TVs, both 50", same brand, same features. One is LED, one is plasma. The LED is $300 more. Is it worth the extra $300 for an LED TV?

 

Depends on where it's going. Generally: Dark room=plasma is better. Ambient light=LED better.

[nate82]

I prefer LED over Plasma so to me yes. It is still a good idea to see the TV's and conpare them yourself if you haven't done so already.

[NeedMoreFans]

It's going in my basement, so it will be dark.

 

Some have said it's not worth the extra money, others have said that plasma TVs die quickly (my current 42" is 3 years old and is fine). I'm just trying to see if there is a general consensus, because there are a lot of opinions out there.

[Invader3K]

Plasmas don't die quickly, that's an old myth.

 

I personally own two plasmas (one a Pioneer Kuro, the other is a Panasonic Viera) and I love the picture. Our Pioneer is already four years old and still looks sharp and bright (we watch a pretty good amount of TV too). I still personally think plasma gives you the best and most realistic picture, though LEDs seem to be getting there.

[1992casey]

I believe the gap has closed somewhat, but I think the plasma will likely offer a little bit better picture, especially with blacks. However, the LCD/LED screen will be less likely to reflect light from other sources. The LCD/LED will definitely weigh a lot less. I can carry around my 46" LCD by myself. It's somewhat herniating for two people to carry my dad's 42" plasma.

 

EDIT: I missed the posts on this page. My dad's plasma is seven years old. The picture is still great. There's an input that's busted, but that could just as easily happen on an LCD.

[Raw Biz]

If it's going in the basement, I would definitely go plasma.

[LouisEly]

Just don't lay the plasma down flat when you are moving it. Must be kept upright.

 

I have a 50" LED and I'm not disappointed at all. Great viewing angle. Unfortunately it does not have VGA-in and my laptop does not have HDMI or DVI out, so no running laptop through TV.

[brettac1]

I have a 51" Samsung plasma and love it.

[Kelbysdaddy]

I just picked up a 55 inch LG led and its awesome. I think it looks great in a darker room, it detects the change in lighting and darkens/ brightens the lights for optimal picture. It was on sale at best buy for only 700. Regular price was 1000. Probably the best tv i saw for the price.

[1992casey]

Unfortunately it does not have VGA-in and my laptop does not have HDMI or DVI out, so no running laptop through TV.

 

Yeah, definitely make sure you have the inputs you need plus some room to grow. A lot of buyers still need the legacy inputs for older devices.

 

New devices would have HDMI, so you should have extras of those. However, I was recently freaked out to learn that a friend's new Charter HD cable boxes didn't have HDMI. That's silly in this day and age.

[TooLiveBrew]

I just picked up a 55 inch LG led and its awesome. I think it looks great in a darker room, it detects the change in lighting and darkens/ brightens the lights for optimal picture. It was on sale at best buy for only 700. Regular price was 1000. Probably the best tv i saw for the price.

Wow, that sounds like a great find & deal.

[NeedMoreFans]

I ended up with a 47" Vizio LED smart TV. Costco had it for $470, but the caveat is that it was the display. I took a risk on getting a TV of that caliber for that cheap. Luckily, Costco's return policy and warranty still apply to the display, and I decided to get the extended warranty for a total of 5 years. Even with the warranty, I only spent $500 on a very nice TV.

[Invader3K]

Sounds like an awesome deal! Let us know what you think of it when you get it hooked up, etc.

[hawing]

Sweet! Game watch parties at NMF's house.