so Robert, everyone has chimed in on this topic, so I will too. I can tell you one thing for sure, the Packers games look great on my lcd. The Bears should only be viewed on one of them 3.5 inch sony watchmans..... burn in is a result of watching da Bears or viqueens on a high quality lcd set.... all kidding aside, I love my lcd, I got a hisense, but the way i see it, I have been replacing my tvs every 3-4 years, so why spend big bucks on a sony or something. they all have the same general warrenty.
Guys Thanks for the replies, but I still don't know anything about the DLP or the difference between the DLP and the LCD or plasma.
DLP, It's the mirrors check out here. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dlp.htm basically it has a lightbulb, a color wheel (moving part) a micro chip with tiny mirrors. and they can't burn in. older DLP TV's like my Sammy, have a smaller color wheel and it makes noise. they've fixed that by making the color wheel larger (spins slower) The light bulbs are pricey at $300+ but they're typically good for 100,000 hrs. I really like my 56" DLP Samsung it's 3 or 4 yrs old now. ton's of inputs. and throws a really really nice picture. Mine is 19" deep (newer ones are half that) and it only weighs about 40 lbs. I'd pick DLP over Plasma but make sure to look at that LCD one as I'm not sure about their technology. I think the LCD also uses a lightbulb. Oh and if you really want to see the Packers suck it up against Chicago check it out on a DLP.
DLP is older tech as is LCD projection. They work great, both have a replaceable lamp and you can get both sets at good prices. No manufacture is putting any R&D into these sets. If your on a tight budget, DLP or LCD Projection. Good picture both have replacable lamps. I have a 50" LCD Projection Sony that's 5 years old, still looks like day one a nice set. I also have a 42" Philips LCD 1080I set. Both with HD inputs, the LCD is clearly the better picture, it's brighter/sharper. I do think as far as brands, you need to read the reviews and vist the available forums, don't buy on brand alone. If you what the best of today, LCD 1080P with a 120hz clock.
I would second the LCD option. They are now getting to the size and price of plasma and are much better in my opinion. I used to work home theater at Best Buy in college....back then Plasmas were 15 grand for a 46 in...now much cheaper...but even then if you had a flat LCD of that same size it would be even more expensive than plasma. LCD's were only flat panel at the smaller in sizes...like 26in...bigger than that and they went to the projection LCD. LCD uses liquid crystals and a light source to produce it picture. Just like your flat panel computer screen...if you push on it you can see the crystals being squished into other pixels (not a great idea though). This is king right now...:Brow: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8817373&type=product&id=1206749957185
I got a 42" LCD LG (model#42lg50) - 1080P 5ms response, 15,000:1 contrast at Best Buy a week ago for $950. I just walked up to wall looked of flat screens and looked for the best combo of bightness, color saturation, black level and motion sharpness. There was a 47" Samsung I almost got but it was $300 more and the color wasnt near as rich as my LG, and there was another LG that the motion was slightly sharper on but it also cost $300 more. I dont think you can find a better deal for the tv I got, it's great.
This site has great deals and the info you need. I bought two refurbed TV's cheap and they work great.... http://www.secondact.com/category/promo.limited_time_offers This sight describes the differences between LCD and Plasma... http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv-plasmavslcd.shtml Chuck I believe that LCD vs Plasma has to do with the lighting in the room you put the TV.
Now you need to go buy a Set up disc, because what you usually find is that everything is being overdriven. Market research shows just what you commented, I bought the one that looked the best. Why? It was the brightest. I have never seen one that was even close to adjusted correctly.:bglasses: Sony was a huge offender, but they sold a ton of TV's. I'm not saying you bought a bad set, I really like the LG's, just that the picture is more than likely in need of adjustment. There are only a couple of LCD (Glass) manufactures in the world, so everyone on buys from one of two. It's the supporting electronics that sets them apart. Go here and read: http://www.avsforum.com/ They helped me pick my first system. A good system is only as good as the signal going to it. There's big differences between models of the same manufacture. As an example, when I bought my DVD player, I bought a Panny XP30 and at the time paid a ridiculous price for it, but the chip set installed was rated very good. As the screen gets bigger, any errors are clearly seen on-screen, usually bit errors but they are really easy to pick out. Anyhow the next generation of Panasonics (Panny) decided to use their own chip set and the chip set was junk. They were rated at the bottom but still had a high price. Sorry to ramble, just don't become to set on a certain brand. Anyhow, prices are really coming down, so good luck. I guess it really depends on how picky you are
I turned the brightness down on it when I got home. The living room in my apartment isn't real bright and I wanted to make the bulb last for as long as possible. I tweaked all settings after I had it set up (video color included.) However- your post implies that I purchased the tv solely on brightness, that is far from true. As I said above, I also looked at color saturation, black levels, and response time. It was the best tv bang for my buck.
I just bought a 50 in. Panasonic Plasma 1080P HDTV and couldn't be more pleased. Everything I read about this TV is true, best picture I've ever seen on a television. I bought the Panasonic Blue Ray player with it and it's an absolutely increadible picture. I have it downstairs in the family room, a fairly dark room so there is no problem with glare, I've heard this could be a problem with plasma but no problem at all for me. I bought this set from Amazon.com for over $200 less than Best Buy. There was also NO SALES TAX and FREE SHIPPING. The shipping company delivered it to my house, carried it downstairs, unpacked it, placed it on the stand, hooked it up and programmed all the cable channels FREE OF CHARGE! They then handed me the remote and told me to keep the box for about a month, if there was any problem at all call the customer service number they circled and said they would come switch it out. For once it's been a very, very good experience and I'm very happy with this TV, we LOVE it.
watch out for glare I was looking at a wall of flat screens and the only one I did not see all the lights on the ceiling behind me was the vizio I went with a 42" vizio and have had it for about a year now and love it I can sit anywhere and see the screen just fine not like my brother in-laws you have to be right in front to see anything
As a cable tech, I highly recommend against a plasma. They don't last very long, they are more reflective, the picture really isn't any better, and they have burn in problems. To answer your question about that, if any part of the image stays idle for too long, it can permanently imprint itself into the screen. I've seen it happen. One guy had the CNN logo stuck on his screen no matter what channel he watched.....on a 60" Pioneer.....big money. Ruined. LCD's are readily available in the size you are looking for. The only advantage that plasma ever had was the viewing angle, which used to be limited on an LCD. But the newer ones can be viewed from up to 80 degrees to the side without distortion, which is more angle than you would ever watch TV from anyways. One member suggested DLP. That is an excellent, cost effective choice, but it is not skinny enough to fit on a wall. Oh yeah, and don't let anyone talk you into a cable card instead of a cable box. They're junk. Hope I helped.
I tried to stay as un technical as possible for those that are not. It is a marketing ploy and the set that seems brightest, clearest or however you want to describe it is the one that will be bought first. LG is a good set, however, I'm a bit biased since I work for Philips who used to own most of LG:TU: Now some dont like it calibrated, I bought a 50 Plasma for my in-law and my brother-in-law and I sat down and calibrated the picture, it was perfect. I had to change it back because my mother-in-law insisted that we screwed it up. She loved it when the colors were all cranked up. So its a lot of each is own. Truth is replacing a standard TV with todays technology, chances are your going to love it. Just getting a 480P displayed is better than any 10 year old CRT. My set up disc was under $20.00, big difference if you like true colors. Now let talk about sound:Brow: http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_files/Articles/porttut/rgdht.jpg Explosions never sounded so good:TU:
+1 Plasma dim over time, expect about a 10 year life. LCD's can sometimes repair themselves. You can run a white raster off a PC and 8 out of 10 times they will self heal. TV is seldom an issue, its usually with some sort of camera system that looks at the same image for 24 x 7.:beers2:
