Lcd Tv...???
 

I am looking to buy the wife one for her birthday. I have been doing research on several websites as well as CircuitCity's as I plan to buy it there. Looking for a 42".

Any suggestions, firsthand experience?

My advice is to buy a plasma.

Plasmas have better blacks and truer color than LCD.

Plasmas have better off angle viewing. You get an excellent picture from any chair in the room. LCD's picture fades slightly from the sides or slightly above or below.

Plasmas display fast action perfectly. LCD's suffer from motion blur.

If you are going to get an LCD, make sure the resolution is 1080p (or better).
I would stick with the better known names.

There was a thread about big screen TV's just a few weeks ago - might wanna search and take a look.

fwiw - I just got a Toshiba Regza 42" for xmas. Damn things gets me in trouble as it mesmerizes me with all this "stuff" I didn't/couldn't notice before; and I stay up later than I ought to.

Most of our stuff is commercial but we have a few home units and have had the best luck with the Sharp Aqous models as far as picture quality is concerned.

For plasma stick to Panasonic which would be my recommendation, if you are only interested in LCD check out Viewsonic or Sharp which are the best among its class in terms of color. Don't bother with SONY as Samsung makes all SONY LCD.

I went to buy an LCD last year, as I didn't like all I heard about plasma; burn-in, picture smear, high price, ect. But after looking, talking and drooling at Circuit City and Best Buy, I came home with a 42" Hewlett Packard Plasma. It was far better to look at than any of the LCD's that I looked at, and the price diff isn't much anymore. They supposedly have the other issues resolved. Here's hoping.

I'm not sure about off-axis viewing, but the latest generation of LCDs with the 120hz refresh rate have fixed the problem of motion blur considerably.

I'm buying a Sharp Aquos. Add a Bose Lifestyle V20 surround sound system to that, and you'll have a pretty nice TV! (When I was a kid, I watched a 13" B&W TV)

I can see a perfect picture from anywhere in the room on my Mom's LCD tv.

Plasma TV's burn huge amounts of energy. You might not like that on your power bill.

I wouldn't buy anything from Circuit City since they fired all their employees and hired new ones at less pay.
BASTARDS!!

Danny

Another thought on LCD TV's, some of our guys are getting the Olevias and having good luck with them. They go to the local trade show and hit up the sales reps for deals on the demo's when it's time to pack them up and take them home. The units are new at the start of the show so they only have about 20 hrs on them in the end.

Well, from the reading that I've done. Definitely not a Plasma. With the burn in and power issues and the limited life span no way. Alot of the major manufacturers are starting to abandon them also.

Circuit City has a deal right now on Sharp Aquos LCD TVs. You get a Blu-Ray player with a purchase of a TV. One Sharp TV has 1080p resolution and 3 HDMI inputs. From what I've heard the Sharp is the way to go. Circuit City also has 36 months interest free financing!

Going to buy a TV this week.

My thoughts exactly. That's a tempting offer.

I don't think the burn in thing is an issue on the newer plasma, but don't know about the power consumption. I've always liked the LCDs better, personally.

I bought a 36" Vizio 1080p LCD two years ago and have no complaints. Except that I wish I went with the 42" (but didn't have room at the time).

Toshiba Regza LCD
 

Bought a Toshiba Regza LCD about 3 months ago, 720P. I have no complaints at all. Great picture, no blurring, and I can see it from off angle. The angle thing is not a concern for me, I am either watching TV or not. Unless you have a huge room and sit at a 45 degree angle from the TV, I believe that the off angle viewing is not very important. Besides, if your room is that big, a 42" is too small.

There is a formula for sizing the flat panel, keyed to the size of the room and your normal viewing distance. Big screens don't look so great if you're too close, but you should still go as big as the formula recommends.

The store will probably only show HD content. Try to watch a standard broadcast program, since most TV is still 480i (well at least Comcast is), and see how well the set handles it. My Sony Bravia shows great HD, but some standard broadcasts look like old video tape.

Powerpig will know, there all over his house.

Personally, I like the Sharp Aquis(sp) followed by the Sony then Panasonic.

thats the brand they sell at wal mart, correct? I've been considering buying one of the 42" LCD's

I have a sharp aquos LCD, and its got a very nice picture. Good, vibrant colors, with little motion blur...



But in the main room, we have a 50" Pioneer Elite Plasma... The picture is alot smoother on this as well as alot more vibrant in color.

There is a new Sony LCD I saw demo'd in Fry's electronics this weekend. 52 inches and 1080p and I think 320HZ refresh which they claimed eliminates motion blur. Certainly looked impressive. Supposedly smaller ones will be released in the spring. Superb Blue Ray quality. Don't know how good regular non HD image is though becaus of course they don't demo that in stores.

- Peter.

Funny, no one has brought up the new DLP sets that are available. :confused:

The technology is not as mature as plasma and LCD , so the prices are a little steeper than their counterparts. However I did a side-by-side comparison of a certain SAMSUNG DLP set over nearby LCD and plasma sets, and noticed remarkably reduced pixelation of curved surfaces on the DLP as opposed to the other technologies...impressive!

The burn-in problems of plasma were limited to the first generation sets. Unless your set is on 24-7, you can expect an average lifespan of 10-15 years...enough time to be ready to replace for newer offerings anyway.

Despite the hype behind 1080i (and p, when available), I have yet to see HD TV programming broadcast beyond 720p...

That's a good point, but presummably broadcasters will be doing that sometime before most of us buy a new TV. Might as well be ready for it when it becaomes available.

My Panasonic plasma is an Energy Star appliance, so it's not using power when not on.

Also, there are several errors in the comments that have been posted.

The plasmas do use more energy than LCD's, but it's not an enormous difference.

Average plasma: 350 watts
Average rear-projection: 211 watts
Average LCD: 222 watts

Regarding burn-in, Panasonic plasmas are now in their 10th generation.

Burn-in was a problem in the 1st generation. The issue is non-issue.

What about the new laser TV's coming out?

I have an old 24in tube set in my room, its rather old fashion but I only watch the History channel and Fox News so its good enough.:D Its only 3 or 4 years old so I'll keep it for another 20, I don't want to upgrade to soon. I even have a DVD player now so I can watch those, don't really have any DVD's though:D


Big TV's are amazing, my friends dad has a monster media room at his house with this huge TV, I don't know what it is but its massive. The latest and greatest. You would be amazed at how clear porn comes in on those TV's.:D


So what do you do with a massive TV? Watch porn in HD?:D;)

Yup, I bought it direct via Vizio.com. At the time Sam's Club was carrying them so the fact that they ended up in Walmart isn't surprising. I wonder if the tv's the offer in Walmart are the same as the one's they sell direct? There were lots of "Made in the USA" logos all over the stuff in the box when it arrived. It wouldn't surprise me if the Walmart ones are "Made in China" fascimiles, but I don't know one way or the other. I'll have to check the ones out at Wally World the next time I have to resort going there for something.

It was my first "good" tv and I've been very pleased with the picture quality. I watch a lot of Nextel racing and I was amazed with how clear the pic was with the cameras following the cars as well as being able to read the signs alongside the track.

I was wandering around Best Buy a couple weeks ago while my oldest was checking out ways to spend his Christmas money and some gift cards that were just burning a hole in his pocket and wandered into the tv section and they had a 50" Samsung DLP. I was amazed at the picture clarity. Screen size vs. screen size it was actually the least expensive. If space weren't a consideration in my humble abode I'd definitely consider one. Unfortunately my rooms are small and cramped already and the DLP was considerably deeper. Compared to the pull out projection tv we had in our college apt. they are downright slender, though!

Yes.



200" Porno.

Not being one to hang out in stores or in front of the TV all the time, I went to a guy's house I know that owns a chain of A/V stores (and a bar). He had nothing but Sony LCDs in his house. Before I told him I was interested in purchasing I asked him why Sony. He gave me several convincing reasons. I already had a Sharp Aquos 32" in my kitchen and got two 46" Sony Vizios as wall hangers in other rooms of a house I moved into this summer. Couldn't be happier with any of them. Depending on the seating of your room, I also recommend an 18" swing out mount (you have to get one that holds at least 100#). Around $300 but worth it in a room we have one of the 46s in. The other is in a bedroom so it is flush mounted in a bookcase.

FWIW, when I was shopping for a big screen HDTV a few months ago, my experience was completely different.

I shopped at Best Buy Magnolia Home Theater, Circuit City, and a large independent TV store (Paul's TV), I couldn't find any sales person who actually owned an LCD. Their reasoning is that Plasmas are just so much better than LCDs.

Even at Best Buy's Magnolia Home Theater, where they sell higher end stuff, the manager told me that about 80% of all the TVs they sell are plasmas.

Also,

If you check out any of the websites that compare the pros / cons of LCD's vs. Plasma, like cnet or crutchfield, plasmas outrank LCDs in every category but one.

Plasma is better than LCD in: Viewing angle, contrast ratio and black level, and motion handling.

LCD ranks better in potential for burn in.

Their panel life is the same: 60,000 hours.

Check out this page from Crutchfield:

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-75Cxb060gUa/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html

the tards at wal mart must have installed the tv's wrong or have crappy cables since the image is blurry... or maybe its motion blurr.. This wasn't on a vizo

I don't shop, but if I did, I wouldn't put too much stock in what a retail sales clerk personally owned vs. what I wanted for my personal use--ie: if I was looking to buy an S550, I wouldn't be swayed that the salesman drove a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

I've been very happy with what I bought and have never had a second thought about the purchases--just sharing what I did which works. I bought a projection unit from the same guy for my office (which has recently made its way to my home for the BCS game) and I like it too.

I always wonder how many display models may not be set up correctly. Sharp just announced new Auos models that can be connected to the Internet. That way the manufacturer is supposed to be able adjust your TV to its optimal settings. Not sure how they can do that remotely, but it sounds like a good feature.

Well, I thought it was obvious that I wouldn't check out any of those websites, but 'outrank' seems like a silly term. I probably know 50 (total guess) people that may own 150 LCDs or plasmas and they wouldn't give feedback on 'ranking' sites so I guess I would want to know who was reporting before I gave any stock to that. I learned my lesson on taking 'advise' from such sites by buying the biggest POS tires I have ever owned off TireRack because of the 'feedback' rankings.

My neighbor has a 50" LG plasma. Looks like a cheap piece of crap to be sitting in such a house--you press your finger on the screen and it shimmys all the way to the middle. I don't have to be an expert to know the quality of the Sonys I have are in a different league.

To each his own--maybe my senses just aren't as acute as others:D.

I agree with that as well as the tire analogy.

In the end, I tell people to look at the tv's and choose the one that looks best to their eyes.

I couldn't be happier with my 50" Panasonic plasma 1080p, except that now I wish I would've gone with the 60" size. As they say, bigger is better. :D

The jury is still out and personally I'm split between the two, if there is ANY light in the room Plasma just plain sucks IMO.

I have to reTV pretty quick and I'm thinking Sony Bravia - undetermined size, prices are falling so fast and the TV's are getting so much bigger I change my mind every time I go looking.

The size thing is what I consider extremely important all kidding aside. I have brought my projector home a few times and even in a 35 x 18 hall with 16ft. vaulted ceiling, my wife got nauseous (and lsu was winning:D) watching on the 13 ft. screen. As the Sonys were....gratuities, let's say, I could have gotten any size I wanted. I made a cutout from a piece of cardboard and let my wife pick the size for the informal living room (the br space was non-negotiable due to the cabinetry). The 18" swingout mount was a compromise for me not getting a 50":D

Bravias--thats whats I got--you've seen the pics (vizio?:confused:).

The light thing is super, super important on the projectors at least--I know several people who have screwed up and bought cheap projectors for media rooms (bonus room over garage:rolleyes:) and ended up basically having to duck tape their windows over. Mine was bought for using in court or during mediations and was 3X as much but you can watch it anywhere you can watch a tv under same light conditions. fing bulbs are $175 per though:mad:

By the time I have the money to buy one and a place to hang it, they'll probably be still cheaper and even better. It's like planing to invest in the stock market while it is crashing (correcting). You're glad you DIDN'T have the money any sooner.

No cable or satellite company in this country broadcasts in 1080p. The only 1080p input source is HD/Blue Ray DVD formats.

If ones main video source is cable/satellite, then the added expense of the 1080p format is wasted. Something to consider if HD DVD isn't important.

That's true if you're going to go out and buy another TV when they ARE broadcasting in 1080. If I bought one now, I'd be planning to keep it until it stopped working. I'd want it to be capable of getting 1080 when that was available.

My theory on that sort of thing is if I want it, I go ahead and get it because I could easily be dead tomorrow and will have enjoyed one less thing had I waited. My girls love the flat screen that swings out and have since I got them in July. I probably haven't watched three movies on that one since I got them but the girls enjoyment of the 'moving tee vee' is worth it alone.

JD, you're not going quail hunting with Dick Cheney, are you?

No but I did come close to getting run down by a 7 x 3 string of coal barges Sunday morning while in an 18 ft. boat;)

I imagine they would have been pretty unforgiving should you have strayed front of them!

I did stray in front of them and the f'ing dog got tangled in the kill switch for the engine. After getting the vessel restarted and out of the way, I had my first beer before 7 am since college.

I hope you had a change of drawers with you, too.

Vizios are made in China and India. Headquarters are in California, though, so the fact that the CEO's derrier is perched on U.S. territory makes it an "American" company.

I recently bought Sony XBR4 Bravia LCD's. The 40" in the bedroom has a Bluray player hooked up, and the picture is absolutely stunning, to my eyes anyway. I also put a 32" in the basement exercise room.
I'm very pleased with both.
I'm very brand loyal to Sony TV's. I still have an old tube console Sony I bought around 1980-something which still works great. I've been thru Toshibas & Sharps that have crapped out in a year or 2.

1080P for broadcast TV won't be around anytime in the foreseeable future, not even a consideration at this point.

Unless your really into HD DVD, don't spend the extra big bucks chasing ghosts. Spend that extra money on a good quality surround sound amplifier and speaker system. That will make a BIG difference in your viewing enjoyment.

The software in the XBR Bravia is also excellent I don't know how many people here use the HD over the air HDTV but the built in tuner is excellent as well.

That's one of the issues to consider with plasmas. The screens are glass, so reflections can be an issue.

My family room is full of windows, and I have zero problems with reflections with my Panasonic.

Good plasmas, like Panasonic, have anti-glare or anti-reflective coating.

Thats my take on it too after reading around on TV sites and forums. The broadcasts will be in 720 for a long while yet. It costs more to broadcast in 1080 and you know how much big biz likes to spend money....

I have gone shopping with 2 friends recently and had two different stores do side-by-side comparisons with Blu-Ray playing into 720 and 1080p plasmas. I couldn't tell the difference and neither could they. Neither store was very happy about this little comparison but they did it after we bugged them for 15 minutes or so. Both of them ended up with Panasonic 50" 720 plasma units. Thats what I am planning as well just waiting for the scratch.

Unless you do Blu-Ray all the time or play PS3 then I don't see the value in 1080p. The football games look unbelievably clear in HD and I cannot imagine it getting any better without needing new eyes!

RT