Plasma Or Lcd

[Milan]

Hi folks this is the deal I am looking at buying a new TV. The one I have being about fifteen years old so thinking I’ am doing the right think I start researching which is best plasma verses lcd . Samsung verses whatever big mistake not only I have spent hours going blind reading revues and specs. but also countless time looking at different models in shops this has been going on for the past eight weeks or so and I have now come to the point of going around in a loop unable to buy anything can someone please help me I am looking for a screen size between 40” and 46” inches.
Any input or help would be very much appreciated as this is driving me mad

[jwalker]

There's too much choice, isn't there. Anyway, I went through the same choosing process a while back. For me it was LCD and Toshiba mainly because the image colour was much better than Sony, Hitachi and Panasonic. The image quality still startles me on occasion but the sound reproduction I find a little indistinct. If I was needing another one, I'd buy the same again.

[mdt]

Got a Samsung LCD was dithering between it and the Sony but preferred look of the Samsung (very objective). Got it couple of months back and still impressed with how sharp the images are some of the DVD reproduction is 1st class. Good quality SCART cables are a good way of helping things along.

fully agree with JW comment about too much choice. If your last TV is that old then just about any half descent LCD will be a huge leap forward. My old one was 5 or 6 years old and you don’t realize how bad things are till you get a new one.

[bedajim]

Hi

I was in the same postion and went for a 37" Sharpe LCD and added a HP home media system

The sharpe has a very small frame surrounding the screen and the speakers are below so I think looks v neat, also has multi connection port on the back so every thing can be connected on seperate channels i.e.
Play station
pc
sky

The home media system has wireless surround sound, hard disk and removable hard drive for storage

[Tony]

Ok Milan
If you are watching normal tv eg through RF feed DONT buy a lcd because the picture will be almost unwatchable. If you are watching digital of some sort then an lcd will be fine. We have a sony and a samsung lcd and to be honest the samsung is a lot better. In the lounge i have an LG 50" plasma running Sky hd service and its awesome. Lcd screens tend to be quite harsh and the contrast is quite vivid, plasma screens always seem more real life. So for me its the plasma evertime....

[Andy Moore]

It might be worth waiting a while.....

I am ready to buy an LCD (Sony KDL-40X2000) but I feel the time is not quite right for a purchase. The amount of HDMI inputs is off-putting; I reckon I will need 3:

1. Sky HD;
2. HD DVD;
3. Apple iTV device

Most LCDs at the moment come with 1/2 HDMI inputs. Not enough for the £££, IMO.

[codprawn]

Trouble is the technology is changing so fast. So far - with the right inputs - there is still nothing to beat a good CRT - something like a 100hz sony 32 or 36".

Plasma I think has had it's day in it's current format. LCDs are very good now but some are far better than others - it's down to the way the screen is lit. Co0nventional LCDs only have a normal backlight like a laptop screen. The best now have LEDs backlighting the LCD screen. How many people ask this when they buy a TV I wonder???

SED is the most promising new technology if the cost can be kept down. They are due out in 2008 - basically they work like a conventional CRT but instead of having 3 electron guns each pixel becomes an electron gun.

Personally I will wait a while - my 36" Sony Wega knocks spots off all the other stuff I have seen - lovely deep blacks - fast refresh and loads ofcontrast. And they are 1/2 the price of the LCD stuff as well.....

[Peter J]

When I upgraded to HD I looked into it and the advice was that LCD and plasmas don't last very long and the picture is not as good as CRT (cathode ray tube).

I bought a samsumg HD CRT 32 inch telly for £450.00 and I think the picture is great, best I've ever had even in non-HD.

This month's which? magazine did a feature on them and recommended a Panasonic (I think) for 2000 quid. They did not rate my telly very high but the one they like would have to be out of this world to be 4 times better quality for 4 times the price.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by codprawn

..there is still nothing to beat a good CRT - something like a 100hz sony 32 or 36".

Codders, I disagree. A LCD picture is different and it takes a wee while to adapt but there is no convergence problem, no fucussing problem, no Earth's magnetic field problem and no colour variation due to magnetism in the shadow mask. A LCD contrast can be driven way too high for mormal viewing and the better ones have a good black level which only a few CRT screens can match. Sony being pretty good in this respect. As with most things, you need to live with them a while to appreciate their performance, or not. A wee viewing in Comet or Currys is of little use.

[Cookee]

Very happy with my Samsung 40" and Sky HD!

[Milan]

Thank you all for all the advice very helpful it seems as if LCD. Is the clear favourite good to hear comments from people using them in the real world because I got the distinct impression from sales people that the only good thing worth having was what they wanted to sell at that particular time?
So after reading the posts its finally tipped me over the edge and I have parted with hard cash I was edging towards the Samsung and that’s what I have gone for it’s the
LE40N73BDX 40” with built in free view twin HDMI sockets and 6000.1 contrast.
So thank you all again.

PS. Tony I assume that I should be able to plug in a normal RF. Connection with it having a digital tuner and built in free view and receive a decent picture please let me know if I have got this wrong

[Andy Moore]

This is a good place to get techy answers:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/

[Milan]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

This is a good place to get techy answers:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/

Thank you for that Andy I shall have a good snoop round

[GED]

philips 50 inch plasma 50pf7521d on offer 13-19th nov at costco........£1,449.99 +vat
hdmi
hd ready
intergrated digital freeview
virtual dolby surround sound
display resolution 1,024 x 768p
pixel plus
hdmi connectivity x 2

[Tony]

Originally Posted by Milan

Thank you all for all the advice very helpful it seems as if LCD. Is the clear favourite good to hear comments from people using them in the real world because I got the distinct impression from sales people that the only good thing worth having was what they wanted to sell at that particular time?
So after reading the posts its finally tipped me over the edge and I have parted with hard cash I was edging towards the Samsung and that’s what I have gone for it’s the
LE40N73BDX 40” with built in free view twin HDMI sockets and 6000.1 contrast.
So thank you all again.

PS. Tony I assume that I should be able to plug in a normal RF. Connection with it having a digital tuner and built in free view and receive a decent picture please let me know if I have got this wrong

You will be able to plug an RF cable in, but all lcd sets are really designed for a digital signal. Well done on your purchase we have a Samsung LCD and it brilliant. Watch some DVD movies through it using quality leads such as monster or Ixos. Spend the cash on the leads as it makes enourmous amounts of difference.

[Milan]

Originally Posted by Tony

You will be able to plug an RF cable in, but all lcd sets are really designed for a digital signal. Well done on your purchase we have a Samsung LCD and it brilliant. Watch some DVD movies through it using quality leads such as monster or Ixos. Spend the cash on the leads as it makes enourmous amounts of difference.

Many thanks Tony by digital signal i assume you mean a sky digi box bit of an update I decided to go for the 46" instead of the 40"