I am looking to purchase a HDTV. I am really confused at which type to get. I have been researching plasma, lcd and dlp. I know from my research that I can get a 62 inch dlp for around $2000.00. Is dlp good? I know each type has its pro and cons, but is one better than the other? Any help would be appreciated.
Tom B ong
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Many DLP and RP TV owners would have bought a plasma if it were not for price and screen size. NO Plasma owner would have rather bought a DLP. Now that plasma prices have fallen there is no good reason to buy a RP TV.
I bought a 42" Plasma for the same price I could have got a much bigger DLP and never looked back. There is just no comparison on many levels . I also have a 26" LCD and prefer the plasma. Something about a plastic screen........
For that matter, most plasma owners would have bought the top of the line Sony 34" CRT if it wasn't for weight and smaller screen size. It is still the picture by which all other HDTV's fall short of. But for a true big screen HDTV experience, you really need at least a 50" set. Obviously if you have a small room with close viewing you can do with less--but then it isn't a real theatre-type experience.
If you truly want big screen viewing (50" or better) at a sub $5,000 price, DLP and Sony's LCOS sets are really the best choices. The LCD rear projections (and the expensive direct view LCD's) have poor black levels.
Sure, there are $2,000 42" plasma's, but most of them aren't that good. The Dell is probably the best cheapest plasma. But the best plasma's are made by Panasonic and Pioneer (Fujitsu too). A truly great 50" plasma will generally cost at least $5,000 to $6,500. The soon to be released Pioneer Elite 1080p plasma from reports at the 2006 CES Show appears to be great. But at a list price of $10,000, it should be. No doubt it will be available on the internet by mid-summer or later below $7,000.
The blacks on the best DLP's are better than current plasma sets. Certain Panasonic plasma models are currently the best in black performance. Pioneer is getting close and may surpass them on the new models. Good plasma sets have an advantage over the current DLP's in off-center viewing. LCD sets are generally awful viewed from any position other than straight on--and most DLP's aren't too good at that either.
In a big screen price no object plasma is probably the best. But the current Sony SXRD (LCOS) sets are also very good and they are a bit cheaper.
Tom B ong
Unregistered guest
Posted on
There is NO real theatrical experience in any 50" 0r 60" display. Just a big TV.
Thats why I bought an Optima Movietime projector The screen rolls down in front of the plasma. Now thats a theater effect.A True Theater experience requires a huge screened display. Both solutions for less then $3000 is phenominal bang for the buck and bought at Costco means unlimited time return policy. No EW needed.
I will (and have) put up my 42" Maxent against any Panasonic in features ans PQ . The Maxent MX3 uses all Panasonic glass and circuitry and has the same great and not so great peculiar features (like lack of stretch and zoom on HDMI and compnent inputs) as the Panasonic. The differences in PQ are hairsplitting at best. I could have bought a 50" RPTV for around the same money. Costco had all of them Samsungs, Wegas, Toshibas, and Panasonics.
RP anything is not very compelling. DLP being the worst IMO. In order to "realize" those deep blacks you have to be front dead center. As with all RP TVs, All off axis viewing reduces the TV to such issues as non-uniform brightness, hot-spotting, shifts in luminance with varying viewing angles and an over-all look that says "projected image." So even the best HD images, which have the potential to provide a you-are-there or "window" effect, are somewhat betrayed by the projected-image signature of the RP technology
Also a 62" RP TV is still beastly and will dominate a room leaving few choices of where it will go and what you will do with it whan you want to upgrade to a new technology later on. with plasma or LCD you just simply move it to another room.
Hello Jenny. Just back from CES myself. There is a fair amount of disinformation in the previous posts sorry to say. Before I can give you my answer- I have several questions to help give the best opinion;
1. What is the room size of where this new display will be placed. 2. What is the light level in the room where it will be watched. ( dark, indirect sun, lots of sunshine etc) 3. What do you or whoever watch? ( SPorts/DVDs, etc) and what do you watch the most? 4. Is there a window that shines light over the shoulder ( ie behind) the seating position of yourself and other viewers? 5. How far will you sit from the screen ( approximate in feet)
With these answers I can give a good response and options.
Hi Marc, The room is 13x15. The tv will be set diagonal in a corner. The room has lots of sunlight, I usually close the blinds when I am watching something good on the tv. We watch lots of cable tv, and rent alot of dvd's. We have a really good surround sound system so like to watch anything in DTS. There is a window that shines over the shoulder. We sit approximately 10 feet away from the tv. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
At 10 feet a 42 inch display is an OK size, but a 45-50 inch display should be just right. I have a HomeTheater room in my house, use a 42 inch display, and sit about 8.5 feet away. Lets go over the choices;
1. Resolution- you will have to decide whether you want a 720P display, a 480P display, or a new 1080P display. More is not always better. You see- the problem is that there isnt any true Hi Def ( 1920x1080) content available at this time. HD channels on cable have limited to 1240 x 1080 by choice and due to limited bandwidth. My point is that you dont need to spend the money on the latest 1080P displays so I am not recommending that. The DVDs are still at 480P and will be for years, despite the new Hi Def DVDs ( not yet available); most cable is NOT HD, and those channels that are, are not true Hi Def signals. So we are looking at 1366 x 768 (720P)resolution or 840 x 480 (480P)resolution. While these numbers may seem foreign, you will find that all sets have them in the spec sheet. It is important becuase it changes the quality of the picture that you see relative to the source ( DVD or Cable). If you get a Hi Def ( 1366x 768 or simlar ) set- your DVD player will need to "upscale" to the display. This mean it takes the 480 lines of info from the DVD and fits it onto the `1366 x 768 display. That is called upscaling. Anyway, you dont need a 1080P display and cable and regular current DVDs will look worrse on it as well. Thats the bottom line.
2. Technology of display- I like plasmas, but not in a lot of light, especially over the shoulder- plasmas will have Glare. A serious issue in a well lit room. Who wants to watch the hal;l behind them on the display? Not me. So I have to shy away from Plasma for you. Also, only a handful of plasma brands are "good"- and most would be above 2000 ( but not all if you really want one-just let me know).
3. LCD Flat- The new stuff is pretty good, and is a consideration for you. I prefer SAmsung and Sharp 2006 LCDs. LG is a fine company as well. All have 40-50 inch models in the 3500 dollar range. SAmsung has recently gotten a lot of help from Sony and this is improving their LCD flat displays quickly in terms of quality. The refresh rates are key to understand. At 6msec -8msec- you still get some blurring on fast action stuff like football. Anything at 4 msec or below should have no blurring-called motion artifact. The current LCDs might be somewhat annoying for a big fast action sports fan relative to other technologies due to motion artifact. It should NOT be an issue for most other types of viewing. The newer backlit bulbs on the SAmsungs dont have the uneveness issues of past years displays ( just get the newer stuff).
4. DLP with single color wheel- not recommended. COlor accuracy is a problem and remains so even with the latest stuff. DLP with LED backlighting is an improvement ( SAmsung has one)- but still not as accurate as far as color. You can test this in the stores by checking skin tones. Look at your hand and look at faces ect on the screen. Does it look real to you? OR maybe too red? I prefer a realistic look. Be sure to look at material on a person filled movie-not just finding nemo type stuff. Skin tones. The true test.
5. LCos- The new Sony SXRD rear projection is my top recommendation for you. The technology is solid and you get some size for your dollar as well. Does well in brighter lit rooms. They have many sizes. Price to value for you gives the Sony SXRD dispalys my top recommendation with Flat screen LCDs in second place. Try to see if the 45 inch size range is available at an acceptable price point.
HAve fun and good luck! Don't forget the importance of the DVD player and learn about upscaling etc.
Marc, Thanks alot for all of the info. I plan on going into Best Buy and watching all of the different kinds to see which looks best to me. Then HOPEFULLY I can make a good decision. AGAIN, THANKS !!!!!!!!
Marc, Sorry to bother you again. You don't recommend DLP? I know I can get bigger DLP tv for less than the others. I am now checking the prices for the LCos tv's. What do you think about this one?? JVC DD-ILA HD-55 GC 86 55" ?
Hi Jenny- Lets focus on the specific issue of JVC DD-ILA. I am holding the SOund and Vision Magazine issue for Feb/March 2006. On page 36 you have the beginning of the review for the JVC 70 inch HD-ILA HDTV, the newer and bigger brother of the set you mention. Before purchasing this set, I would suggest you read the review in detail, as the short form is much less reviealing and glosses over some of the very important findings detailed in the review itself.
AS far as DLP in general- it is indeed true you can get a bigger display for relatively less money. And I expect that trend to continue as single wheel rear projection DLPs( which the JVC is not BTW) fade from the marketplace over time. The use of a single color wheel leads to significant color inaccuracy problems which I see over and over again, and which reviews clearly and conistently state as well. That being said, it is certainly true that you can get a larger DLP for less money than competing technologies, and if you get one, forget everything I am saying and have a good time!
Best Buy- When comparing displays, be sure you are seeing the same feed or source material display to display and realize that certain displays in the dark and light will look very different based on lighting conditions. Also, stores set up ( ie the brightness control) displays differenly to favor one over the other. Also, look at a set over time, not just a quick glance. Brighter dispplays have a first impression WOW! factor but can get fatiguing over time for the eyes. Good luck and have some fun!
Not all stores.Most BestBuy's and other stores just put em out.Best Buy would rather you buy the Toshibas over the Sony XBR's.The XBR's are just alot better picture.
At a local best buy, the ED plasma settings were modified to produce a worse picture than the HDs, becuase custmers said they couldnt see ant difference and therefore reason to buy the more expensive product. Most factory settings are in torch mode out of the box which is why I mention brightness/picture.
I went to best buy and looked at the different types of HDTV'S. From what I saw, the LCos tv's are the best picture, there was no comparison. DlP had the worst picture, from what I saw. At this point, I will be purchasing a 52 or 56 inch JVC LCos television.
marc i am in the market for an lcd tv mainly for the x box 360. i played it at a local store on the samsung 23'' lcd tv. fight night wow looked straight crisp. ok first question is. which is better dvi/hdmi and if i use the dvi will it take quality away from graphics of the 360 maybe where as hdmi is better? Only reason i ask is i want the dell 26'' w2606c and it does not have an hdmi hookup only 1 dvi should that discourage me. 2nd question the higher the pixel response time the better? so would 16ms be better than 8 or 12ms. thirdly when playing the x box 360 would u use 720p or 1080i? and what is the diff. hey thank u very much hope u can help.
I am confused. I viewed Sony and Toshiba 34" CRT HDTV. The PQ looked terrible. Not crisp and life-like at all. Yet the PQ of the LCD's I viewed was absolutely stunning. I was at Best Buy when I made the comparison. What is going on?