Ok the more reviews i read the more confused i get. I do realize i am looking at one LCD and one RCA unit. Sony KDL-46 XBR 2 Sony + Rated tops by cnet 3hdmi 1080P inputs price, sound and vision also rated highly Sony - Rating later taken away due to white issue, sony claims fixed, refresh rate is half of Xbr 4,
Panasonic Sound and vision said buy now, 1080p,
- price a little more 100 dollars not really bad, some say dont play video games on plasma panasonic said just dont leave on for 3 days, do have windows in room usually covered with dark blinds. (does have anti glare screen)
Can someone give me a clue on making a final decision. Other option is waiting untill next year when xbr 4 is cheeper but my other tv is going out so need to something.
Do you know the general performance issues (strengths/weaknesses) with both formats? What are the charateristics of your viewing area and normal position? Are you a serious gamer?
No one can really give yo accurate analysis on a certain model until several months of usage. This is why I only go with factory brands that got diamond reputation. If I'm shopping for that size TV I'll go with a Panasonic Plasma 1080p. #1 Plasma with no ifs or buts about it.
Go to Amazon.com pick your model, print it out. Go to a local store see if yo can match the price or as close as possible.
Do not purchase a TV delivered by UPS or FEDEX. These large TVs made of sensitive electronics. The careful yo handle it the better chances its long life performance. At least 100 people here will disagree with me. However it is my best advice I can give to someone that cares about electronics quality. TVs at bigger stores like Sears, Circuit City and Best Buy are delivered by trucks. Costco is also a good store that uses truck transportations even if price is slightly higher.
The refresh rate issue only comes into play if you watch a lot of sports and motion blurring bothers you. Its a charcteristic of most LCDs.
Sony makes some good stuff from a technical standpoint but there are some quality Assurance issues that can crop up so you would want to be sure to have a good return policy from whoever you buy from.
Panasonic Plasmas are a good deal these days. You get a lot for your money relative to other plasma options. While you really dont need your room darkened per se. the screen should not be impacted by direct light.
If you are a big movie buff I feel that plasmas are much better for accurate detail/color/black levels over LCDs.