LCD wins every time for me

All I can say for sure is that we have an LCD TV and we LOVE it. I've never seen plasma other than at electronics stores. I had no idea whirring fans were an issue, but if I had a TV that made sounds other than the shows themselves, it would make me insane.

Um, and ours came from the now-defunct Circuit City in Columbus Indiana.

I've always wanted to go to a Dixons.

This looks so much like a spam blog.

Plus you could claim it as a business expense (good for VAT, lowering profit margins and TAX payable)

LSD, oh sorry LCD

Oh, comments. Thanks guys.

Excellent point, Chris. That's not exclusive to LCD screens though, is it?

LCD. don't get plasma!!!

this seems appropriate

LOL @ This whole blog.

don't you have to get your plasma screen like refilled or refreshed every few years?

hah - thanks james.

I saw the plasma in the store and it is AMAZING.

The frame rate is 600hz, response speed is insanely good (great for gaming) and the contrast and black levels blow all LCDs away...

BUT THE FANS!

I need to know if this is a problem for anyone else who owns a big plasma...

*is clueless about TV technology*

idk, space. Sounds like an urban myth

well they used to lose brightness over time. don't you fucking judge me.

LED are sweet. Expensive, but sweet. I say go for LCD.

There are 4 types of LCD panel (I might be wrong). The TN is the most common, cheapest and the worst of them. 50% of monitors use this type of panel. IPS is the best. Before buying the TV, check what kind of panel it uses. Or when you choose the TV model, google it and research about the most common problems found in this model. Helps a lot:)

Haha sorry man.

*puts away judge robes*

Get the old tube one! plasma and lcd are tools of the devils!

I nominate your house for MovieFest 09

Oh, the problem with Plasma TV is the "Burn-in effect". You know, static images that burns the screen - like when you're watching a footbal game and the TV logo is there, static - and once is burned...

get yourself one of these…

great refresh rate

Is burn-in really still a problem?

i understand with plasmas the gas starts depleting immeadiately, so the screen gets progressively duller from the first time you use it. i'd go LCD, or if you can an LED LCD is even better.

Afaik burn-in is practically not an issue anymore. You'd have to leave the tv on still frame for several days to get that burn-effect :P
I own this LCD-TV.
It's great, the black-level and contrast are better than most plasma ones and i've never felt it was lagging when i was gaming. It's great but still quite expensive...
I'd go with a LED-LCD (like mine), it's the future :P

Dont buy Plasma. get an LCD.

I think burn in is still a problem on plasma tvs.

Plasma's are 'better' picture quality but LCDs have come a long way and you probably won't be able to notice the difference anyway. Plus, Plasma's are a bitch to carry coz they're so heavy. I carried my 32" LCD 3 years ago home by carrying in to the train, tram and walking home about 100m. I was carrying it by myself. No chance of doing that with a 32" plasma. hehe

There's also the new version of LCDs that are 200hz but apparently there's not much difference compared to the 100hz LCDs.

the only drawback i saw with LCDs when i bought mine was screens with a low refresh rate can get a bit of a blur trail when something very dark crosses a very pale field quickly, but refresh rates have sped up so much i'm not sure it happens anymore.

LEDs are great tho. Damn i'd love to have one.

Plasmas are gonna be obsolete.

checklist for buying LCD:
- contrast ratio
- HD tuner
- HDMI inputs/outputs
- hz
- 1080 or 720
- dead pixel policy

Hmmm..not sure what else.. Oh yeah, use this site to compare against different TVs. Its a great little electronic face-off website: http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=10# It'll help with your purchasing decision.

forgot to say: 600 Hz is competely useless. Your eyes only go up to about 80 Hz i think :P You only need much Hz for 3D-Tvs which aren't available yet ;)
Btw: I never even use 100Hz-Mode because i hate how everything looks like a soap opera then...

Thanks guys. This is helpful. FYI - I ideally want a TV that is 40", 100hz or quicker refresh rate, 1080, and a non-reflective screen.

I need it to have minimal input lag for gaming.

I didn't plan to spend close to £1000, but if I can justify it, I just might be tempted.

i drove myself nuts shopping for a teevee earlier this year. so easy to get lost in the little details. i initially wanted a sony bravia, but between the price and what the phillips i ended up going with offered in specs, it was a no brainer.

the thing to remember about seeing the teevee in the store is the fluorescent lighting, there was a samsung that looked different at every store i went to. really turned me off from buying. sometimes there's not a thing you can do about it, but one shop i went to the kid ran in back and dimmed the lighting. granted they weren't a big box store and way more expensive. i ended up buying mine online after looking at it in person because of the sale price and the extended warranty on top of the manufacturer's.

i've heard too many bad things about plasma, seen an expensive one's screen bust and from what i remember plasmas are more expensive when/if it comes to repairs.

good luck and have fun shopping!

That's interesting, bengineer - thanks for that.

Thanks radio

My brother got an LED and it is absolutely obscene. I could fly to Europe for what he spent on it and probably put less CO2 into the atmosphere while I did it, too.

It's certainly impressive but.

I hear LCDs can only get so big and then they get noticeably crap, so if you want a big one, probably plasma.

LCD all the way. what everyone else said, plus, plasmas have a glare because of the glossy screen. LCDs are matted so you can watch them with bright lights on or the sun coming through a window without any problem.

I bought a 32" LCD Sony Bravia the other day, it's 720p.

I've seen a few plasmas but they weren't HD. I really couldn't be any happier with my Bravia.

Oh and it was under $500

The LED TV pictures sound stunning, but they are getting panned for their lag during gaming. :(

Going to another TV store. Updates to follow - keep your thoughts coming!

i would stay away from LED simply because it's new technology. i always wait until at least the second generation before considering something like that. i'd rather let everyone else deal with the initial problems. plus, who knows if it'll even remain popular. remember DLP screens that used all the tiny mirrors?

yeah, neither does anyone else.

i bet 99% of us wouldn't even notice that lag

My brother plays his 360 on it. I don't notice the lag.

haha, ya my folks have a 65" mitsubishi dlp. the glare from sunlight is horrid and it doesn't even face a window. they've had it 3 years now, the picture was bright and beautiful when they first got it, but now it's a struggle to make out anything that is remotely dark. i was just looking up the info for ordering a replacement lamp, but i think he's jealous of mine and is looking for an excuse to buy something new...

d3d on Oct 30 '09 at 8:13am
the only drawback i saw with LCDs when i bought mine was screens with a low refresh rate can get a bit of a blur trail when something very dark crosses a very pale field quickly, but refresh rates have sped up so much i'm not sure it happens anymore.

Hey Leon! I got this problem with my LCD TV-monitor! The blue trail appears when I drag a window over a dark background and the yellow trail in the white background. Then I refresh and it's gone.

It's annoying! :(

i don't think refresh rate is much of a problem with newer LCDs. i've never noticed any refresh rate problems on my monitor or tv.

Can I fix this problem? (blue & yellow trail)

I just ordered the Sony Bravia. Thanks for your help, dudes.

That's the one that makes everything you watch full of wonder and whimsy, right?

LCD ALL HE WAY

plasma is a sharper picture
and it's heavy as f#$k

lcd's are lighter and they're easier on the environment.

i