Plasma or LCD, which is better

[weisoon]

Doing some house reno now. The urge to change the old CRT TV is strong. Anyone can provide some views on Plasma or LCD features or better still if you own one, the brand and model and what features made you purchase the unit. For a start, I have some pros and cons of both:

Plasma:

Pros: No jerky images when watching fast action movies

Cons: Chance of burn-in

LCD:

Pros: Less heat generated compared to Plasma

No burn-in problem

Cons: Jerky images

Dead pixels

Appreciate the comments

[roidan]

personally i feel that plasma still has an edge, while not going into technical details.

the slower response time of the LCD panels is one big minus already and you already noted it anyway....nowadays with all these fast action movies, you do not want to leave your sofa before the end of the movie with motion-sickness. (ok..i am exaggerating..but u get wat i mean )

Play back the same fast action DVD with a plasma and LCD panel side by side and you will appreciate the faster response alot. In simpler words, it's easier on the eyes when it comes to hours of viewing.

Still images like photographs and web-browsing, however, seems smoother on the LCD panel than on the plasma panel

Big LCD panels aren't cheap either. Spend the money on a 42" inch plasma is what i would suggest, which seems to be the entry level size nowadays. As for plasma burn-ins, some brands have features to prevent/correct this via their on-screen menus.

Head for Best Denki to look around. Century Square and Parkway Parade does have a decent selection to browse around. The Pioneer and Hitachi plasmas are the better brands of plasmas out there

It's quite competitive in such display panels nowadays...price is a general but useful guide in knowing the quality of what you are getting...like the Pioneer 43"s and Hitachi 42"s are priced around 9-11k and there are other 42"s going for almost half the price

[roidan]

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmat...sma-vs-lcd.html

a rather well-written article

[weisoon]

roidan

The burn-in I mentioned are mainly due to a certain logo or line that stay on the screen for a long period of time(actually how long to get burned I am not sure). Example if watching TV programs, the 'media corp 5' on the top right hand corner, the CNN bottom news flash rectangular 'box' although the words are constantly moving from left to right.

As for the heat part, I can still live with it.

Actually, I am looking at the smaller unit as the distance from my sofa to the wall is only 8 to 9 ft. Hitachi is quite advance on the plasma as they are the few brands that have the XGA resolution on the market. The 32' model already has a 1024x1024 resolution.

[roidan]

yeah..i understand the burn-in of coz....for me...it's more of the ESPN or STAR sports logo on the corner of the screen....have been using a plasma panel for near 3 years and i still do not see this kinda burn-in of the logo yet....

or maybe i haven't been inspecting my screen from inches away

yeah...anyway, Hitachi and Fujitsu shares the same plasma plant in Kyushu, Japan from what i heard. But Fujitsu panels seem more skewed towards industrial/commercial displays whereas Hitachi units are more consumer-based.

Panasonic plasmas seem to be of reasonable quality for their price range that is just under the Pioneers/Hitachis.

yeap, my friend bought a SHARP LCD panel and regretted it and sold it off for a Hitachi 32' plasma....and he told me....

"LCDs are best left on the computer table"

[roidan]

oh yah and i forgot...

the first time i watched normal telecast from TCS at home, on the panel and I was like ...

@#!$@#%$#%^$#%$

because it seems so nice and pristine, the video playback of the hi-definition DVDs at the showrooms

*you have been forewarned*

dunno when singapore will be getting HDTV broadcast or DTV signals

[weisoon]

roidan

thought that there is a new service by starhub for digital signal TV? remember saw somewhere but didi not pay much notice at it then.

Yes, I know that the shops selling them always use HD-DVD playbacks for their panels. I tried some shops asking them to show normal TV and the reason they gave was no signal etc. Some did show TV programs but quickly added that the signal was not strong as the shop is indoor.

[roidan]

That's why i think some will be misled by the tag Digital TV that starhub is offering now. What's in essence of this digital TV is that while more data is sent to the home end enabling alot of additional functions compared to conventional TV signals....

the most vital thing hasn't improved for HDTV-ready TVs ----> the TV resolution we are getting is still around 600plus lines (PAL)....still far away from HDTV standard of 1000plus lines

ie. unless TCS starts to broadcast in HDTV resolution, what starhub is passing on to us is still PAL resolution signals

only true HDTV broadcast will fully put our high-definition CRT/plasma TVs to fullest viewing experience

which is....not available yet

[roidan]

oh yah...and so now does it explains why the shops are so UNWILLING to show you local broadcasts on plasmas or even LCD panels?

because ....*drumroll*

a 600plus line resolution when blown up to 800plus or 1000plus resolution on flat panels will mean loss of quality..end up fooling you into thinking the screen is lousy

think--> a 600x480pixel size photo....enlarge the size.....the quality of the photo drops right?

so currently, getting a 800x600 panel may not be a bad idea after all, you will get nicer images from our current TV programs compared to the HDTV screens

all these....are what the salespeople will not tell you

but if you are using plasmas for your surfing experience also...by all means go for the high definition ones....afterall, it is better to be ahead of the competition and let the current standard catch up, rather than being at the obsolete end when the day finally comes

[yus75]

me still holding the arrival of my 52" LCD ....veri gian waiting the arrival...

[yazid]

I remember seeing a product review of a new TV technology which is better than Plasma and LCD. It's called D-L-P. That stands for Digital Light Processing and it's a new technology being used inside television sets.

It suppose to last longer and the screen is replaceable.

Texas Instruments says it's a chip that is essentially like a Pentium inside your computer.

This chip, however, reflects light. It has one million tiny mirrors on it that are individually controlled. What these mirrors do is create a TV picture that is very sharp and very clear.

D-L-P technology competes with plasma technology. While a plasma set hangs on the wall -- DLP sets are table-top models.

D-L-P screens are just as big as plasma TV screens. Sets half the price of plasma ones.

I think SAMSUNG have one... check it out.

[yazid]

[roidan]

what you wanna know about DLPs

http://www.dlp.com/dlp_technology/dlp_tech...view.asp?bhcp=1

dun be fooled by the samsung model on the pedestal stand shown by yazid...it is 13inches thick....something that isn't as slim as plasma mounted on the wall. (i don't even know if it is possible or you would want to mount it on the wall)

but yah..amongst DLP screens that are almost 20inch in depth to the wall, it's considered one of the slimmest profile for a DLP already

http://store.hdtvtime.com/hlp5685w.html

personally, i view DLP screens as an update to the outdated PROJECTION TVs that used to offer large screens at cool prices.....

http://www.shopsunshine.com/Items.asp?Pid=931

[firestream]

if you only intend to use the bigger LCD/Plasma for movies. Go for DLP projector .. which give you larger screen @ cheaper price....

[roidan]

yup....

if size is what you are after (size/dollar), nothing beats a projector on a big white wall or white pulldown screen..but in bright ambient light, picture suffers a great deal...

i am sure not everyone wants to pull their curtains everytime during their afternoon matinees in the hall

ok..for those who are thinking of projectors....here u go...

the toss-up between LCD and DLP projectors

http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcd_dlp.htm