Comments on: Choosing the Right HDTV: Plasma or LCD?

By: Eugenia’s Rants and Thoughts » Blog Archive » Choosing the Right HDTV: Plasma or LCD?

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:08:37 +0000

[...] From TechConsumer: I picked up the Samsung, took it home, and within thirty minutes of setting it up, I realized that, in the words of Gob Bluth, “I’ve made a huge mistake.” […] Suffice it to say that the Samsung was back in its box within an hour, and peace was restored to the Shumway home as the Plasma reclaimed its rightful place as the clear, superior technology.” [...]

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:49:02 +0000

And you haven’t even tried the GOOD plasma TVs, being the Pioneer ones and the NEW Panasonic line (the one that comes out this April — I recommend Pioneer because they support 72Hz instead of Panasonic’s 48Hz for the 24p movie-smooth trick). These are the only TVs that will trump your old Panasonic. No other plasma, and surely no LCD can. Not yet at least.

By: Dave Shumway

Dave Shumway — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:12:18 +0000

That’s where I’m coming from as well. I’m not denying that there are real benefits to choosing LCD over Plasma, but strictly speaking in terms of performance, LCD’s just aren’t quite there yet. And that’s after personally judging a very good plasma against a very good LCD side by side.

That said, it’s a MUCH closer call than it used to be.

By: Logan

Logan — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:56:44 +0000

What makes me prefer plasma to lcd (not that I’ve got either) is the generally better black levels. It bugs me when I’m watching a fancy TV and the dark shades all blur together.

By: Paul Ellis

Paul Ellis — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:48:30 +0000

You know I have looked at a lot of Plasmas and LCD TVs and think there is just a lot variance between TVs no matter what display technology they use. Often times there is a reason that certain models are on a really good sale too; people return them. I about 90% sure that the anti-reflective coatings used on the TVs have nothing to do with the type of display technology used too. The technolgoy behind both Plasma and LCD are mature enough now that they are capable of great picture, so I lean more towards features and price (as long as the picture is good) as my deciding factors. Currently, I'm really interested in HP's new MediaSmart TVs. They have a built-in Media Center Extender with Wireless-N. That way I can access all of my DVR'd content from my PC on the TV without having another box around.

By: Bob Caswell

Bob Caswell — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:03:33 +0000

Interesting… I’ll have to look to see if these anti-reflective coatings or filters are now becoming more of a default. That would definitely change the situation for me the next time around!

By: Dave Shumway

Dave Shumway — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:16:58 +0000

Very true. Fortunately, it’s been a non-issue for me unless it’s Saturday afternoon and I’ve got all the windows open! Other than that, no complaints here.

Plasmas are starting to come standard with Anti-Reflective coatings or filters that are supposed to cut down significantly on glare. Haven’t seen it in person myself, but I’ve read good things!

Historically Plasmas have seemed more expensive, but these days you actually get a little more bang for your buck. Glancing quickly at Circuit City’s website (sorted by price) shows 9 50″ plasmas cheaper than a comparably sized LCD. Now that might be too big for a lot of people, which is where LCD gains a lot of ground. There are so many different sizes of LCDs that they can really appeal to just about everyone.

By: Bob Caswell

Bob Caswell — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:41:03 +0000

Interesting, Dave. I actually went with a 46″ Sony LCD (since it’s above your cut off of 42″, just assume I found a killer deal ).

But really, my issue with Plasma is the glossy/reflective nature of it. I don’t like being able to tell what brand my light fixtures are from their reflections in my TV. And, sure, you can get some Plasmas that don’t have this issue quite as bad. But you get what you pay for, and they always seemed to be WAY more expensive than their LCD counterparts.

But then, you mentioned some issues with LCDs. But most of what you mentioned doesn’t bother me as much as the glossiness of plasma. To each his own, I suppose.