# LCD vs Plasma



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

Would be interested in comments as to which you think is the best TV out of LCD or Plasma and why? I can of course read things on the net but mostly they are biased comments from sellers,what I need are comments from genuine users as to which they think is the best type to buy,Ive always been told Lcd are the best but are they?


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

I have a 50" Samsung Plasma that is 9 months old,sitting 5 feet from my recliner.I am completely satisfied with the quality of picture,oh and I have high def satellite programing.It's my understanding from all that I have read and watched ,that Plasma is as good as LCD now.The old days of LCD being better are gone.The only way you would know for sure is to have a LCD and a Plasma sitting side by side displaying the same content in your living room.Pick one and be satisfied that you got the one you wanted.I have absolutely no regrets buying a Plasma.


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

LCD breaks up on very very fast action 
I have seen this a few times even on recent 2008/9 models in the shops 
LCD is better in rooms with some lighting 
Plasma likes dark rooms 
BUT that is being a bit of a perfectionlist
I recenly compared (just before xmas) the Pioneer 50" plasma and 37" LCD and quite liked the LCD - although there was a slight breakup on LCD when viewing a clip from transformers.., but that was looking for it.......

otherwise I agree with Mr. Newton, 
in my coparsion - side by side in a specialist shop , it was difficult to tell the difference, although I preferred the plasma colours. 

my room is quite small so i'm looking at 42" hence the look at the 37" LCD from pioneer ...


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

I'm curious ... the last time I checked .. 
The Plasma's didn't last too long and LCDs were more reliable in terms of operating hours.

What is the mean time between failures (MTBF) of Plasma and LCDs now ??


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

Noyb asks an excellent question that I can't answer without doing some digging but what I want to address right now is the issue of Plasma needing a dark room,,,not so anymore,not with the new models,the last couple of years.Also the picture may break up on high speed action when in interlaced mode,like a soccer ball being kicked,you get a bit of a blur,or trails, that's why sports channels are broadcast in Progressive mode,to eliminate the odd blurring.I did a search before I bought my tv and one of the results was a list of the channels the used 1080I and channels that used 720P,and If I remember correctly those results where from Wikipedia.
My room is 10feet wide,I have a 2 foot wide table running down the length of the room ,so I really only have 8 feet of width to work with,my tv is 5 feet from my head when I'm sitting,,now that's home theater! 
Buy what you want but I would not pay extra for a LCD,not with the way Plasmas now work.


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

PS.
NO tv is broadcast in 1080P (nor will it be) so buying a 1080P tv is a waste of money unless you are going to watch blu ray movies with a blu ray player, or you have a gaming machine and want to play games.


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Being retired ... My Sony LCD projection is on almost all day.
In about a year .. I get a popup warning that the lamp is due for a replacement.
The only place I can find the lamps is on the internet at a cost of about $200.

I wonder what a new TV will cost me in about 4>5 years ???
I changed the lamp early and kept the old Lamp .. At least I can fix it quickly.
Like Newton says ... It's a matter of money ??


----------



## SIR****TMG (Aug 12, 2003)

Game players want plasma


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

I paid $1598 last March 08 for a Samsung 50".No regrets,,I also knew the price would be dropping as is normal for most tv's and electronic equipment,,but I had the money saved specifically for the tv knowing the cost.
I also am retired and if I am not sitting in front of my computer then I am sitting in front of my tv,more often than not with the sound turned off


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Noyb said:


> I'm curious ... the last time I checked ..
> The Plasma's didn't last too long and LCDs were more reliable in terms of operating hours.
> 
> What is the mean time between failures (MTBF) of Plasma and LCDs now ??


Plasma TV panels are rated at 60,000 hours MTBF, though the commonly accepted number is 30,000. Think about someone viewing TV for four hours a day, it would take 20 years to reach the 30,000 hours! Even if you watch twice that amount, you'll probably have some other component fail before the screen fails. I lose no sleep over the possibility of my plasma screen wearing out. 

I have a 50" plasma and a 42" LCD, I think the plasma is brighter than the LCD and has more vibrant colors. Both looked really good, and I wouldn't be reluctant to buy either type.


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Hummm .. 30,000 hours at 12 hours a day ~~ 7 years.
At $200/Year for a new LCD lamp = $1400.
Looks like a Plasma might be cheaper.
Too late for me now


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Figuring my Plasma cost $900, and my LCD was about the same price, I figure I'm way ahead this way.

I certainly hope that my LCD doesn't need a backlight in a year!  That's a new requirement that I've never heard before!


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

I have two Samsung 20inch LCD monitors .. Both backlites went out in about 2 years almost to the day from the purchase.
They got to the place where it took about 5 minutes to warm up where I could see something.
Thankfully .. Samsung has a good warranty.

My Sony TV is a LCD projection .. that requires a Projection lamp .. the fan is kinda noisey
The Backlite on a LCD version is another question I had .. but wasn't going to say anything ...
But now that you mention it ...


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Just to clarify .. and to confuse the reliability/cost issue ... I think there are 3 types of LCD TVs

Rear Projection .. Requires a projection lamp ... short life, but user replaceable
Backlight … Cold cathode (CCFL)
Backlight … LED typically twice the life of a CCFL and better color.

I found some more Plasma <> LED comparison info here ... 
http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/plasma-vs-lcd-TV.html


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

FWIW, the biggest advantage I find for LCD is the power consumption. My 50" plasma consumes over 400 watts displaying a picture, and the 42" LCD uses only 125 watts with the same video feed. That's a big difference, and could swing the vote for someone that is concerned about power consumption and heat generation.


----------



## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

I bought a new LCD last summer.

A brand I haven't heard of before, 27" CinePlus HDTV, but had the best pic on the wall.

I am perfectly happy with it.

Have not seen any trails, break-up or any other problem with viewing.


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Once upon a time .. I used to make my own color TVs - with built in test equip . 
(If anyone here is young enough to remember Heathkit)

My Mom would spend days shopping for a TV and would not buy one unless it had the best picture she saw.
Many times .. She would have them tune it up at the store .. Before it was delivered.

Her TVs always cost less than mine .. And looked twice as good 
So the moral of this story is . 


RootbeaR said:


> .. but had the best pic on the wall..


For my living room environment .. The first thing that would I would look for is a screen or case that would not show reflections.
I cant find the specs on that CinePlus  any Idea what kind of a Backlite it has ??


----------



## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

Noyb said:


> Once upon a time .. I used to make my own color TVs - with built in test equip .…
> (If anyone here is young enough to remember Heathkit)
> 
> My Mom would spend days shopping for a TV and would not buy one unless it had the best picture she saw.
> ...


It is CINEPLUS by Prima.

http://www1.electronichouse.com/galleries/slideshow/264/5736.html

Edit: Its' screen does not reflect. Sun can be shining brightly in room and still see TV very easily.


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Noyb said:


> Once upon a time .. I used to make my own color TVs - with built in test equip .
> (If anyone here is young enough to remember Heathkit)
> 
> My Mom would spend days shopping for a TV and would not buy one unless it had the best picture she saw.
> ...


FWIW, I had a Heathkit TV for many years in the late 70's early 80's, and it had the best picture of anyone around. I was always very happy with the set, and I could actually repair it if I had a failure.


----------



## Noyb (May 25, 2005)

Be glad you didnt see Moms Sylvania .. You would have spent months trying to tune up that Heathkit.
I really hated to see my 15 year old 35 inch Mitsubishi go  Couldnt glue the filament in the CRT back together.
The good ole days of fixing them are over 

*Telecom69*  Looks to me like were leaning toward the LCD versions.
From what Im reading, the LCD backlights are better, but more expensive .. since theyre newer technology.

The next question might be the screen size and lighting conditions ... 
What is your viewing environment ??


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Noyb said:


> *Telecom69*  Looks to me like were leaning toward the LCD versions.
> From what Im reading, the LCD backlights are better, but more expensive .. since theyre newer technology.


Speak for yourself, IMO it's a flip of a coin.


----------



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

Noyb said:


> The next question might be the screen size and lighting conditions ...
> What is your viewing environment ??


Firstly thanks to everyone for your input,I did have worries about Plasma but not any more from what I read,so that worry has gone now ...Im looking towards a screen size of approx 40 inches,with one eye on the cost ...the room is 15 ftx12ft with one very large picture window to the side of the telly and lighting can be controlled by a dimmer switch..I still can't decide between LCD and Plasma  though ,Im thinking a 50 inch may well be a bit to big for this room,have for the last few years been used to a 32 in widescreen crt ....


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

Ok,I have a huge picture window that faces west,I just close the blinds during the day to watch my Plasma,but I used to have a crt that I also had to close the blinds to view.With that kind of light coming in I think you would have to close the blinds no matter which tv,,now mind you I don't always have to close blinds,only when light pours in directly on tv screen,
A trick I do with my Plasma tv and my LCD monitor screen is to turn the brightness down on both,I have the comp monitor at 85% brightness and the tv is set to the lower brightness setting,I forget what it is,cuts down on the heat that pours out of the Plasma tvs as well as prolonging the bulb life and costs less money to run.

The heat coming from the Plasma tv was a real shock to me,I didn't consider how hot it would be,but turning down brightness really cut down on heat.That's on a 50".
Just something to consider.


----------



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

The heat that you mention is certainly something to consider,where does it originate from ? not worrying about any safety issues or anything,just wondering what generates it ...do these sets have a fan as such ?


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

I can only guess where it originates,not positive what generates it but it pours out of the holes in the top of the case,very hot,surprised the heck out of me.I had never heard about the heat,but turning down the brightness significantly reduced the heat,to the point where it's a non issue.
It was so hot that I was surprised I never read about it in my research or heard it mentioned by anyone.
But again I say it's now a non issue.
By turning down the brightness hints at a lamp issue but that's a guess.


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

you may be best to find a decent TV shop (in the UK there are only a few of them around) and see if they have a few plasma & LCDs set up in your size and price range 
then look at a few different sources if possible - I know this can be done at some shops - although most just have a very poor quality aerial signal .....

I have about the same size room as you 15x12 ft - and I actually got the sizes of the tvs and cut out a template and stuck on wall just to see impact in the house - hence the 37" pioneer LCD or a 42" would be ideal - but pioneer nolonger do a 42" plasma Kuro - so they only do a 50" which is just to big for my room and sitting position hence the 37" LCD


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

telecom69 said:


> Im thinking a 50 inch may well be a bit to big for this room,have for the last few years been used to a 32 in widescreen crt ....


A piece of advice. Buy the biggest set you can afford and fit into the space.  I bought the 50" for my rec room because it was the largest one that would fit the corner where I wanted to put it. If I could fit a larger one, I'd have it. The 42" one we have was the same situation, the position it occupies simply wouldn't fit a larger screen.


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

telecom69 said:


> The heat that you mention is certainly something to consider,where does it originate from ? not worrying about any safety issues or anything,just wondering what generates it ...do these sets have a fan as such ?


The heat isn't an issue with my 50" plasma, other than the A/C load in the summer. There is no fan, but plenty of ventilation in the back for convection cooling. You do notice the heat at the front of the set if you're right up to the screen, but other than that, I don't give the heat a thought.


----------



## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

JohnWill said:


> A piece of advice. Buy the biggest set you can afford and fit into the space.


Thank You for posting this. :up:

You speaketh the truth! *Always* get the LARGEST set you can afford and that will fit in the intended space. Nothing will frustrate you more than "buyer's remorse" after you get the TV installed, sit back and say to yourself "_I should have gotten the (bigger size) TV instead_..." 

In terms of flat panel displays, I believe Plasma was your only option for sets in the 50" range and LCD sets were more prevalent in the smaller (sub 40" range) sizes. Of course, rear projection (RP) LCD TVs can be much larger than 50" but those aren't flat panel sets.

Personally, I've been more of a DLP and LCoS fan than LCD or Plasma. I'm not really into the "flat panel buzz". 

Peace...


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I seriously considered a DLP, the picture was very good. However, both of my flat screens are wall mounted, so that wasn't a practical option.


----------



## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

I recently got rid of my 57" CRT RPTV (which performed great) in favor of a 65" DLP HDTV I bought from the mother of a deceased friend. I "hated" him since he bought the TV back in 2007 for *$1600*, I believe, at Fry's Electronics. That's just _insane_! 

I really like the performance of LCoS and before a local Circuit City closed (years ago), I feel in love with a 60" Sony SXRD set that was simply beautiful.

We'll see how this DLP set I know have works out once I get it setup and calibrated. 

Peace...


----------



## craftee (Jun 29, 2005)

Hi Guys,
I would like to mention that IMHO it the make and model of the TV that is most important. There are some great LCD TVs and some Great Plasmas, but there are rubbish ones of each as well. 
My suggestion is to decide on the size you would like, and view as many different TVs as you can find. 
Buy a well known brand and you shouldn't have reliability issues with either an LCD or a Plasma.
I've got a 42" Panasonic Plasmas in the Lounge and a 32" Sony LCD in the Bedroom, both are great.
I hope this helps,
Regards,
Paul


----------



## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

I dunno, I think brand is important but I don't know if I would consider it the "most" important. Every well-known brand has issues and some models from those brands are more problematic than other models. I do think a more well-known brand might be more reliable in terms of consistency of performance but not necessarily more reliable in other ways.

At least that's my view. 

Peace...


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I have to agree. For instance, you can't give me a Sony anything anymore. IMO, they've been milking that brand name for years after they once made a top quality product!


----------



## rameam (Mar 15, 2003)

I have a 42" Vizio LCD (approx 2 yrs old) in a rather large den. I like it much better than my son's 50" plazma (don't remember brand) in a much smaller room. The Vizio has a brighter, sharper picture.


----------



## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

rameam said:


> The Vizio has a brighter, sharper picture.


Be sure to calibrate BOTH TVs. My dad also has a 42" Vizio LCD HDTV (I don't know the model) and he absolutely loved (still does) the picture quality despite the calibration we performed identifying several settings needed adjustment. I'm NOT saying this will result in a change in your preference but that it will make your frame of reference more accurate.

Peace...


----------



## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

If you haven't bought one yet telecom, I studied some forums regarding Plasma and LCD opinions, Panasonic, Samsung and LG had the most satisfaction.
We bought a 42 inch LG, they all looked good in the store, it turns out, they never look as good at home, all pictures in the stores show a Blueray movie.
I also fell for the hype of a 1080 then I found out Starchoice only sends 720 programming.
The real reason I got LG because they have a USB port where I can put a stick in with pictures (jpg) or play MP3's. I love this feature.
My daughter bought a 1080- 42 inch Viewsonic and actually her picture is just as good as the LG.
Our room is very bright and the LCD shows well. I also viewed the pictures from the side angle and some of them really fade fast, so check that out in the store. Viewing angle is important.
As mentioned before, buy the largest one, I could have used a 46 inch one, now that I got used to the large size, some HD programming only show wide and reduced height, so that I found strange.


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

bp936,,,There is a special screen setting for use in a store and another setting for use at home.Apparently it's to compensate for all the lights in a store.It usually is set for home use when you get your tv but on my Samsung Plasma (50")the instruction book told me where to go in the set up menu and make sure it was set for home use.TV's never look the same at home as they do in a store.


----------



## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

yes, I found that setting for home use. Also my TV has a setting called -intelligent sensor- that adjust to the room light, I really like that.


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

bp936,,you can also turn down the screen brightness to reduce heat,reduce electricity cost,and lengthen bulb life.I have done so and do not notice a picture quality difference but I did notice a huge reduction in the heat given off.


----------



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

bp936 said:


> If you haven't bought one yet telecom, I studied some forums regarding Plasma and LCD opinions, Panasonic, Samsung and LG had the most satisfaction.
> We bought a 42 inch LG, they all looked good in the store, it turns out, they never look as good at home, all pictures in the stores show a Blueray movie.
> I also fell for the hype of a 1080 then I found out Starchoice only sends 720 programming.
> The real reason I got LG because they have a USB port where I can put a stick in with pictures (jpg) or play MP3's. I love this feature.
> ...


I have finally bought one, and expecting it being delivered tomorrow, I settled in the end for a 42 inch Toshiba,because I know well that name from years back,we will see how it goes when its up and working,I would like to thank you and everyone else who has posted information to my original question,I have learned so much from all the posts,the advice has been invaluable ...I will post back when I have it up and running,with my thoughts on it ....


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

Good for you. 
I hope you get as much enjoyment from yours as I get from my 50" Samsung Plasma.The best investment in any of the many tv's I have owned and I look forward to reading your next post on how you like it.


----------



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

Hi folks,to anyone interested, I have now got the tv installed and working,Im very pleased with it to say the least,we have come a long way from our first tv back in the fifties which was a 10 inch black and white telly with just one channel  very little tweaking required to set picture t personal preference ...the only thing I cant yet understand about it is the auto tuning,there is no UHF socket to plug roof arial into  everything is ok via the scart sockets,but I just cant see a uhf socket despite the manual saying plug arial into back of tv ...it set me wondering about people who buy this set and only have a roof arial ? how do they go on ? I did run it through the auto tuning procedure but of course it couldnt find anything,mystified ....once again thank you to everyone for all their valuable comments in this thread .....

Further thoughts on the matter of no uhf socket,this tv has inbuilt freeview,which eleiminates the need to buy a stand alone freeview reciever,but how can you use that facility when there is no uhf socket ? this is beginning to bug me a bit now  not that it matters really because I get my channels via cable,but what if someone bought this tv to solely use it for freeview reception,how can they do that with no uhf socket? .....


----------



## Mr. Newton (Aug 26, 2006)

A thumbs up too you 
No help from me on the uhf connection as I have high def satellite with a HDMI connection,but I'm sure you will sort it out.


----------



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

You said you got a 42 inch Toshiba but what model is it?

http://tv.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/toshiba/toshiba_product_list.html

If you got the flat wire with the two wires you wrap around a screw then you should get something to hook that to that has the connection on it also to hook up to your new TV.

So maybe you just need a plug adapter.


----------



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

hewee said:


> You said you got a 42 inch Toshiba but what model is it?
> 
> http://tv.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/toshiba/toshiba_product_list.html
> 
> ...


This is the model Harry Toshiba "42AV555D" 42ins HD-ready Freeview LCD TV


----------



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Never heard of a model *Harry Toshiba* "42AV555D"  
Was it named after me? 

Darn I can not do a search on 42AV555D unless I sign up at the site.

Also at Toshiba LCD 40" and above does not list the 42AV555D.
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/lcd/large.asp
Even a search on 42AV555D comes up blank.
Are you writing that down right?
Search in the U.S. Services & Support at the site finds nothing.

Darn your not in the USA but the UK 

Hank on and let me look again.

Toshiba of Europe Ltd.

Found the 42" Regza AV Series 42AV555DB.
No 42AV555D but there is the 42AV555D*B*

AV Series Brochure.pdf

It just shows a antenna plug but not other info.

So hope that helps you out there or the picture of it points to the same plug so your see it on yours.


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I'm guessing there is only one antenna feed for all channels, you may need a VHF/UHF splitter if you're still using two antennas.


----------



## telecom69 (Oct 12, 2001)

Hi Harry,you went to a lot of trouble looking for a non existent tv, sorry, I missed off the B  yes thats the one...you deserve to have something named after you anyway for the number of people you have helped over the years :up: I eventually found the missing socket with the aid of a torch,it was well hidden up underneath a protruding part of the back panel,looking down as opposed to looking out at me ....so all is well now,thanks for your help


----------



## aka Brett (Nov 25, 2008)

here is some pretty sound advice.


----------



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Your so welcome telecom69. Was not all that much trouble and I am just glad to note you was from the UK and how at first when I went to Toshiba I picked the USA so then seen your Location: West Midlands (UK) and said hey wait maybe I can find it now. Was easy and all was right but the B missing so that was doing great. 

I could see how some would be hard to see if they are flush on the back and it is just a small plug and looking down from the front top you would not see it at all. 

But you just need a VHF/UHF splitter as John said.
Darn you could I guess feed the VHF/UHF splitter into other plugs as long as you switch the TV to the same one. 
It the VHF/UHF splitter is your only way to get anything then you may also want to hook it up tru a VCR/DVD player or even split the VHF/UHF so it goes to both. There are many ways to hook things up as long as you don't need a cable box.


----------

