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Old 05-04-2009, 08:22
mikeinsthelens
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Following on from my thread about my Sky+ box. I have now decided to upgrade to HD.

I have a budget of £600 and would ideally like 40"+, i do watch a fair bit of sport and movies so will LCD or Plasma be better. It will also be used for Wii sports and some occasional use for the PS3.

Anyone got any recommendations of which makes to go for?

Mike
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Old 05-04-2009, 08:39
cmorris
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Don't go for Plasma as the tube life is not as good as LCD. The LCD TV's have tuble life of 50 years but the Plasma's only have tube life of 20 years.

I would go with LCD as if you hit a LCD it won't make a mark but if you hit a Plasma it will leae a mark plus if you stay on a channel that has a ident and you have a Plasma TV and leave it for so long it will create a burn in but with a LCD it doesn't make a burn in.

I would recomend a LCD rather than a plasma as they are better picture and sound quality.
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Old 05-04-2009, 10:46
Willie Wontie
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Don't go for Plasma as the tube life is not as good as LCD. The LCD TV's have tuble life of 50 years but the Plasma's only have tube life of 20 years.
So just think - if you get an LCD you'll still be watching it in 2059 (if you're still alive). Whereas with a plasma, you're going to have to get a new one by 2029 (if you're still alive).
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Old 05-04-2009, 10:47
Willie Wontie
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I would recomend a LCD rather than a plasma as they are better picture and sound quality.
Hmm, those plasma screens really have a big effect on the speakers don't they? Luckily the LCD screens don't make the speakers sound as muffled.
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Old 05-04-2009, 12:04
cmorris
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I would stick with a 37" LCD as 40" + is a plasma
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Old 05-04-2009, 12:08
mikeinsthelens
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Just seen this one in Tesco. Any advice?

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.205-1771.aspx
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Old 05-04-2009, 15:46
Nigel Goodwin
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Don't go for Plasma as the tube life is not as good as LCD. The LCD TV's have tuble life of 50 years but the Plasma's only have tube life of 20 years.
Sorry, that's utter rubbish - LCD and Plasma quote fairly similar estimated life for the panels - but this is for the panel wearing out. In reality panels don't have time to 'wear out' they go faulty.

Plasma panels do this more than LCD panels, but the ratio isn't as high as you suggested.


I would go with LCD as if you hit a LCD it won't make a mark but if you hit a Plasma it will leae a mark
If you hit an LCD the panel smashes it's a common failure mode - I've only seen ONE Plasma smashed in that way, and probably seven or eight LCD's (one which was smashed with a pool cue in a pub).


plus if you stay on a channel that has a ident and you have a Plasma TV and leave it for so long it will create a burn in but with a LCD it doesn't make a burn in.
Screen burn isn't anywhere near as big a concern as people make out, and is only really a concern for the first few months.


I would recomend a LCD rather than a plasma as they are better picture and sound quality.
Don't quite see where you imagined the sound quality is any different? - LCD/Plasma has nothign to do with the sound.

As a general rule I would say LCD is better for HD and Plasma for SD.
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Old 05-04-2009, 15:47
Nigel Goodwin
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Bottom end Sony TV, but still better than most other makes.
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Old 05-04-2009, 17:13
meltcity
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Isn't discussion of plasma vs LCD against the forum rules?

Here is some good impartial advice: get a 5 year guarantee!

If you don't you may be faced with a hefty repair bill 13 months down the line. This is why John Lewis is still a popular choice for TV buyers, despite being more expensive than online retailers and some supermarkets (whose exclusive model numbers make it impossible to get JL to pricematch against them). Of course you could get one with a 1 year guarantee then sue the retailer under the Sale of Goods Act if the TV goes awry shortly after the guarantee expires. Not many people do this, though.
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Old 06-04-2009, 10:37
Chorley Matt
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Don't go for Plasma as the tube life is not as good as LCD. The LCD TV's have tuble life of 50 years but the Plasma's only have tube life of 20 years.

I would go with LCD as if you hit a LCD it won't make a mark but if you hit a Plasma it will leae a mark plus if you stay on a channel that has a ident and you have a Plasma TV and leave it for so long it will create a burn in but with a LCD it doesn't make a burn in.

I would recomend a LCD rather than a plasma as they are better picture and sound quality.
Congratulations in managing so many inaccurate myths about plasma in just one post - you forgot the one about re-gassing it though.

Now for the truth...

"Tube Life" I assume you mean panel? Modern plasma sets have an estimated lifespan of around 100,000 hours. So, even assuming it's on 8 hours per day, that's a life of 12,500 days (or just over 34 years).

"Screen Burn" Whilst still possible, you would have to be really abusing a plasma to manage any permanent screen burn. As stated by Nigel, above, they are more susceptible in the first 200 hours or so whilst they "age" a little, but even then you'd need a static image displayed on retina searing "dynamic" settings for a lengthy period to have any cause for concern. Image retention is more commonplace but this rapidly disappears after just a few minutes of normal TV watching.

"LCD's Superior S&V" The type of panel has absolutely no effect either way on the sound quality (hint: I'd look at the quality of the set's speakers for that one!). Vision is much more a personal thing, there is no wrong and right. My personal preference is plasma as I feel it gives a more natural image (IMHO), others may prefer the brighter appearance of an LCD, that's their choice. The only real way of deciding is to watch properly set-up versions of both using material relevant to your normal viewing habits and then you can make an informed choice.
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Old 06-04-2009, 10:44
Nigel Goodwin
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"Tube Life" I assume you mean panel? Modern plasma sets have an estimated lifespan of around 100,000 hours. So, even assuming it's on 8 hours per day, that's a life of 12,500 days (or just over 34 years).
Like I said above, it's not the estimated 'lifespan' of the panel, it's the estimated number of hours before the panel is 'worn out', defined as the point where it's too dark to be useable.

The panel is highly unlikely to last anywhere near that long, as it's probably going to fail long before it wears out.
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Old 06-04-2009, 10:53
Chorley Matt
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Like I said above, it's not the estimated 'lifespan' of the panel, it's the estimated number of hours before the panel is 'worn out', defined as the point where it's too dark to be useable.

The panel is highly unlikely to last anywhere near that long, as it's probably going to fail long before it wears out.
Sorry Nigel, I was over-egging it a little to prove a point. Failure in other areas is far more likely to bring about the demise of any plasma, or LCD for that matter. I just found the original statement rather silly that it would "only" last 20 years. I'd guess upgradeitis might get the better of most people on here before their screen is anywhere near retirement age.
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Old 06-04-2009, 12:17
Lurkalot
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I have one of these and am very happy with it, it is the same panel as the next model up the "V" with a different surround and one less HDMI connection, it has a superb picture on standard definition, I havent put a HD source through it yet but I am sure it will be very good, when I do.
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Old 06-04-2009, 12:39
mikeinsthelens
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I have one of these and am very happy with it, it is the same panel as the next model up the "V" with a different surround and one less HDMI connection, it has a superb picture on standard definition, I havent put a HD source through it yet but I am sure it will be very good, when I do.

Thanks for the comments, do you watch a lot of sport and movies. I really dont know whether to go LCD or Plasma
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Old 06-04-2009, 12:48
late8
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Contrary to the misinformed advice here...

1. Current Plasmas have a lifespan of 100,000 hours- before brighness decreases by half. Much longer than LCD's where the tubes cause backlight differences. (IF THAT REALLY MATTERS TO YOU)

2. Plasmas still offer best PQ, motion, contrast and colour

3. Plasmas can be found in small sizes from 32" and 37"

4. Sound quality is actually better on Plasma as the screen sizes make it easier for larger speakers. also the 37" plasma i have has much better sound than the older 32" LCD. (BUT AGAIN DOES THAT MATTER)

If you live vivid unnatural colours, backlight bleed, blueish blacks, motion & contrast issues go for LCD.
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Old 06-04-2009, 14:24
Lurkalot
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Thanks for the comments, do you watch a lot of sport and movies. I really dont know whether to go LCD or Plasma
I cant help you choose LCD or Plasma thats up to you mate, I do watch a lot of sports and movies and I havent seen any motion blur or ghosting as some people experience with SD on an LCD, I have a Phillips 5990 DVD player which upscales to 1080p and IMO the picture is superb.
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Old 06-04-2009, 14:38
mikeinsthelens
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I cant help you choose LCD or Plasma thats up to you mate, I do watch a lot of sports and movies and I havent seen any motion blur or ghosting as some people experience with SD on an LCD, I have a Phillips 5990 DVD player which upscales to 1080p and IMO the picture is superb.

Thanks for the input mate. I'll have a another quick look around before making a decision.

Mike
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Old 06-04-2009, 14:52
Slipstreem
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The problem is that no amount of advice from individuals or reviews is going to help. I went around all the local retailers and looked at over 150 different LCD and Plasma TVs before eventually making my decision based upon what looked best to me.

I ended up avoiding all TVs with so-called picture enhancement features that couldn't be manually disabled as I like a pure, unadulterated image. This makes the image look more natural to me but may make the image look less natural to others.

Only you know what you like, and nobody else knows what that is, so get out there and do some leg work. It may take you several frustrating weekends to find what you like, but you have to live with your decision, so you won't regret making the effort in the long-run.
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Old 06-04-2009, 15:06
mikeinsthelens
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The problem is that no amount of advice from individuals or reviews is going to help. I went around all the local retailers and looked at over 150 different LCD and Plasma TVs before eventually making my decision based upon what looked best to me.

I ended up avoiding all TVs with so-called picture enhancement features that couldn't be manually disabled as I like a pure, unadulterated image. This makes the image look more natural to me but may make the image look less natural to others.

Only you know what you like, and nobody else knows what that is, so get out there and do some leg work. It may take you several frustrating weekends to find what you like, but you have to live with your decision, so you won't regret making the effort in the long-run.
I see where you are coming from although for a novice like me who has only ever bought 1 TV in his life a bit of input about whihc models to look at or have a good reputation is invaluable.

Of course, I understand that the final decision is mine but a bit of guidance about where to start looking is helpful.
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Old 06-04-2009, 15:20
Chorley Matt
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...a bit of input about whihc models to look at or have a good reputation is invaluable.

Of course, I understand that the final decision is mine but a bit of guidance about where to start looking is helpful.
For plasma, look at Panasonic, the 2009 models are appearing in the shops now, starting with the X10 series and moving up in price and spec from there. I have a PX80 (the 2008 equivalent of an X10) and would give it a wholehearted recommendation at it's price point.
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