flat screens??

[mozzandherb]

So looking to finally join the 21st century and get a flat screen. Looking at a 40" or 46" Sharp Aquos LED...mostly for t.v, sometimes movies, but mostly t.v viewing. So what's better plasma or LED? Also is Sharp a good brand for the price...anything else comparable in the same category?

[cuate01221]

LED would far outperform a plasma. Plasmas usually will print a picture on the screen if you leave a movie paused for a while. LED shows an amazing difference! My buddy got a 46" Samsung LED and we compared it with my 40" LCD and the LED was a huge difference. As for Sharp I wouldn't go with them. Try getting a Samsung or a LG. I had a Sharp before I got my Samsung and the thing didn't even last me a day before the audio on it went out. Got a samsung the next day, saved money, and haven't had one problem for about 2 years now

[Leung]

Id say that if you're watching just movies and shows then a Plasma would be better because they display black much better.

LCD if you're a big time gamer where there is going to be a static image like the HUD of Masterchief or a channel that always has their company logo up.

I'm sure that technology for the plasma has improved over the years so maybe you wont suffer burn in if there were static images. Alas that didn't seem to be the case for my mother because on her plasma,that she just bought three years ago, has burn-in on the upper right corner.

Personally i'm fond of Samsung but my mother swears by Panasonic. We used to be big fans of Sony but their prices are always steep for a comparable item. I've never owned anything by LG but i hear it's just as good as Samsung.

I refuse to buy Vizio, Westinghouse, and Toshiba(TVs only, their laptops are good).

*oops reading owns me. you said LED. I can't comment on those.

[mtnbikaah]

A common mis-conception is that an LED uses little tiny LEDS to display the image. "LED" refers to the type of backlighting. Any "LED" TV is still an LCD screen but uses LED to backlight instead of Fluorescent bulbs.

So comparing an LED LCD to a regular LCD there is little initial difference. The LEDs last a lot longer than a fluorescent bulb. LEDs don't fade over time like a fluorescent bulb.

There are also different types of backlight beside "bulb" choose. There is side lighting and backlighting. Most of those really thin, sleek looking TV's are side lit. In terms of performance backlight is preferred. There are terms for the types of backlights but I can't remember them off the top of my head...

Plasma will have blacker blacks, but an LCD will be brighter. IIRC.


I do not own a TV. yet.

[LadyG]

When I recently bought my TV, I read the consumer report guide on TV's.

I bought LCD, and a few weeks later my Mother in Law bought a Plasma Tv.
I wish I had bought a plasma, the resolution is MUCH sharper, but my(LG) LCD is brighter.
The MIL bought a samsung (it is a 3D tv, but the 2d view blows my mind.)we have watched some old old (30's) movies on it, that look like they were filmed yesterday!
Seriously, you haven't seen any old movie until you've seen in on that f*ing tv.
Unfortunately, hers was 3k with the blue ray player and 2 sets of glasses. (but like I said, the 2D is AMAZING by itself)
It really does seem if you spend more, you get more when it comes to TV's.

[Ralphie]

Ah i love this topic, always so much misinformation.

Well honestly, everyone seemed to hit it on the head except cuate.

LEDs do NOT always out perform Plasmas.

Burn in, heat, and energy consumption are a thing of the past.

Some Plasma's are now Energy star rated.

They still do produce a little heat(obv more then LEDS) but not as much as they use to.

On 2010 and newer Plasmas, burn in is non existent.

They have improved the tech enough that even if you do see burn in, it goes away once you watch some tv and it if still doesn't, you can run a program that is built in to the tv that washes away the burn in with white pixels.

The rule of thumb is if your going 47 or bigger, you should seriously consider Plasma's.

DLP is another tech and while it is not as common, it is suppose to be as true to THX as humanly possible.

They also make tvs as big as 87'' i believe.

If i had to recommend a tv, it would be the 2011 LG plasma line.

LG was the top tv of 2010 and from what i see and read, it will hold it for 2011 as well.


And LadyG is 100% correct.

Plasma usually look MUCH better then LCD/LEDS.

People are attracted to the LCD/LEDS because they are much brighter, and while they are, they usually lack the clarity that the Plasma has.



Edit-

And as far as gaming, Plasmas are much better in that arena as well.

Burn in is not as much of a problem and lag is no longer a problem either.

If you browse Plasma's on Amazon.com, the reviewers usually say whether or not they play games and ive seen a few Xbox/Ps3 owners write it that they play regularly and have 0 issues.

[cuate01221]

Sorry for misleading about plasma's. I haven't seen any of the new ones buts I go by what I see at stores. Every time I go look at tvs, I always see plasmas with burn in. But as Lady G said, You get what you pay for and most retail stores around where I live have the most expensive tv be around $1000 for a 52" which is considerably cheap for a 52". I guess if you look at tvs for $2000-$4000 the technology is much better than the cheaper ones.

[LadyG]

Basically, thats how the consumer reports read.
If you need a TV and just want the modern look/HD, LCD is cheaper and can give you what you want.
But if you have money to burn, or you want to "experience" your TV, plasma atw.

I think just the MIL's TV was 2500. I spent a g less on the CB!


***edit
I don't know if you can find the CR for tv's (I think I bought the April issue?) they lock their site down to non-subscribing users. But it is definitely worth trying to find, even if you are dropping just a few hundred bucks, its better spent on something you won't be replacing in less than a year.

[Masamune]

B&H photo usually has good deals on TV's. I got my Sharp Aquos 40" from there for $750. Every local store and even my favorite etailer, newegg, wanted at least $1000 or more.

[H22WAGON93]

I had a 49in LG Plasma that failed on me a yr ago, only had it for almost a yr. Had the burn screen/ green ghost look. I got a 52 in Samsung now for a little over a year and im very happy with it. But the Plasma did have a better picture, but gave off a lot of heat

[19dabeast85]

I'm impressed with my plasma. It's a 42" Samsung, about a year old. It's smooth as silk with action shots and a very crisp picture. It glares ALOT if lights are behind it but who watches movies with lights on? Turn the lights off and you have a beautiful picture! It get fairly warm but not hot. I've never detected any trace of burn-in, pretty sure they've mostly fixed the quirks plasmas used to have.

[91ExSedan]

Kinda off topic, but I LOVE my Vizio. You say you want movies, all I gotta do is go to the menu, go to netflix, and bam..movies. Also, I have facebook, picture in picture, I can do anything right from my TV, browse the webs, Hulu plus, youtube..anything.

[LadyG]

Those integrated features are awesome! I wish I could have afforded the wifi!

[doughboy415]

I have the vizio LED/LCD 46" I looked up consumer report it was rated 2nd behind samsung,and was more in my price range

[Straight Success]

Samsung 46" LCD. Can't go wrong. It's the creme` da la' creme` of flat screens (not fact, just mine and a few million other neanderthals walking this earth opinion).