Plasma TV's

[Nomoreheroes]

from what i've been told you should opt for a lcd over a plasma,as the picture quality is better.

I have had both and TBH there is not a lot of difference.

You get more TV for your money if you go Plasma

I'd heard similar to Arriba. Trouble is with both types of screen is that if you are not dead in front of the screen then the picture aint that great.

In addition, the plasma takes a higher wattage and therefore costs more to run. Furthermore, on some there is a heat issue and a longevity issue.

NMH

[Batch]

from what i've been told you should opt for a lcd over a plasma,as the picture quality is better.

As with anything like this it is pretty subjective and dependant on how much you are spending.

It is traditionally concidered plasmas are better for screen sizes over 32 inch, and they give much better black contrasts than LCDs.  Of course a disadvantage is that they are prone to screen burn and generally may not last as long as an LCD - though screen burn is much rarer in new plasmas.

But LCDs are easily catching up and the line of which is best is blurry to say the least. I 'd guess plasmas will lose out to LCD in the long run.

Then you have the whole, do I wait and get a 1080p screen when they become cheaper or will 1080i do? From what I have read it really makes little difference from distances of 5ft or more.

So I suggest you go to a proper TV shop (not comet or currys!) and get  a demo of each of the TVs you are interested in and watch both a HD source picture and a SD (normal) picture and make your own mind up based on what you see. Don't be suprised if standard Sky looks worse on a 42" plasma/lcd than it does on your old CRT TV either.

Oh and I say not currys or comet for a demo because generally the set up they have there is not optimal! Of course I didn't follow my own advice.....

My only hope is that Sky see sense and drop the £10pm extra charge for Sky HD.

[Simon Pieman]

There's loads of advantages of either one really - not that I have either, but is something I will consider when I qualify (and get a pay rise).

Is Sevenoaks sound & vision on commercial road still open? That's where I got some of my hi-fi kit from. They will demo any combination of products for you in a large sized room so could be worth a gander? Also read the sound & vision magazines to give yourself an idea of best kit for money. The journos of these mags are really obsessed and can pick out minute details. Whilst it can be a bit over the top, it's useful if you're looking at two evenly matched (and priced) products.

Could be worth it if you want to demo surround sound as well. I'm a bit audio obsessed but it is something to definitely consider - what's the point of spending a grand on the visual side of things, then a third of the price on audio?

[Spud]

Ive got an LG 32" LCD TV, i want a Sky HD Box but i refuse to pay £199 for it and then the £10 extra a month on top of that.

[Barry Scott]

I'd heard similar to Arriba. Trouble is with both types of screen is that if you are not dead in front of the screen then the picture aint that great.

In addition, the plasma takes a higher wattage and therefore costs more to run. Furthermore, on some there is a heat issue and a longevity issue.

I've got an LCD and i can see perfect from any angle. Also my Dad has just bought a Panasonic Plasma and it's the same with that. I always felt LCD was better, but i can't tell the diference between my LCD and my Dad's plasma, although i do hear, as you say, longevity is an issue with plasma.

[Simon Pieman]

Longevity is an issue with both. Whilst pixels will 'burn' into plasma tvs pixels will still become static in lcds. Viewing angles are the same. Plasmas look better in good lighting conditions but lcds look better in darker conditions. Plasma has superior refresh rates....


the list goes on, but do what i say for the best test (after all, who gives a shite what ppl say if you think different, it's your money!)

[Spud]

I had to laugh, a couple of years ago some bloke at work was showing off cos he had just spent £3k on a brand new plasma, 2 nights later he came in saying it had blown up.