Anyone have a plasma tv?

[98GTfromGA]

I'm thinking about buying one but I hear that
they only last like 4 or 5 years before burning out. :shrug:

[96s10]

i would get an lcd instead of a plasma. the picture is awesome and its less expensive. plus you don't have to worry about it going out like in the plasma.

[Bullhead00]

I'm with 96s10. Get the LCD projection. Way cheaper and you don't have to worry about it burning out. IMO the LCD projection has a better picture than the plasma.

[SloNLo_350]

I prefer the straight up LCD, period, which is what I think Brian was refering to. My grandparents have a Samsung DLP and it is alright, but LCD's look better. It is EXTREMELY light for such a large TV though.

[DerekFSU]

Plasmas will last at least 4-5 years if left on CONTINUOUSLY. Those mentioning LCD being cheaper are referring to a rear projection, not a slimline. The plasma is cheaper than a slimline LCD, has a better picture, is brighter, and has substantially better lateral viewing. The LCD will last longer and you never have to worry about burn-in. You won't keep this TV beyond 5 years of CONTINUOUS usage and burn-in is only an issue if you have a logo like FOX NEWS or CNN or sidebars for like a week straight without EVER changing the station. PM John the Ferrari guy, he owns a higher end audio/video company. Plus, you can get a 42" Panasonic plasma for like $2k.

[Octane]

beside if you do get a plasma and some how they mess up. they use gas and it would be an arm and a leg to fix the damn thing.. LCD is going to be the shit.

[madderhatter]

Plasma TVs put off a LOT of heat. So it might cut your heating bill some. Once the screen goes it's gone - new TV time. I did a lot of comparison shopping before getting ours, including side-by-side pic comparisons using a reference DVD. We ended up with a 50" Sony Grand Wega rear projection LCD. Best pic of the ones I tested by far. Bulb life is estimated at 8,000 hours. When/if it burns out you pay $199 and you essentially have a new TV again.

[Gt]

I've been thinking about a plasma/lcd TV, only because the house I am buying has a fireplace and a TV above it would be kickass. I've heard about the problems with plasma/lcds and not sure what I want to do at this point. Otherwise it will be a LCD projection and cover up a window with it.

http://www.blownstangs.com/house/avondale/avondale-1.jpg

[DerekFSU]

I have a 42" plasma 76" from my head in our master bedroom. Heat is not an issue with plasmas any more than any other TV. If you don't HAVE to have the saved room or the coolness factor of an "onwall" tv (such as plasma or LCD) then get a rear projection model. It will be thicker but you will get more size for the money, although your lateral viewing will be reduced. If you need/want the onwall tv, then you won't come close to the value of a 42" plasma with an lcd.

For specific info on models and more, visit avsforum.com. It is the largest audio/video forum in the world and has more info than you'll ever need.

[DerekFSU]

Tony, putting a plasma above the fireplace is a cool deal. The only thing to consider is the height of such a display is higher than the average viewing height in your home. You may want to go somewhere and audition such a viewing height to make sure you adjust and still like it. Another option (John has done these installs) is to put it behind a decorative 2-way mirror. It's just a nicely framed mirror until you turn the display on and it becomes a tv and the mirror disapears.

[98GTfromGA]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll look into a projection LCD or DLP. I was going to drop about $1800 on a 42" plasma but I might just wait a little longer and get this 50" dlp.

http://product.samsung.com/images/prod/product03/b2c_l_hlp5085.jpg

[Octane]

I think you made the right choice bro...

[Gt]

Was at Sam's tonight, so I looked at the Plasma's there. The 3 42" plasmas were the Panasonic for $1997, the Samsung for $1999, and a Phillips for $2999. Out of the 3, the samsung "looked" the best. But it appeared the Phillips had zoom on and made the picture look digitizied.

Still not sure on which way I want to go. I like the bigger size and price for the projection LCD, but I hate the way they look from the sides.

[DerekFSU]

The Panny and Pioneer are "universally" considered the second best plasmas there are, second only to Fujitsu which is substantially more expensive. I think Samsungs are nice and would go with Panny. Can you build it into a wall so it's flush or at least recessed?

[slowLX]

Fujitsuthey are the shit....they make some of the best car audio too(Eclipse)

[4348rd]

that would look nice over the fireplace

[Gt]

The Panny and Pioneer are "universally" considered the second best plasmas there are, second only to Fujitsu which is substantially more expensive. I think Samsungs are nice and would go with Panny. Can you build it into a wall so it's flush or at least recessed?

Between the Samsung and Panny at Sam's it was a close call. But I think Samsung actually had a better picture (could be fine tuning tho causeing this). The Samsung also came with a HD tuner is it said. I'm going to look around more at Best Buy etc still. I just happened to look while at Sam's.

Nope, can't recess it in that wall at all (I don't think) cause of the fireplace.

[DerekFSU]

Check in with John "Ferrari" Cawley. He can do just about anything. In terms of recessing, I meant the RPTV. You can't really judge tv's in the showroom. When they come from the factory, their brightness, contrast, and reds are jacked up to get your attention. Check out avsforum.com.

[madderhatter]

I have a 42" plasma 76" from my head in our master bedroom. Heat is not an issue with plasmas any more than any other TV.
I wasn't saying it was an issue, especially if it's going in a big room where it can dissipate. But a plasma does put off substantially more heat than a rear projection LCD. With a RP LCD all the heat is in the bulb which is enclosed within the housing of the TV. If you touch near where the bulb is it will be warm but the screen is cool to the touch.

With the plasma you can feel it radiating off the screen. You can stand a few feet in front of one and feel the heat coming off. But, as you said, it's not an issue but it is there. If you're concerned at all about power usage an LCD, either tradition or RP, requires about half the power to operate vs. a plasma.

Even though both the LCD and plasma have built-in cooling systems ... how much do you use that fireplace ? That might also come into play if you decide to mount it there, depending on the venting of the fireplace. That extra heat could really stress-test the built in cooling on either, possibly.

[4348rd]

the fireplace in my other house is like that and candles would not melt on the mantle the heat went outward :shrug:

[madderhatter]

Yeah. We have them on our mantle too and they don't melt. Heat eventually rises and these TVs have fans that "suck in" supposed cool air. Not sure if the regular LCD TVs do or not since they use a fluorescent bulb.

[Tifosi]

Ok, here it is. I am by no means the end all god of A/V and can tell you everything you want to know, but I am the best A/V custom installer in town and know a little bit about this stuff. If you have been to Derek's house, you have seen my work. Plasma vs. LCD. It comes down to a few simple questions. Are you going to mount this above a fireplace? If so, you would have to go with a Plasma unless you have a recessed opening with some depth where you could install a different style of TV. As for the heat from the fireplace, building code requires the mantle to be at a certain height for this exact reason. You can put anything you want above a mantle and yes, there will be some heat, but there is no issue with danger to the television. As for LCD, these are an easier unit as for service, you only have to change a light bulb every few years, which the cost is usually about $400 depending on the brand. These units have some depth to them, usually 21" and are very light. Prices right now in the 42" range, you can find the plasma for less than the LCD. Most 42" plasma's are going to be EDTV (enhanced definition TV), this is not a full high-resolution high-definition display. This is not a bad thing though, just information. There is not enough space in a 42" screen to take advantage of the "full" high-definition signal. I am sure that many of you have seen HD on a 42" EDTV and it is an amazing picture. If you go above 42", the plasma's get very expensive and the LCD jump up is not as much. As for your comparison of televisions in a store, that's a pile of crap. I can take the cheapest televison in a store and calibrate and it will look better than the best TV uncalibrated! Find a TV that has a quality name and the specs that you are looking for, then get it calibrated and you will be amazed at the picture. After you watch a well calibrated television, everything else looks horrible. Regardless of everything stated above, if anyone is interested in purchasing a televison, please PM me of what you are looking for and we can discuss further. I am a dealer for Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Toshiba. I would be more than willing to make anyone on hear a fair deal. Feel free to pick my mind for any information as well. The answer to the Plasma/LCD question is there is no answer. It all depends on where the TV is going to be placed, budget and whether you are going for quantity or quality. Sorry for the long explanation. I hope that helps some of you out.
John

[tedness]

plasma really only shines w/ HD channels.

we have a 42" samsung and on a normal channel on "digital cable" it doesn't look as good as our old 27" tube.

unless you have all HD on directv or something, just go w/ a projector or DLP.

[DerekFSU]

plasma really only shines w/ HD channels.

we have a 42" samsung and on a normal channel on "digital cable" it doesn't look as good as our old 27" tube.

unless you have all HD on directv or something, just go w/ a projector or DLP.

That's the craziest thing I have heard on this thread yet. HD is about resolution- either 720p or 1080i, not tv type. It has nothing to do with whether you watch it on a projector or a DLP (I assume you mean rear projection DLP as opposed to front projection).

Additionally, HD is widescreen (16x9) and SD is 480i and in fullscreen (4x3). Any widescreen set is going to have to modify the picture of a fullscreen program (non-HD and non-DVD) unless you watch it with sidebars. Whether or not you are watching SD on plasmas or a rptv or a LCD makes no difference whatsoever.

Lastly, if you're stepping up and getting an HD display then it's time to get HD material.

[Tifosi]

You're also trying to compare a picture at 27" tube to 42" plasma. Compare that to 106". Standard definition is going to look worse the larger you get. High definition allows you to get a better picture for a larger size, but there is also the law of diminishing returns on that as well. As for the 42" looking worse than the 27", be aware, crap in = crap out. I bet if you put a DVD on the 42", it will look better than the 27", period. Also, the 42" is also going to be able to give you the resolution to handle at a minimum EDTV or up to HDTV. A 27" tube does not have the screen size to be able to display this signal properly.

[madderhatter]

Bring on Blu-Ray/HD-DVD and then UHDV !

[tedness]

That's the craziest thing I have heard on this thread yet. HD is about resolution- either 720p or 1080i, not tv type. It has nothing to do with whether you watch it on a projector or a DLP (I assume you mean rear projection DLP as opposed to front projection).

Additionally, HD is widescreen (16x9) and SD is 480i and in fullscreen (4x3). Any widescreen set is going to have to modify the picture of a fullscreen program (non-HD and non-DVD) unless you watch it with sidebars. Whether or not you are watching SD on plasmas or a rptv or a LCD makes no difference whatsoever.

Lastly, if you're stepping up and getting an HD display then it's time to get HD material.

there is a difference though in picture quality from a plasma to a projector on standard channels. plasmas will tend to look a little more grainy or pixelly by nature than an LCD/projector