OT: Plasma vs LCD

[Susan]

I am the proud owner of a teeny tiny tellie. I'm also very aware of how inflated prices are on the heels of new technology and that it only takes a few years for those prices to cut, so I can hold out. Now I don't know much about HDTV, but I have noticed what seems to be a growing battle between Plasma and LCD.

I have been trying to research the pro's and con's of each one to determine which is the better buy. And at this point, early in the game I would say, it could go either way depending on what you want. LCD's clearly have the longevity which is hugely attractive to me (not to mention when they do go out it's just a matter of replacing a bulb as where a plasma uses an internal fan because of heating issues) w/o the burn in factor, and Plasma offers the bigger size at better angles. But LCD's are getting bigger, and from what I have been seeing in stores...better. While plasma boasts it can handle color saturation better in fast moving play vs LCD (which may be true), I don't think it will be long before LCD's catch up. In fact overall when I compare the looks of them in stores, Plasma's never seem to live up to the hype..some of them look downright crappy on display. I could boil down to how the stores have them hooked up and what they are playing. I guess I'll have enough time to see how things pan out, but it makes me think of beta vs vhs..lol. Will both co-exist in the future or will one dominate the market?

What I'm curious about is if anyone here owns a plasma or lcd and what your opinions are on it...how it views regular tv and movies with various lighting and angles. It's hard to trust what I see in stores. At this point the prices are just too high for me (i would hate to be the ass who shells out $4500 where in 3 years is offered at larger sizes for cheaper prices) That's fine for someone else to do but I'm a single girl here just trying to get by. ;-)  But it's SO tempting when I pass by a really vivid tv. I like that they each offer a light size and sleek design, easy to move and handle (vs those MONSTER tv's..hell I can barely lift my own and it's a dwarf). I just wonder in 10 years, what the clear choice will be. I have a feeling that only one will prevail.



Post Edited (12-07-03 18:22)

[Velvet Brotha]

I personally believe that plasma is much better than LCD for several reasons.
For one, LCD is incapable of what is known as "infinite resolution." Plasma screens use a special gas to project the image. Where as LCDs rely heavily on a dot matrix. LCDs are more affordable due to their somewhat obsolete technology.

America is well known for selling us useless crap that Japan deems "old technology." I strongly urge anyone to buy their technology from the source upon it's creation....Japan!

Sorry.. went of on a little tangent. I'm just sick of always getting Japan's left overs.

[Susan]

It seems that from various articles i've read that there seems to be an anticipation of LCD's becoming a threat. There are even msg boards where people are arguing it out. Here's an exerpt from cnet:

Plasma
Upside: As little as three inches thick; potential for very large screen size; wide viewing angle; often computer-display capable.
Downside: Expensive; only average black level; potential for burn-in.
Forecast: Prices have fallen a bit and pictures have improved dramatically, but don't expect to see affordable plasmas for a few years to come.


LCD
Upside: As little as two inches thick; very bright picture; no danger of burn-in; long product life span.
Downside: Expensive; screen sizes are relatively small; below-average black level.
Forecast: Prices on this technology should fall precipitously over the next couple of years, following the computer LCD trend. We think that big-screen LCDs will soon threaten plasmas.


Plasma's have various problems. Burn in can happen when something like a logo or ticker is on the screen for a period of time (usually 15 minutes). Their lifespan is about 30 thousand hours vs. the LCD's 50 thousand (with simple replacement of bulb). They run hotter and on average are heavier and require more voltage. LCD is also at advantage with computer use and better resolution. But LCD's are smaller and pricey, not as wide of a viewing angle - that will change.

I find it really interesting, it's going to be a clear division between Plasma and LCD lovers debating over which is the best. (like chevy vs. ford or vhs vs. beta) Right now it's hard to forecast, to me LCD seems like the future.



Post Edited (12-07-03 20:07)

[Ash]

"I tell ya we shoulda bought a Zenith!"

(Mr. Putterman in Gremlins)

[The Burgomaster]

The other problem with plasma is that it is very delicate.  If you tilt or jostle the screen too much, the gas pockets may shift.  There is no way to repair this.  You would need to replace the screen if the gas pockets shifted.

[raj]

I've seen both in stores, and noticed that they tend to "stretch" the picture.  In other words people (for example) are taller and thinner.  Is this because the tv is trying to fit a plain old regular picture into a (16 x 9, 4 x 3?) aspect ratio?

Until that problem is cleared up, I'm not touching a plasma or LCD (not that my wallet would let me anyhow).

[StatCat]

Think I'll stick to my nice big bulky flat screen tv and forget those 2 existed- way too expensive...

[Ash]

I found a really good article on plasma tv's at www.howstuffworks.com

Check it out here:  
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/plasma-display.htm