HDTVs - LCD vs. Plasma

[Shazam!]

What is the differences between LCDs and Plasma?

I just purchased a Zenith 42" Plasma HDTV for the ridiculous low price of $399 ($479 w/tax and extended warranty, for a total of 3 years, which I thought was a fantastic deal).

What are your experiences??

[MasterShake]

What is the differences between LCDs and Plasma?

I just purchased a Zenith 42" Plasma HDTV for the ridiculous low price of $399 ($479 w/tax and extended warranty, for a total of 3 years, which I thought was a fantastic deal).

What are your experiences??

Plasmas can produce a deeper black which is important for contrast ratio, but most people I know don't have a Plasma because they produce a "hum" at altitude. Whether it be LCD, Plasma, LED, or the new cell TVs the most important thing will always be contrast ratio and refresh rate if I recall correctly. I just bought my LCD Sharp Aquos about 3 years ago and the newer, cheaper HDTVs look a lot better already. You were smart to wait!

One thing I don't think I'll ever get is a 3-D TV though, the Blu Rays are around $40 and I'm just not that impressed with the tech yet.

The only major differences between LCD and Plasma is like I mentioned better black and contrast levels in the Plasma, and LCD are a bit more power efficient.

[SR]

There's already a thread or two about this on this message board. If you want to know the ins and outs, go to avsforums.com.

[SR]

The only major differences between LCD and Plasma is like I mentioned better black and contrast levels in the Plasma, and LCD are a bit more power efficient.

And pixels vs no pixels, and liquid crystal vs plasma (gas), etc. There are quite a few differences, but none of them make one "better" than the other. It's personal preference. I'm still rocking a three year old 52" Samsung DLP. I'm fine with it. Next TV will be LED.

[rcsodak]

Plasmas don't have the life length that led's do, iirc. Thus, cheaper.
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[Tned]

Plasmas don't have the life length that led's do, iirc. Thus, cheaper.
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The life has come up a lot in the last couple years. I think most plasmas now have a 40-50,000+ hour life (time to half brightness), which is in line or longer than most LCDs, including LED I believe. Basically, they all have very long life spans now.

Even though the current crop of plasmas have gotten more energy efficient, they still burn more electricity and throw off more heat than the LCD variants.

Also, one of the biggest differences is that plasma is MUCH more prone to image retention from still images, like tickers at the bottom news broadcasts, games, etc. Some plasmas are worse than others. Many people will claim that after 200-1000 of use, they become less likely to retain an image.

I have my first plasma TV (have only had DLPs in the past because they are the only technology with zero image retention/burn in, but they're just aren't many made anymore other than for front projectors.

[Shazam!]

Thanks for all the tips fellas.

I've read a few things about the newer Plasma sets -

1 - Life expectancy is much longer now, especially when you tweak the settings.
2- Burn in is not as succeptible and burned images are not permanent.
3 - Energy use has been greatly reduced.

These are compared to earlier old plasma models.

I think the picture looks awesome though...

We'll see I guess.

[Thnikkaman]

And pixels vs no pixels, and liquid crystal vs plasma (gas), etc. There are quite a few differences, but none of them make one "better" than the other. It's personal preference. I'm still rocking a three year old 52" Samsung DLP. I'm fine with it. Next TV will be LED.

It upsets me that DLP lost out in the TV tech wars. The way it works and how it gets rid of the screen door effect fascinated me. I'd love to get a DLP projector when I ever get a space big enough for a man cave.

[SR]

If I stay in South Dakota for a while, I'm going to finish the basement in my house. I'll have two more bedrooms, a bathroom, an enclosed laundry room, and PLENTY of room for a man cave.