plasma or led lit lcd...have a bestbuy credit time to upgrade.

[PHANofPHUNK]

Well, best buy has come through once again. Had a problem with my current Samsung rwhich required a new panel. The panel is no longer available so I get a. $540 credit.


Figure ill add another 3-4 hundred. What should I avoid, besides 720 and 60hz? And any manufactures to steer clear of?

 

[TheWarrior]

I don't think Panasonic has released their new ST34 plasmas yet, but I can vouch for the ST30 I just got, its boootiful and cost $800. In that price range, try to stick plasma though as long as you don't need to worry about the sun glaring back at you from glass screen.

 

[3db]

Stay away from LG from what I'm gathering. A few member here have been reporting problems with LG or displays using LG components biting the dust.

 

[j_garcia]

Yes, the midrange LG TVs seem to be pretty poor quality wise. Samsung still makes the best LCD panels which Sony also uses, so if it were me I'd stick with Samsung. I've also had good luck with Sharp, but they don't look quite as good as the Samsungs. The edge-lit LEDs do have nice blacks, but you can also see the edge lighting when they first turn on and during some mixed dark-light scenes.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I don't think Panasonic has released their new ST34 plasmas yet, but I can vouch for the ST30 I just got, its boootiful and cost $800. In that price range, try to stick plasma though as long as you don't need to worry about the sun glaring back at you from glass screen.

Panasonic Plasmas:
2011 TC-PxxST30
2012 - TC-PxxST50
Differences here:
Technologies for Plasma Panel | 2012 North America | VIERA | Plasma&LCD TV | Panasonic Global

ST50 has been released very recently. Currently retails at full MSRP prices:
Amazon.com: Panasonic VIERA TC-P55ST50 55-Inch 1080p Full HD 3D Plasma TV: Electronics


p.s: My LG just died after less than 6 years - No way in Hell I'm going back there...

ST Model range offer the optimal point for me - No THX cert, not too much calibrations, but still great picture essentially same as in GT series. 2012 VT has upgraded to completely new Panel.

 

[PHANofPHUNK]

Thank you guys so much for the input, I never liked LG, dienyx, insignia. I like that Sharp has the kuro rights now. I think Samsung is the front runner.

Is there a led back lit lcd yet?

 

[j_garcia]

Yes, LED backlit LCDs have been around for a few years. If you are talking about the type with a full panel of LED behind the LCD panel, those are much more expensive and are about as thick as a standard LCD but are considered the best LCD picture quality also, where edge lit panels are the ones that are super thin.

Edge-Lit LED - What Is Edge-Lit LED

 

[PHANofPHUNK]

so, the bottom line is Plasma is still the best picture?

thanks for the links BoredSysAdmin, they were helpful. I like the LEDs that they offer. also, thanks to TheWarrior for posting the Panny info. and pointing me in that direction.

 

[FirstReflection]

In general, the best flat panel TVs are still the Panasonic Plasmas. The ST30 or ST50 models are certainly a very good value in terms of price for the size and the picture quality (which is excellent).

However, plasma TVs do not look their best if you have "normal" to bright room lighting or if you have sunlight coming into your room while you are watching. Don't get me wrong, it's not as though Panasonic's plasmas suddenly look "bad" under normal or brighter room lighting. But they only look their BEST under dim or dark conditions. With light in the room - especially bright lighting or sunlight - those lovely, deep blacks turn a bit grey. It gets harder to see shadow detail. And Panny's plasmas still aren't super bright, so they can look a bit dull if the room lighting is bright.

For a bright or sunlit room, I prefer an LCD - but only a specific kind! I only like LCDs that use Full Array LED backlighting. And I only like LCDs that have a matte screen!

The selection of such LCDs is VERY limited. Almost all LCDs these days have very glossy screens. To me, a glossy screen renders any display unwatchable - especially under bright lighting. I HATE seeing reflections in the screen, so I find a glossy screen to be a total deal breaker. Unfortunately, that disqualifies almost all current LCD TVs!

Edge LED lighting is also terrible looking. The backlighting is never even and they look absolutely horrible from any angle other than straight on.

Regular CCFL backlights also suffer from being uneven. I can always spot "clouding" in the backlight or corners that are brighter than the center of the screen.

So only Full Array LED backlighting will do, IMO. Most Full Array LED backlights also have local dimming, which gives super deep black levels, but also adds "blooming", which is a "halo"-type look that shows up around small, bright objects on a dark background (like white text or symbols on a black background, for example. You get a halo of light around the text with local-dimming displays.)

Only a very few Full Array LED backlit TVs do not have local-dimming.

So honestly, the only LCDs that I like right now are Sharp's LC-70LE7xxU series, which is discontinued now and being replaced with models that are WORSE, IMO. Being that they only come in the 70" size and are around $2000 and up depending on the specific model, we're basically back to Panny plasmas as being the only decent choice these days

 

[j_garcia]

Matte screen does not need to be a requirement. My Samsung has a shiny screen, which I didn't want, but it has an antireflective coating like eye glasses and it works very well to keep glare to a minimum. Good edge-lit sets have less issues with uniformity, but there will be times where the edge lighting will be noticeable.

Mine is a UN55D7000.

 

[FirstReflection]

I'll fully admit that I seem to hate glossy screens a lot more than most other people. Obviously, tons of glossy LCDs get sold and people are happy with them, so I can only assume it doesn't bother most folks nearly as much as me.

It isn't the glare. Like j says, the often have anti-glare coatings, just as the glass-screened plasmas do. No, for me, the problem is the reflections. If I'm sitting right in front of a glossy screen and there's any sort of dark image or a dark portion of an image on screen, I can plainly see my own reflection and a reflection of the room around me where ever the image on screen is black or a dark color! I just hate that. I want to see the black image, not my own ugly mug looking back at me!

If you can't picture what I'm talking about, just turn any glossy LCD off and look at the blank, black screen. It's basically a mirror, right? Well that doesn't change when you turn it on. Any black or dark portion of the screen still acts like a mirror. I find that totally unacceptable. Obviously, other people don't. But to me, if the only way to avoid a mirror-like reflection is to be in a pitch black room while wearing all black clothing and black face paint, I'm going to use a front projector or a plasma, since they're still better than an LCD anyway!

To me, an LCD is for a normal to brightly lit or sunlit room where a front projector is a no go and a plasma will wash out a bit and not look its best. So with plenty of light in the room, I want a matte screen that won't ever act like a mirror combined with the bright and even illumination that is best provided by a Full-Array LED backlight.

YMMV

 

[j_garcia]

My Sharp is matte and I like it, same goes for computer monitors - gloss is not a good choice. I have one laptop that is matte and one that is gloss, and the gloss one bugs the heck out of me. Wasn't crazy about having a shiny screen for the new one, but it had many other features that I did want. I know what you're talking about though, because if it isn't darker out, anything that has any kind of lighting shows up on the screen. Used to have the same problem with CRT displays before too.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Keeping in mind you are going to Best Buy, so we can't really use Amazon as the baseline for your pricing, it comes down to a few items which I think matter and haven't been asked...

What distance are you sitting from the TV and what size did you have before? Is there a certain size expectation you have for your TV? At about 12' I think anything UNDER a 60" size (or so) is to small with the level of detail we are getting in today's HD content.

Assuming you have a $1,000 budget, there isn't much in the larger sizes available, and you are still really in the lower level displays.

Yes, there is this 58" Samsung plasma from Best Buy which should catch your eye:
Samsung - Refurbished 58" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz / HDTV - PN58C550

But, realistically, you should expect to be in the 50" size range for a Plasma and about the 40" size range for a LCD display.

Samsung has this, which I would research more:
Samsung - 46" Class / 1080p / 120Hz / LCD HDTV - LN46D630

and this:
Panasonic - VIERA 50" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz / 3D / HDTV - TC-P50UT50

Of those, if my budget was tight at $1,000 or less, then I would be thinking hard between the Samsung 58" model and the Panny 50" model.

But, if I could swing $1,300, then I would go with this:
Panasonic - 60" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz / HDTV - TC-P60S30

Another nice option in the sub $1,000 price area:
Samsung - 51" Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz / 3D / HDTV - PN51D6500DF

The reliability leader on the market is going to be Panasonic and their plasmas are excellent. The Samsung plasmas can look better, for less money, but may not be as reliable long term, which could be an issue.

Samsung also can have some relatively lousy products at their lower end which concerns me, while Panasonic tends to not have this issue.

If it were me, and I was sitting 10' or more, I would come up with the extra $300 and get the 60" Panasonic and be very happy for a long time.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

btw: Just ordered my new TC-P55ST30 from Electronic Expo with 4% off, no tax (outside NJ) apply 4% off coupon - spring4.
Total price : $1082 - the price includes an a shipping service equal to what most places call a white glove - includes delivery into apt (high floor ok, but must have elevator) and call to schedule a 4h delivery window

Panasonic TC-P55ST30

Tigerprice is a bit lower ($80 difference), but they this price is curbside delivery and bad vendor reputation

ST has infinite black 2 panels, same as GT series, but less calibration options. S and UT ranges panels are slightly worse

 

[PHANofPHUNK]

big thanks to bmxtrix, and everyone at that. this info is more helpful then you can imagine.

and fyi i will be about 12 feet from the tv, and would really like to come in around $900.


THANKS AGAIN!!

michael

 

[PHANofPHUNK]

Is "burn-in" Still an issue with plasma?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Burn-in is an issue if you plan to leave one static image on your screen for 24 hours straight. I have had plasmas for years, and have played hours of games without an issue. It basically requires you to be neglectful to harm your display.

CAN you cause burn-in?

Yes.

Are you likely to with a typical mix of HDTV, movies, and gaming?

No, it is extremely difficult to run into issues with normal use and just a small bit of common sense.

 

[PHANofPHUNK]

that's good to hear. i don't game so that wont be an issue. Im still leaning towards that Panasonic st30.

 

[jbrillo]

I've got a Panasonic TC P60GT30 & love it. It's my first plasma & I have to say it's very impressive. It replaced a Samsung LED DLP thank croaked after just 4-1/2 years of use. I have had good luck with LG's. I have an old 60Hz LG 1080p LCD that still works after 5-years & looks decent. I recently bought an 50" LG PV4500 720p plasma for my kids gameroom & it's looks great, especially considering it was just $619! I've had good luck with LG, but that's just me. I think the Panny should definitely make the list of TV's to consider.

 

[afterlife2]

Didn't want to make another thread. There is a Panasonic Viera Plasma 3D-HDTV TC-P50UT50 on Craigslist for $700, but with a possibility of getting it for $600. He bought it in March, so it's still in warranty. He also has the receipt. He said he Is going bigger, so that's the reason for the sale. Any thoughts? I love my Vizio, but would love a Pana. Your honest thoughts please.