Advice needed on LCD/PLASMA TV

dave_29

Hi, is there a FAQ on the above mentioned, eg:
Sound, Pixelation, Resolution, HDMI sockets...

As i'm getting confused on various models as LG v Samsung is supposed to better for sound LCD V PLASMA-for sport.

My brother got a Samsung 32" for nearly a grand a couple of years ago but is almost 1/2 that price now.

Some help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

cnocbui

Plasma is better for everything, cheaper too - generally.

The Ritz

There is a thread on the forum asking peoples views on LCD vs Plasma - it wouldn't be practical to have a FAQ covering the kind of issues you mention - models change (and usually improve) regularly so it would be out of date as soon as it was written, assuming that any degree of consensus could be reached.

Of the issues you mention -

Sound - as far as the sound from the sourece (TV, DVD etc) is concerned, whether a screen is LCD or Plasma has no effect on its sound. Some TVs are cooled by convection, some have fans, I have rarely come across complaints about the ambient noise from a flat screen tv (other than if someone sits in a completely silent room and turns the audio down completely and tries to hear the sound from the tv). If the noise from the tv is intrusive to the extent that it can be heard over the sound of the tv at normal listening levels, then its likely to be faulty and should be replaced, imo.


Pixellation, Resolution - this is a function of the resolution of the TV, has nothing to do with Plasma vs. LCD - if a screen is full HD, then it will have 1920x1080 pixels in either technology, so I'm not really sure what your question is here.

HDMI Sockets - this is down to which model of tv you buy, LCD or Plasma TVs don't have pre-decided less or more HDMI sockets. Some have three, some four. I think it unlikely that someone would consider all other aspects of two TVs performance to be sufficiently identical that the number of HDMI sockets would be the deciding factor.

Generally speaking, Plasma screens have had the edge over LCD for colour accuracy and general picture performance (especially black performance). Plasma screens also have a practically zero refresh rate, which makes them more suitable for watching sports, as there is less "smearing" of the image in fast motion, compared with LCD.

It might also be worth considering that Plasma screens probably consume more electricity than most LCDS, but you should check the specifications of the models of tv you are considering if this is an issue which is significant for you.

The advent of the most recent LCD screens, particularly those backlit by LED and at the top most manufacturer's range have challenged this situation very strongly and I'm not sure whether a "plasma is better" rule of thumb continues to be valid. I bought a 42" Plasma about a year ago and have no regrets whatsoever - it had a superior picture to any LCD screen I considered at the time. I haven't actively gone looking at the newer generation of LCD screens (and it's impossible to compare your recollection of your screen in a home environment with a mosaic of 10 or 20 screens in a showroom in any event) but would be surprised if there hadn't been a distinct improvement in LCD performance, particularly at the upper end of the model ranges in the intervening 12 months.

I'd suggest that you have a look at this review site http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/ , it is does pretty comprehensive tests - if you don;t find the exact model you are looking for, you might find something very similar and it would give you a good idea of what to consider.


Ritz.

ynam

For the same size, plasma is better than some of the best LCD TVs right now. For having a response time of 0.01ms, it is best suited for fast action scenes like sports and gaming. And besides, you can save a lot of money since plasma is much cheaper than lcd tvs.