Large screen, small price - recommendations?

Zascar

I want to get a bigger tv - only on 32" right now, would like a 42" or possibly 46" - but I really want to keep the cost low. Without buying a total heap of junk, how cheap can I get a half decent 42"/46"?

Any suggestions of where to look? I would even consider used but on adverts tv's seem expensive considering they are used and things move so fast and get cheaper.

There are some plasmas around for small money - but is it a bad idea to get one of these? What's the best value for money and size?

There are some plasmas around for small money - but is it a bad idea to get one of these? What's the best value for money and size?

I would say it depends. You should research Plasma vs LCD before you buy because there are some scenarios where I would not buy a Plasma. They're not suited to daytime use so much, and I wouldn't buy one if it was going to be on all day long (eg kids using it).

The main downside of budget Plasmas is they have a low resolution.

However they excel in other areas like motion, black level, picture warmth etc. This article compares a budget Plasma to a 4K resolution LCD costing several times more and he feels the Plasma looks better despite the obvious resolution difference. It shows that resolution is not the only PQ factor but unfortunately most people don't understand that.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57599449-221/budget-tv-resolution-rumble-720p-plasma-vs-4k-led-lcd/?ttag=fbwp

You can clearly see that the LCD has poor black level and the picture is washed out on the sides/corners.

Zascar

Thanks for that. I would say that my requirements are so basic I'm really not that bothered about things like motion, black level etc. It will be mostly evening use and is never on for long. As long as its half decent with a big screen I'll be happy. Seems like it might be best value for money for me to pick up a cheap 2nd hand one. I'm still amazed at the 2nd hand values some people try to get - almost as much as a new one, and theirs could be 3 years old!

Tea 1000

Here's a link to a round up of the top 5 best value TV's. Page 4 shows a 50" LG Plasma, full HD, for £449, which to be fair, I wouldn't bother with a second hand anything ahead of that.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/best-value-tvs_round-up_Page-4
It's probably hard to beat that in terms of bang for your buck.
The biggest drawback with that TV is that the pictures aren't overly bright, which means drawing your curtains on a bright summer evening in order to see better, and input lag is a bit high, which only keen gamers really notice!

Zascar

Thanks for that. Interesting stuff, that's a lot of bang for your buck!