LED or LCD

[sasywtch]

LED or LCD? I am technology challenged. My wide screen that is 10 years old in the living room just popped and the picture went out.
It was getting dark so no surprise I guess. I am going to buy a flat screen but have no idea what to order. Bad brand you are aware of? Good brand?

I belong to a club for $5 a month through my union where you can shop online and they divide the payments up over either a year or two and they take it directly out of my check so may do that. Free shipping, no interest (well, except for the 5 they take out every month to belong LOL). Their prices are pretty competitive and since cash is low due to Christmas, thought I'd go this route. Wierd not having noise going in my living room. (no family room). I got my laptop that way and it's been good (knock on wood).

 

[plutotek]

Samsung has been a very reliable brand for us, and I understand LG is also pretty good. I would stay away from Vizio and RCA.

 

[JediBonas]

It really depends what you're using it for. Either is fine for regular tv watching. If you're a gamer or watch a lot of dark shows/movies, plasma produces better blacks.

 

[lsyorke]

I love my LG! had it for 4 years now(47inch) with not one complaint.

 

[Patch'sD]

LED is the most popular now, Plasma uses a lot of energy. I think more than an old CRT TV.

 

[Albort]

LCD run a lot hotter too than LED. I had an LCD TV in my room and my room would be like 10 degrees warmer than outside... now i have an LED and it cooler inside now...

 

[DebbieB]

I love my Sony 55" LED, had it about a year. I also have a Sony 40" LED in my bedroom.

 

[dnoyes]

Do you use Netflix? If so get a smart TV.

I have a Sony 60 LED and love it.

 

[tvguy]

Samsung has been a very reliable brand for us, and I understand LG is also pretty good. I would stay away from Vizio and RCA.

Brand really doesn't mean anything anymore. Generally speaking these days, all the TV's of a certain size are made by the same company, no matter the brand name on the front. Vizio is one of the biggest makers of flat screen TV's, not matter what the brand name is on the front.

 

[SandrA9810]

LED is the most popular now, Plasma uses a lot of energy. I think more than an old CRT TV.

Plasmas are right on par with other flat screens out there. In fact it is more energy efficent and produces less heat than the LCD it replaced that was maybe 5 years old at the time. Plus the plasma is 10" bigger.

Plasmas are awesome and have way better specs than any led or lcd on the market.

 

[DVC-Don]

I have a 42" Panasonic plasma that's 8 years old and still plugging along at the NY house and here in Florida a 50" Samsung for the past 3 years. Both are very sharp pictures.

 

[JediBonas]

I have a Samsung plasma, picture is much better then on our Vizio LED. For regular tv viewing its not much of a difference, but as I said before dark movies and games are much better on the plasma.

 

[nd5056]

LCD run a lot hotter too than LED...

Yup!
For this reason alone I'd get LED. And Plasma TV does produce way better blacks. But try not to fall asleep while watching a DVD movie - You'll end up with a burn mark on the screen. Also if I remember correctly Panasonic, the #1 Plasma TV maker just announced they'll stop making them.

But new one are rolling out that makes 1080p look like a CTR TV...

.

 

[tasha99]

Plasmas don't have the huge burn in issue anymore, and mine doesn't seem to use too much electricity. Darks look great and no motion blur. A downside is glare during the day. We have a 60" Samsung plasma in the living room and a 42 inch LG LED in my bedroom. Both work fine for their purpose (gaming never tested on the LED).

Brand really doesn't mean anything anymore. Generally speaking these days, all the TV's of a certain size are made by the same company, no matter the brand name on the front. Vizio is one of the biggest makers of flat screen TV's, not matter what the brand name is on the front.

From what I've read, brand does matter. Even if the panels are only made by a few producers, the brand company sets the specs. And the processor and other components vary by brand and make a big difference in a TV's performance.

 

[Shutterbug]

PC Mag just had an article about this:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387377,00.asp

This doesn't mean it's more efficient than backlit LCD screens, though. On the contrary, plasma panels are much heavier than both CCFL- and LED-backlit LCDs, and consume much more power.

also

If you can spend $3,000 on an HDTV, a high-end plasma will offer the best picture you can get, but otherwise LED is your best option.

 

[Shutterbug]

As far as brand it does matter to a point.
Though, if you choose the bottom lowest priced model of any brand you will not get a very good tv. Those low end ones usually use cheapest parts available to get you to that low price point. Stay away from any brands low end tv's. I would always go with the midrange priced tv.

Also one more thing, when you get your tv make sure to calibrate it! Dont rely on the built in settings. Calibrating it will ensure you get the best video quality possible.

I suggest using Disneys World of Wonder calibration disk:
http://www.disneystore.com/special-interest-movies-entertainment-world-of-wonder-optimization-disc-blu-ray/mp/1313479/1013503/?CMP=KNC-DSSGoogle

 

[sasywtch]

Thank you all. I had completely forgotten about plasma.
Watching Chrstimas movies in the bedroom is not fun.

I had to go pay a bill at the mall and swung through Sears to check out the sizes. Tomorrow I will be shopping online. Thank you all so much!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have a Samsung plasma, picture is much better then on our Vizio LED. For regular tv viewing its not much of a difference, but as I said before dark movies and games are much better on the plasma.

Well that is a nice bit of information there.

I want a TV to use for gaming as well as viewing. Not to mention I watch a lot of shows that are "dark", aka, always seems to be night (science channel and supernatural stuff).

Thank you to the OP for this thread. We are in the market for a TV.

 

[eliza61]

From what I've read, brand does matter. Even if the panels are only made by a few producers, the brand company sets the specs. And the processor and other components vary by brand and make a big difference in a TV's performance.

uhmm, maybe.
First disclaimer: I have not followed the progress of smart tv's.

Most of the electronics come from 3 companies in china. They manufacture the "hard" components of all tv's. So whether or not you are buying Sony, LG or Vizio. the processors don't vary much. You will have varying specs but they vary not by brand but by "type" So for example it's a good bet that a 39 inch from samsung, LG, insignia and toshiba will have the exact components on them with the same specs.

What generally changes (and I am using the word generally. I know there are always exception) is hwere the components are then assembled and the bells and whistles.

As some one else said, I think the most important thing is what you are using the tv for.

I have a small vizio tv in my kitchen. absolutely fabulous. Had it for some time now, great color and sound. haven't had to so much as change the batteries in the remote. but all I do is watch tv on dvd's on here.

LOL, now back in the olden days when there were tons of component and electronic manufacturers you had true competition.

Most manufacturers will focus now or reliabilty and service, thing like that. Though the internet is awash with pro's and cons on just about any brand. Very interesting that some one said stay away from vizio, because I went to a tech confrence in vegas last summer and Vizio got huge kudos from the geeks and cnet gave it pretty decent reviews also.

 

[eliza61]

This is from the CNET review site.
I have a lot of electronic junkies in my house so this is sort of like their on line bible.
Neither they or I are "experts".

This is their 3 rules for buying a tv.

1. Picture quality is not determined by the published specs
As a rule of thumb, the main purpose of a TV's specification sheet is to bombard you with confusing numbers in an attempt to get you to "step up" and buy the more expensive version. Just about the only worthwhile numbers are found under Inputs and Weight/Dimensions. Contrast ratio is basically a lie, refresh rate (120Hz, 240Hz, 600Hz, etc.) is complex and ultimately subjective, seemingly related numbers like "CMR," "TruMotion," MotionFlow," SPS" and the rest are fake, viewing angles for LCD and LED-backlit LCD TVs are bunk, and LED does not mean a better picture (while we're at it, all HDMI cables are the same).

Rather than rely on the spec sheet to provide hints on which TV will perform better than another, our advice is to simply ignore it. The sheet can help when trying to differentiate a TV based on features, such as whether it has Smart TV or a fancy remote, but it's useless at best and outright misleading at worst when used as a tool for divining picture quality


http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-buying-guide/