Plasma, LCD, DLP TV's??? - HELP!!

[sncbird]

Hi Everyone,

We're getting our basement finished and we're in the market of a TV. DD wants a Plasma but I'm unsure about them. I don't think we can fit a big screen down the basement stairs. What other choices do we have? Does anyone know of any sites that give advice or recommedations? I'm pretty clueless about this . Thanks for all your help.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Get one of those plasma flat screens that you can hang on a wall, they're so cool.

 

[kimwim8]

we can't afford a plasma tv, but we are looking into the DLP tv's. They aren't projection, but they are lightweight. The 50" Samsung that we are looking into is only 50 - 60 pounds!

Good luck, there are so many options out there, and so many price ranges!

 

[RoyalCanadian]

...and check out some of the back issues of Consumer Reports magazine. Not only should you be concerned with the actual physical space for fitting the TV and getting it downstairs and paying for it -- but you should also be sure that you have enough room to watch the thing. TVs of various sizes have minimum optimal viewing distances -- that is to say, you can pay all the money in the world for a huge TV, but if you don't sit far enough from the screen the picture is still going to look awful.
The other problem with wall mount TVs is the fact that the mounting hardware can cost as much as a small TV itself. There are some excellent pictures available on traditional CRT TVs -- sometimes even better than the pics available on higher-end TVs.
My suggestion -- research, research, research.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by palmtreegirl
Get one of those plasma flat screens that you can hang on a wall, they're so cool.

my father is on his second and loves it!
the first one was 43"...too small ( ) so he returned it and bought a new one.

the new one is 57" and didn't fit on the wall (hahahah) he had to make the wall bigger!

the TV ROCKS! of course he had to buy all the cool stuff after we moved out of the house!

He spent a small fortune on it...but it's a GREAT tv!

 

[tandrjohn]

Plasma vs. DLP. I would seriously look at DLP. You won't able to hang it on the wall but they are very light (50-100 lbs). DLP's are bright, run cooler than plasma's, can do high-def (1080i or 720p), and will not suffer from burn-in like a plasma can. The price is also very competitive. You do have to replace the bulb every so many thousands of hours though.

I don't own a DLP but I work with 3 people who do - I own a 51" projection CRT, Hitachi 51SWX20P which I'm very happy with.

Good luck!

 

[Micca]

I am only a wannabe owner of a hi def tv, but I have been researching this topic for some time now. Those DLP units look good, and in about the same price range you can get a rear projection LCD that I think looks stunning. Like the DLP, they aren't exactly "flat screen" but neither are they those big hulking beasts that won't fit down your steps. Please check out the Sony and the Hitachi models of the LCDs. Samsung seems to rule the DLP format. In my city you'd find the best selection at Circuit City.
Best Buy and Sears have them too.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I have an HDTV and love it. I would love to have one of those that hangs on the wall though, those are cool.

 

[sncbird]

Thanks everyone for the replies!! You've given us alot to think about!! Can anyone tell me the main differences between the plasma and LCD TV's? I learn that the DLP is a projector which is a cool idea too. Any other advice/suggestions would be greatly welcomed!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsformats/displays_LCD_DLP_plasma1.html

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html

Plasma looks nice, has its problems

 

[preshi]

Originally posted by kimwim8
we can't afford a plasma tv, but we are looking into the DLP tv's. They aren't projection, but they are lightweight. The 50" Samsung that we are looking into is only 50 - 60 pounds!

Good luck, there are so many options out there, and so many price ranges!

Thats the TV we have. We adore it, crystal clear and nice to look at

 

[tandrjohn]

Check out this section of cnet.com relating to tv's:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Home_video/2001-6463_7-0.html?tag=cnetfd.glnav

You can click on the LCD/Plasma section on the left under tv's and get some really good reviews on different models or just check out the site for general information.

I use cnet all the time for research and electronic device reviews. IMO, they are one of the best.

 

[sncbird]

Thanks for the Web-Sites!! We went out to ABT (an awesome electronics store here in the Chicagoland area) and compared the LCD to the Plasmas. The plasmas do seem to have a little better of picture quality to them. Now we're trying to determine whether to get one that's ED or HD-ready quality. We're mainly going to use it to watch DVD's and I"m sure some sporting events so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $$$ to get the HD-ready. Does the difference in the pixels make that much of a difference?

Thanks again everyone for the great suggestions and advice!! It's really helping alot!!

 

[Leota]

We have a Sony LCD. Great Picture, not as fragile as the plasma.
I highly recommend it....

 

[tandrjohn]

Originally posted by sncbird
Thanks for the Web-Sites!! We went out to ABT (an awesome electronics store here in the Chicagoland area) and compared the LCD to the Plasmas. The plasmas do seem to have a little better of picture quality to them. Now we're trying to determine whether to get one that's ED or HD-ready quality. We're mainly going to use it to watch DVD's and I"m sure some sporting events so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $$$ to get the HD-ready. Does the difference in the pixels make that much of a difference?

Thanks again everyone for the great suggestions and advice!! It's really helping alot!!

If you have absolutely no plans to hook up a 780p or 1080i (hi-def) signal to it, the ED will suite your purpose, plus you will save some cash. If you have any intention of getting hi-def via cable, over-the-air, or satellite within the next few years, spend the money and buy a hd-ready plasma, LCD, DLP, or CRT.
Let us know what you end up getting! Good luck and congratulations!

 

[disneyfuntime]

A month ago we purchased a Sharp LCD 37"it fits in our tv amoire, we love it looked at the plasmas but decided on the LCD we were able to buy stores floor model at a discounted price for 3499.00, we thought a great price. Picture is good LC37HV4U is the model number.

 

[Dan Murphy]

This may be of some interest............

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445121/

 

[Micca]

I'm still following this thread I would definitely get HD ready and not ED. There might not be much hi def programming you want to watch now, the the wave has just begun and there will surely be shows you would want to enjoy in hi def in the not too distant future. I think getting in to HDTV is going to be like the conversion of cassettes to cd. Once you get used to HD, you won't want to settle for less.

 

[ToyStory Fan]

I currently have an HDTV (TOshiba), but due to the size constraints of my entertainment center I could only get a CRT (which will have the best picture quality - but at the sacrifice of size and weight)

The plasmas (pixels) will deteriorate faster than LCD, and the LCD has issues with it's grayscale/black level for color reproduction (not that big a deal though).

The DLP's are a very good "in-between" solution, you can get great pic quality with a smaller than CRT foot print and not nearly as expensive as the plasmas and LCD's.

Someone mentioned a floor sample that they purchased - it is advisable to NEVER purchase a floor sample TV because of the amount of time the TV is left on - think about how long you watch TV and subsequently how long the picture tube or projector or pixels (whatever the case) will last - I'd say on average about 3-4 hours per day. Now picture a floor model TV, that's turned on 8-12 hours per day - you just cut the life expectancy of that TV in half or worse.

One other thing to look for is the flexibility of the Remote Control (learning remoes are always best - learning is different than universal in that universal can do 80-90% of the functions of ALL other remotes, learning remotes should be able to learn 100% of all functions of all of your remotes)

Finally, make sure the TV is equipped with enough inputs for your needs - any gaming consoles, home theater setups etc. Component Video is best for pic quality and you should have at least 2 inputs, S-Video is next and then composite. DVI is nice, but no standard has been reached yet, so it may just be hype.

Good Luck!

 

[pw2pp]

We LOVE our Panasonic LCD. The colors are so brilliant and the picture is crystal-clear (especially on the High-Definition channels - you feel like you are inside the TV)