Why are LCD TVs so much more expensive than DLP?

[Charade]

The problems with high def right now is the SD and HD formats. My FMIL got a 32 inch LCD (cheapo from Costco). HD over cable (no box required if your TV has a ASTC/QAM tuner) looks good but... We were watching the local news and even though the studio shots were in HD, the field reports (and other feeds they contract or whatever) are mostly not. So it looks like crap compared to the HD content.

The other problem is watching SD on an HD set. Most sets will let you watch SD in normal mode (squarish picture with black bars on the sides), SD in wide mode which stretches the picture sideways to fill the screen which makes skinny people look fat UNLESS your TV stretches just the far left and right thirds of the screen and not the middle third. SD in zoom mode where it zooms (but does not stretch) the image to fill the screen. You will have cut off heads and such on the top and bottom of the screen.

Lastly watching SD on and HD set (especially LCD and plasma) is that most of the time it looks like crap. Worse than watching SD on an SD set. A lot of that depends (unless it's old fashioned analog cable) on the system delivering the digital content (like DISH or COMCAST). To squeeze as many channels possible on their delivery system they compress the crap out of some channels. Which of course, looks like crap. Blotchy colors, blocking in the dark areas, faces that seems to be detached from the head when they move a little. Stuff like that.

DVDs with a good player (use the BEST connection it has!) will look great.

It will still be MANY (and then probably some even after that) years when SD is gone and it's only HD.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

The problems with high def right now is the SD and HD formats. My FMIL got a 32 inch LCD (cheapo from Costco). HD over cable (no box required if your TV has a ASTC/QAM tuner) looks good but... We were watching the local news and even though the studio shots were in HD, the field reports (and other feeds they contract or whatever) are mostly not. So it looks like crap compared to the HD content.

The other problem is watching SD on an HD set. Most sets will let you watch SD in normal mode (squarish picture with black bars on the sides), SD in wide mode which stretches the picture sideways to fill the screen which makes skinny people look fat UNLESS your TV stretches just the far left and right thirds of the screen and not the middle third. SD in zoom mode where it zooms (but does not stretch) the image to fill the screen. You will have cut off heads and such on the top and bottom of the screen.

Lastly watching SD on and HD set (especially LCD and plasma) is that most of the time it looks like crap. Worse than watching SD on an SD set. A lot of that depends (unless it's old fashioned analog cable) on the system delivering the digital content (like DISH or COMCAST). To squeeze as many channels possible on their delivery system they compress the crap out of some channels. Which of course, looks like crap. Blotchy colors, blocking in the dark areas, faces that seems to be detached from the head when they move a little. Stuff like that.

DVDs with a good player (use the BEST connection it has!) will look great.

It will still be MANY (and then probably some even after that) years when SD is gone and it's only HD.

I tried to follow that, but all I can say is, Dishnetwork just left, and my HD channels looks awesome!

Luckily our locals broadcast in HD, so I have regular network channels, along with most of my favorite premium channels.

In regular format, the LCD doesn't look any worse up close, than our big screen did.

 

[Taylor]

I tried to follow that, but all I can say is, Dishnetwork just left, and my HD channels looks awesome!

So what time is your Superbowl party? Will we have chairs to sit on? Can I bring the dog? What snacks will you serve? Will the beer be cold?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

So what time is your Superbowl party? Will we have chairs to sit on? Can I bring the dog? What snacks will you serve? Will the beer be cold?

1) Superbowl? Is that the game with the orange round ball, that's thrown into a hoop?

2) Sorry - no chairs, but we've found that if we stand close enough together, we can all stand in front of the TV and it's at eye level. Not bad!

3) Finger sandwiches and tea.

4) Forget beer. I drink wine. It's all about me.

 

[Taylor]

1) Superbowl? Is that the game with the orange round ball, that's thrown into a hoop?

2) Sorry - no chairs, but we've found that if we stand close enough together, we can all stand in front of the TV and it's at eye level. Not bad!

3) Finger sandwiches and tea.

4) Forget beer. I drink wine. It's all about me.

But can I bring the dog?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

But can I bring the dog?

How rude of me.

As long as HE doesn't eat me, HE can stay.

 

[Taylor]

How rude of me.

As long as she doesn't eat me, she can stay.

She??? You call Brutus a SHE??? I haven't been this mad since I broke my favorite hammer.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

She??? You call Brutus a SHE??? I haven't been this mad since I broke my favorite hammer.

It's that 5 lbs he recently lost!

He! I meant, he! I got confused. Sorry Brutus!

 

[Taylor]

It's that 5 lbs he recently lost!

He! I meant, he! I got confused. Sorry Brutus!

Brutus won't forgive you until you edit your post.

 

[Jeanny]

OK, John~ I'm wicked confused now!!!! What is SD? there are too many capital letters to comprehend the difference between DLP, SD, HD, PLS, PMS, ABC, CVS,

 

[Taylor]

How rude of me.

As long as HE doesn't eat me, HE can stay.

All is forgiven.

 

[mill4023]

OK, John~ I'm wicked confused now!!!! What is SD? there are too many capital letters to comprehend the difference between DLP, SD, HD, PLS, PMS, ABC, CVS,

SD = Standard Definition (regular old tv broadcasts)
HD = High Definition
DLP = Digital Light Processing (one of the newer HD tv technologies)

 

[MoniqueU]

I just wanted to say I had 2 DLP Tv's. The first one i had the bulb burn't out in under 3 months. Fine if I could of actually ordered a new bulb but they were backordered for a couple of months. Luckily I took the tv back to where I bought it costco for a ful refund. We found another DLP and just never like tjhee picture after looking at plasmas all the time. We took that one back and bought a 55 inch Plasma which we love. I will be getting a second plasma sometime this year that is how much I like them. I do have one small LCD tv in my sons room and it is really cute. But for the sizes of TVs I want the LCD's are just a bit more then I want to pay. I am fine with the plasmas and have had no burn in.

 

[bicker]

The problems folks had with unreliable DLP bulbs is a thing of the past. Generally, the bulbs last 2-3 years now, very reliably, and Samsung even warranties the bulb for 18 months. Replacement bulbs are now in plentiful supply, and affordable enough that we have a spare sitting right by our television, just waiting for its chance to shine.

DLP technology came into its own in 2006, with the new generation of DLP sets that were released in June. I would definitely take what MoniqueU said about DLP as it pertains to sets designed prior to the 2006 model year. (So, for Samsung, stick with HL-S series sets; stay away from HL-N, HL-P, HL-R.) The 2006 model year sets are considered by many to be as good if not better than LCD and plasma sets available.

The only down-side of DLP left is the depth of the set... they run about 18 inches in depth.

 

[mill4023]

The problems folks had with unreliable DLP bulbs is a thing of the past. Generally, the bulbs last 2-3 years now, very reliably, and Samsung even warranties the bulb for 18 months. Replacement bulbs are now in plentiful supply, and affordable enough that we have a spare sitting right by our television, just waiting for its chance to shine.

DLP technology came into its own in 2006, with the new generation of DLP sets that were released in June. I would definitely take what MoniqueU said about DLP as it pertains to sets designed prior to the 2006 model year. (So, for Samsung, stick with HL-S series sets; stay away from HL-N, HL-P, HL-R.) The 2006 model year sets are considered by many to be as good if not better than LCD and plasma sets available.

The only down-side of DLP left is the depth of the set... they run about 18 inches in depth.

The one other negative is that some people (myself included) cannot watch DLP sets because of the Rainbow Effect. The short explanation is that it's a visual effect that causes some people to see annoying flashes of color in scenes of high contrast. From what I've read, the majority of people aren't sensitive to this and aren't bothered by it at all. But this is the reason I cannot watch DLP sets.

And although bulb life isn't as big of a problem as it used to be, I'd still consider it a negative when compared to flat panel LCD's and Plasmas, because it's still an extra expense that will add up over the years. I don't know how much those replacement bulbs cost, but if you have to pay $150 every 2 years, after 10 years, that's an extra $750 that you wouldn't have spent with an LCD or Plasma.

 

[bicker]

When the LCD or plasma costs $1000 more, UPFRONT, that's a lot better than $750, paid in installments over 10 years.

 

[mill4023]

When the LCD or plasma costs $1000 more, UPFRONT, that's a lot better than $750, paid in installments over 10 years.

That's for each person to decide on their own, considering all the other pros and cons of each technology as well. I wasn't disagreeing with your praise for DLP's, just pointing out that bulb life and cost is still a negative factor when compared to some other technologies.
In fact, I tend to agree with you on the money for a couple of reasons. First, I probably won't be keeping my tv for 10 years. Second, I think the bulb prices will probably go down over time. Obviously I don't think the bulb issue is too big of a negative because we ended up going with an LCD rear projection tv (not flat panel), which has the same bulb issues as DLP's and takes up about as much space (about 18 inches deep).

For us, it wasn't worth paying $3000 for a plasma when we could get the same size LCD RP for $1500.

 

[bicker]

That's for each person to decide on their own, considering all the other pros and cons of each technology as well. I wasn't disagreeing with your praise for DLP's, just pointing out that bulb life and cost is still a negative factor when compared to some other technologies.

Understood, and I was only making a statement about the net-present-value of money: $750 paid in installments over ten years is indeed objectively (i.e., just based on financial principles) better than $1000 paid upfront. I'm sorry for the confusion.

In fact, I tend to agree with you on the money for a couple of reasons. First, I probably won't be keeping my tv for 10 years. Second, I think the bulb prices will probably go down over time.

This past year's models are the first, I believe, that folks can legitimate anticipate keeping that long. Nothing big is coming up on the horizon in terms of new formats or protocols. The HD-DVDs are 1080p, and there is no talk about higher resolutions down the road.

Bulb prices have gone down. I bought my spare at $250; it's now selling for $180.

For us, it wasn't worth paying $3000 for a plasma when we could get the same size LCD RP for $1500.

That's the calculations that I think most folks end up with. Projection, if you have the space and aren't hung up about having your television hang on the wall, is going to beat the flat-panel just about every time.