Plasma vs LCD vs DLP

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h0mez

Limp Gawd
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Ok, I know this is probably not the right place to post a question like this but you guys are smart. :) I am convincing my folks to get a big screen tv for their family room so they can take advantage of the digital cable and all the DVDs my had has uh um purchased. Best Buy has 3 tvs for sale on black friday.

42" Westinghouse LCD HDTV $999.99
Toshiba 56" DLP Projection HDTV - $1199.99
Toshiba 50" Plasma TV $1699.99

They all are 720p, and have built-in tuners. Whats the best one to get, regardless of price. I was thinking the DLP because its bigger, and from what I understand will last longer which is somewhat important. Thanks for you input
 
I'm going to go ahead and throw my vote in for the 50" plasma.....a year or two ago that would have easily been $3K+. I'm biased for plasma because I did a lot of research before getting my 42" Panasonic and after calibration I haven't seen anything below $5k that can touch the picture quality and detailed black levels. Lcd's have come a long way in the past couple of years but they are still lacking when it comes to black level detail...DLP's are nice but I am sensitive to the "rainbow effect" and even though the newer models have supposedly eliminated this....I am passing on this technology altogether.
 
Plasma black levels are nice. I've heard plasmas have response time issues with gaming, though. Also, I don't believe they last as long as the other technologies.

LCD is definately last place.
 
If you arent going to wall mount it, I would go with the DLP. It will easily give you the best performance overall expecially wiht sports. Otherwise go with the LCD. I am also biased cause I work in the industry but the one thing plasma is not bad for is Home theatre use so it may work.
 
Plasma is trash.

DLP if you've got the room, LCD if you want to mount it or stick it on a small space.
 
For home theater and dvd's...plasma will give you the most natural "filmlike" picture quality of the 3 technologies you listed. I've been using mine forXbox/ Xbox 360 for almost a year now with no issues and it looks great....current gen plasma's are rated for 60,000+ hrs to half brightness. Do the math. ;)
 
Trash was an overstatement, and I apologize if it hurt anyones feelings (or wallets ;))

The last plasma I bought was in 2001 - lets just say the ESPN logo in the bottom corner of Hitch just wasn't doing it for me.

Yes, I know burn in isn't a problem anymore - it just left a nasty taste in my mouth.
 
taylorwilsdon said:
Trash was an overstatement, and I apologize if it hurt anyones feelings (or wallets ;))

The last plasma I bought was in 2001 - lets just say the ESPN logo in the bottom corner of Hitch just wasn't doing it for me.

Yes, I know burn in isn't a problem anymore - it just left a nasty taste in my mouth.
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Plasma will give you could TV and movie playback and it may have the same life span as LCD's now but burn in still can be an issue. Burn in is merely a matter of heat dissapation. The fact that the basis of plasma is heating phosphurs means that burn in will always be a possibility if the unit gets to hot and has a static image. For that is something I would nto want to risk.
 
Go for the DLP. You wont regret it.

Only problem with some DLPs (like mine) is that they aren't designed for computer connections. Even running 1280x720 through the HDMI, I get a little bit of overscan. Also, computer text isnt too sharp because the mirrors on the DLP are tilted at a 45 degree angle, so you cant get perfect sharpness, but the flipside is that there is NO screen door effect and it looks much more lifelike than a pixelated LCD or Plasma. It looks AWESOME on the 360 too. Gears of War is freaking amazing. I have a 52" Toshiba and the black levels are fantastic. Easily trumps most of the plasmas I've seen.

If you're gonna be gaming, dont get the plasma. You'll have burn in in no time.

Not to mention the DLP is MUCH larger than the other two monitors. I have had lots of people over to watch movies and none of them have complained of the color wheel effect. I have even tried to induce it but have never seen it on my TV.

I bet the DLP uses less power than the Plasma too.
 
Thanks for the response guys, I think the DLP is the better choice, its bigger and cheaper. Neither will be used for a computer nor games, and burn in won't be issue for ESPN stuff cause it will mostly used for movies.
 
taylorwilsdon said:
Trash was an overstatement, and I apologize if it hurt anyones feelings (or wallets ;))

The last plasma I bought was in 2001 - lets just say the ESPN logo in the bottom corner of Hitch just wasn't doing it for me.

Yes, I know burn in isn't a problem anymore - it just left a nasty taste in my mouth.
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LOL, that sucks!

I was really impressed by the Sony SXRD projections - which is just under $2000 for 50". But at that price, is the 56" Toshiba going to be very good? I've never been very impressed with Toshibas.

So yeah, I vote for DLP, but maybe not that particular one.
 
I would probably go with the DLP , I was recently looking at the latest consumer reports ratings and a Toshiba DLP (it was a 62" model) was rated higher in overall picture quality than any of the latest Plasma & LCD's that they had rated.
 
Make sure you're aware of the DLP "rainbow/artifact effect". Manufacturers say that they have all but eliminated them in the past years with faster color wheels. If you are highly suceptable to them, as I am, you will find that not to be the case.

A friend of mine a few houses down just bought a brand new (mfg jun 2006) Toshiba 56", and it is absolutely unwatchable for me. He's had many friends over and only heard complaints from me and another guy who seems to be cursed by the artifact effect.

I am by no means a "videophile", but if you are sensitive to this phenomenon, it will ruin you viewing experience. By all means, if you are planning to order this unseen from the internet, go down to your local Best Buy or Circuit City and see if you can demo the same model.

You may also want to factor in the price of replacement bulbs for a DLP system. Not sure the cost/frequency but it is something to take into consideration. Just my 2.
 
8tsixed said:
Make sure you're aware of the DLP "rainbow/artifact effect". Manufacturers say that they have all but eliminated them in the past years with faster color wheels. If you are highly suceptable to them, as I am, you will find that not to be the case.

A friend of mine a few houses down just bought a brand new (mfg jun 2006) Toshiba 56", and it is absolutely unwatchable for me. He's had many friends over and only heard complaints from me and another guy who seems to be cursed by the artifact effect.

I am by no means a "videophile", but if you are sensitive to this phenomenon, it will ruin you viewing experience. By all means, if you are planning to order this unseen from the internet, go down to your local Best Buy or Circuit City and see if you can demo the same model.

You may also want to factor in the price of replacement bulbs for a DLP system. Not sure the cost/frequency but it is something to take into consideration. Just my 2.
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Yes, I already pointed that out above but it has to be considered before a purchase. In a room of 10 people there may be 9 who don't notice the effect at all but the one person who does will be miserable. Unfortunately I am one of those who are affected....but to be fair I haven't been tv shopping in the past year so maybe they have eliminated it from newer sets. (just like newer plasma's have all but eliminated burn-in and have long life now)
 
killernoodle said:
Go for the DLP. You wont regret it.

Only problem with some DLPs (like mine) is that they aren't designed for computer connections. Even running 1280x720 through the HDMI, I get a little bit of overscan. Also, computer text isnt too sharp because the mirrors on the DLP are tilted at a 45 degree angle, so you cant get perfect sharpness, but the flipside is that there is NO screen door effect and it looks much more lifelike than a pixelated LCD or Plasma. It looks AWESOME on the 360 too. Gears of War is freaking amazing. I have a 52" Toshiba and the black levels are fantastic. Easily trumps most of the plasmas I've seen.

If you're gonna be gaming, dont get the plasma. You'll have burn in in no time.

Not to mention the DLP is MUCH larger than the other two monitors. I have had lots of people over to watch movies and none of them have complained of the color wheel effect. I have even tried to induce it but have never seen it on my TV.

I bet the DLP uses less power than the Plasma too.
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You are wrong about burn in on the current generation for Plasmas. They are just as reliable as anything out there. With a Plasma vs LCD. You will get better blacks and a better picture with a plasma. The current new plasmas just came out with 1080p at 10000:1 contrast ratio. Me i wouldnt like a DLP in my living room as its not a true flat panel display due to the slight bulkness in the rear , for the projection bulb. The bulb on the DLP will need to be changed in 3 years and can cost close to a grand to replace. For gamming you might want to go with a cheap LCD with 1080p like the westinghouse 37inch w3. For the best movie playback with great blacks get the newest generation plasma with 1080p. If you are tight on a budget get the LCD but prepare yourself for an overly bright background which will hurt movie and gamming quality.
If none of these do not fit your style or budget get the XBR 970 CRT and your picture quality will be far better then any 2-3k plasma or LCD on the market now. I predict by next year the market will be all LCD and Plasma and will have outstanding picture quality compared to the CRT.

Do yourself a favor go get the newest generation panasonic 50inch plasma thats what i recommend
 
I also have a 52" DLP Toshiba.

While I have to say that the picture clarity is AMAZING, I must comment on the bulb lifetime.

I'm glad I purchased an additional warrantee because in less than a year (bought in December 2005) the bulbs have blown not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES.
 
UnrealCpu said:
You are wrong about burn in on the current generation for Plasmas. They are just as reliable as anything out there. With a Plasma vs LCD. You will get better blacks and a better picture with a plasma. The current new plasmas just came out with 1080p at 10000:1 contrast ratio. Me i wouldnt like a DLP in my living room as its not a true flat panel display due to the slight bulkness in the rear , for the projection bulb. The bulb on the DLP will need to be changed in 3 years and can cost close to a grand to replace. For gamming you might want to go with a cheap LCD with 1080p like the westinghouse 37inch w3. For the best movie playback with great blacks get the newest generation plasma with 1080p. If you are tight on a budget get the LCD but prepare yourself for an overly bright background which will hurt movie and gamming quality.
If none of these do not fit your style or budget get the XBR 970 CRT and your picture quality will be far better then any 2-3k plasma or LCD on the market now. I predict by next year the market will be all LCD and Plasma and will have outstanding picture quality compared to the CRT.

Do yourself a favor go get the newest generation panasonic 50inch plasma thats what i recommend
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In recent testing new Plasmas have shown to still be succeptible to burn in. It is not possibel to get rid of this problem. you can try to displace the heat as much as you wnat but it will still be possible. Aslo teh 10000:1 contrast they boast is based on interesting measuring which is much different then how an LCD is measured. Lets just says that 10000:1 spec is reached by measuring the unit in less than typical conditions.
 
UnrealCpu said:
You are wrong about burn in on the current generation for Plasmas. They are just as reliable as anything out there....
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Actually it's you who is wrong. Burn in is very much still a problem with plasmas despite what the manufactures say...
My friend's Dead Rising score bar is now permanently displayed in his 3 months old plasma even with panasonic claiming that burn in is virtually eliminated on his tv.

@op You should also be careful about making a decision based on the picture quality you see at the store. Many of the TVs on display have terrible signals fed to them, and some stores have even been known to tweak video signals and settings to push some TVs over others.

You're much better off going by the online reviews of people who actually own the TVs than by trying to judge the TV by yourself at the store.
 
Apallohadas said:
I also have a 52" DLP Toshiba.

While I have to say that the picture clarity is AMAZING, I must comment on the bulb lifetime.

I'm glad I purchased an additional warrantee because in less than a year (bought in December 2005) the bulbs have blown not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES.
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You probably have the 52HM95, same one that I have. The lamp was factory recalled and my new lamp has been going very strong for 6 months or so.

Also, lamps are not $1,000 to replace whoever said that. Thats the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Most are in the $200-300 range and you can do it yourself. And they last 8,000+ hours, so you might have to replace the bulb once in the TVs lifetime.

DLPs rainbow effect is greatly over exaggerated. 99% of people do not experience any of the effects from the newer color wheels. They spin at like 9000 rpms and have 6 segments+, so if you can percieve this effect you should also be able to percieve scan lines on tvs :rolleyes:
 
killernoodle said:
DLPs rainbow effect is greatly over exaggerated. 99% of people do not experience any of the effects from the newer color wheels. They spin at like 9000 rpms and have 6 segments+, so if you can percieve this effect you should also be able to percieve scan lines on tvs :rolleyes:
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I believe this is true. I bought a new DLP projector recently, and a friend of mine was one of those who claimed to always see the color wheel. My projector doesn't bother him. Older models had only 2 segments.
 
Newer rear projections like the Sony SXRDs don't have a rainbow effect. They have no spinning wheel to cause it.

The 55" Sony SXRD is 1080p and costs around $2100. It looks great, I'd seriously consider one if you're not hung up on the flat panel thing.
 
killernoodle said:
You probably have the 52HM95, same one that I have. The lamp was factory recalled and my new lamp has been going very strong for 6 months or so.

Also, lamps are not $1,000 to replace whoever said that. Thats the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Most are in the $200-300 range and you can do it yourself. And they last 8,000+ hours, so you might have to replace the bulb once in the TVs lifetime.

DLPs rainbow effect is greatly over exaggerated. 99% of people do not experience any of the effects from the newer color wheels. They spin at like 9000 rpms and have 6 segments+, so if you can percieve this effect you should also be able to percieve scan lines on tvs :rolleyes:
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Haven't checked the color wheel on DLPs but I definitively can see scan lines on monitors and TVs.
 
Go to the AVSforum and type in "burn" or "burn-in" into the subject search in the flat panel forum...into the 12K+ threads and see what you find. Anyone that asks about HDTV advice in this forum will get what they deserve. LOL. BTW, I own a Panny 50" plasma and thought there was no contest between plasmas and the competing technologies. I play my 360 on it all the time.
 
LMAO a $1000 to replace lamp in DLP, WTF are u smoking, more like 250-300 USD.

One thing u guys haven't mentioned about plasma's aswell. It at certain amount of feet above sea level, they can be dangerous. Not sure if that applies to current model Plasma's but its a fact. So if your living somewhere really high up be warned. its a tough choice tho, Plasma and DLP are gonna give u much better picture than the LCD. The only LCD's I would considering over a DLP or a Plasma, would be a Sony SXRD. And considering Sony only Makes LCD's your options are kinda limited from them.
 
Greenwit said:
Go to the AVSforum and type in "burn" or "burn-in" into the subject search in the flat panel forum...into the 12K+ threads and see what you find. Anyone that asks about HDTV advice in this forum will get what they deserve. LOL. BTW, I own a Panny 50" plasma and thought there was no contest between plasmas and the competing technologies. I play my 360 on it all the time.
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Exactly...I've been using my 42" Panny with both Xbox and Xbox 360 for over a year now and I dare anyone to find a trace of burn-in. All it takes is a little common sense combined with the built in anti-burnin features to keep it free from blemishes....although I have been known to log 3-4 hour sessions of Test Drive Unlimited. :eek:
 
joemama said:
I'm going to go ahead and throw my vote in for the 50" plasma.....a year or two ago that would have easily been $3K+. I'm biased for plasma because I did a lot of research before getting my 42" Panasonic and after calibration I haven't seen anything below $5k that can touch the picture quality and detailed black levels. Lcd's have come a long way in the past couple of years but they are still lacking when it comes to black level detail...DLP's are nice but I am sensitive to the "rainbow effect" and even though the newer models have supposedly eliminated this....I am passing on this technology altogether.
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yeah i got the same panasonic plasma as you and i completely agree, it has the best image quality ive seen from a TV. a year ago it was$3100, now its like $1700.

Anyway, do you guys really notice a difference from 720p to 1080p?
 
I went DLP, there is not a plasma on the planet that does true 1080p period. I had a plasma and now that I have a mits DLP, I will never go back. If you plan on High Def DVD or Blue Ray, the DLP is breathtaking.

Plasma is 720 p or 1080i, some claim 1080P but its marketing
 
i hate that rainbow and crappy viewing angles though...not to mention crappy whites and the thing is huge! im not bias, thats just my opinion
 
I own a 50" Panasonic Plasma and have been really happy with it. Love the viewing angles and the vivid colors and decent black levels etc. Movies and sports look fantastic on it in HD.

A couple times after gaming I had ghost images in the screen for awhile (which went away eventually after watching some regular TV/movies), so I'm careful to not play the same game too many hours straight, that is indeed one drawback. Another drawback I know of is a lot of them have a more reflective type screen than an LCD, so if you're putting your TV in a bright living room you'll probably need some heavy curtains to block the light. But overall as I said I'm extremely happy with it thus far.

I also agree with the posters above that you should check out the AVS forums if you haven't already, you can read about the various advantages/disadvantages of each technology.
 
Greenwit said:
Go to the AVSforum and type in "burn" or "burn-in" into the subject search in the flat panel forum...into the 12K+ threads and see what you find. Anyone that asks about HDTV advice in this forum will get what they deserve. LOL. BTW, I own a Panny 50" plasma and thought there was no contest between plasmas and the competing technologies. I play my 360 on it all the time.
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:D :D :D you are right, I hang there alot. DLP is ok and slightly better then a LCD , however the current generation plasmas kick ass :D I have my eye on the panasonic plasma that does 1080p

Why put up with the hassle of owning a bulky DLP with a bulb.when you can have a flat panel on a wall if you wanted too? Seems to me after almost 2 years your DLP bulbs will start to lose color clarity and once they wear out they blow. Just like a projector bulb. My money is on a plasma. Can anyone here give a good reason why a bulky DLP is so much better then a plasma in terms of picture quality and viewing angles compared to the new generation plasmas? On the AVS forum no one is complaining about burn in on the new generation plasmas.
Orginal thread started go get a 42inch panny plasma or the new generation 50inch plasma that does 1080p on cruchfield.com
 
joemama said:
Exactly...I've been using my 42" Panny with both Xbox and Xbox 360 for over a year now and I dare anyone to find a trace of burn-in. All it takes is a little common sense combined with the built in anti-burnin features to keep it free from blemishes....although I have been known to log 3-4 hour sessions of Test Drive Unlimited. :eek:
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Panasonic has published a white paper that describes break in procedures for a new plasma and that debunks some myths. The bottom line is that if you take care of it on the front end, you should never be concerned about burn-in. I've owned two 'notorious' burn-in techs.....rear projection CRT and plasma for years now. No issues....not even with image persistance. It helps that I keep my contrast at sane, calibrated levels which is what you should do anyway for the best PQ.

Regarding PQ, I won't even get into that....except to say that any prospective buyer ownes it to themselves to see for themselves. Look at viewing angles (with DLPs in particular, up and down angles), color saturation, decoder errors (especially reds), black resolution, maintenance (bulbs with DLPs and LCD rear projectors......cleaning mirrors, lenses, lenticular screens with rear projecting CRTs).

Everyone is so fixated on 1080p as if that is practically the be-all end-all. That is just the tip of the iceberg in the evaluation process.
 
Greenwit said:
Panasonic has published a white paper that describes break in procedures for a new plasma and that debunks some myths. The bottom line is that if you take care of it on the front end, you should never be concerned about burn-in. I've owned two 'notorious' burn-in techs.....rear projection CRT and plasma for years now. No issues....not even with image persistance. It helps that I keep my contrast at sane, calibrated levels which is what you should do anyway for the best PQ.

Regarding PQ, I won't even get into that....except to say that any prospective buyer ownes it to themselves to see for themselves. Look at viewing angles (with DLPs in particular, up and down angles), color saturation, decoder errors (especially reds), black resolution, maintenance (bulbs with DLPs and LCD rear projectors......cleaning mirrors, lenses, lenticular screens with rear projecting CRTs).

Everyone is so fixated on 1080p as if that is practically the be-all end-all. That is just the tip of the iceberg in the evaluation process.
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Yeah, I see plasma myths (that were only really true for the first 2-3 years of production) are still alive and well on the internet...hell the old "plasma needs to recharged" nonsense still pops up occasionally. :p I guess we should be greatful that this (along with Chinese manufacturers flooding the market) is helping to lower prices to make plasma a great value these days. The bottom line is this: on forums such as this one you will get opinions based on either hearsay or people trying to justify their own choice of technology. If you go to the avsforum you will find many a/v technicians of all kinds, a/v shop owners, ISF techs, rabid videophiles/audiophiles etc.. mixed in with the n00bs trying to learn. It can be a little overwhelming but it really is the best place to spend time learning about the different available technologies while at the same time cutting out most of the crap.
 
Greenwit said:
Panasonic has published a white paper that describes break in procedures for a new plasma and that debunks some myths. The bottom line is that if you take care of it on the front end, you should never be concerned about burn-in. I've owned two 'notorious' burn-in techs.....rear projection CRT and plasma for years now. No issues....not even with image persistance. It helps that I keep my contrast at sane, calibrated levels which is what you should do anyway for the best PQ.

Regarding PQ, I won't even get into that....except to say that any prospective buyer ownes it to themselves to see for themselves. Look at viewing angles (with DLPs in particular, up and down angles), color saturation, decoder errors (especially reds), black resolution, maintenance (bulbs with DLPs and LCD rear projectors......cleaning mirrors, lenses, lenticular screens with rear projecting CRTs).

Everyone is so fixated on 1080p as if that is practically the be-all end-all. That is just the tip of the iceberg in the evaluation process.
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Oh my god , i have a 57 incher, I have no intention of standing on the side of it and wathcing it. A set of this size is viewed easly from any angle in an appropriate sized room.

I just do not understand the viewing angle arguement.
 
jacuzz1 said:
Oh my god , i have a 57 incher, I have no intention of standing on the side of it and wathcing it. A set of this size is viewed easly from any angle in an appropriate sized room.

I just do not understand the viewing angle arguement.
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It's for people with friends. ;)
 
Varmint said:
It's for people with friends. ;)
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I understand but unless your set is too big for you room, I cannot imagine a time in my home when someone had to sit on the side of the tv to watch it. I can see my Tv perfectly from any seat in the room. I guess a Plasma would be the choice for small rooms and as such viewing angle becomes an important factor but the arguement does not apply to DLP since you should not get one if your room is not large enough and thus the reason for different technologies.

I believe the DLP (latest sets) provides the best comibination of picture quality , size and price available today and thats why I purchased one. I just could not see buying lower resolution that i really cannot game on at twice the price just so i could be cool and have it hang on the wall.

Lets face it , people just love to say " I have a Plasma" lol
 
jacuzz1 said:
I understand but unless your set is too big for you room, I cannot imagine a time in my home when someone had to sit on the side of the tv to watch it. I can see my Tv perfectly from any seat in the room. I guess a Plasma would be the choice for small rooms and as such viewing angle becomes an important factor but the arguement does not apply to DLP since you should not get one if your room is not large enough and thus the reason for different technologies.

I believe the DLP (latest sets) provides the best comibination of picture quality , size and price available today and thats why I purchased one. I just could not see buying lower resolution that i really cannot game on at twice the price just so i could be cool and have it hang on the wall.

Lets face it , people just love to say " I have a Plasma" lol
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It shouldn't be a contest of bragging rights among people with half a brain. All HDTVs have their pluses and minuses. My rear projection CRT has awful view angles and in a bright room it can be hard to see. Blacks and black gradations are unbeatable though. Put in a good DVD in a darkened room and nothing can beat a well calibrated CRT for DVDs IMO. Plasma has glare problems because of its glass face....some manufacturers do better than others. But the pixels emit light rather than reflect or block it.....which means that viewing angles are superb and so is viewing in a bright room. My rear projection CRT has zero glare because the screen is plastic and virtually non-reflective.

Ya, I've seen people brag that they can lift their DLP with one hand because they are so light. What that has to do with anything is beyond me since most people don't move their TVs every day.
 
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