Where should I buy my TV, also Plasma or LCD?

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frankyk

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Jan 30, 2004
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I am looking to buy my folks a 42" HDTV, but I'm not sure if I should get an LCD TV or Plasma TV.

I hear LCD is better in the long run but Plasma is much sleeker looking.

Also, if I were to buy a TV, where should I buy it? Online or B&M? If B&M, which store? Best Buy? Circuit City? Walmart? Target? (Fry's is out of the question as I don't think there is a Fry's in Massachusetts).

I'm looking to spend around $1300.
 
I would go with the LCD. From wikipedia:

Pros of Plasma

* Slim, wall-mountable design
* Larger maximum practical size than LCD screens
* Wider viewing angle than LCD screens and better color consistency throughout this range
* Better contrast ratio than LCD, though LCDs are improving rapidly
* Faster response time than LCD, though LCDs are improving rapidly
* Able to achieve darker black than LCD

Cons of Plasma

* PDPs are fragile, making them difficult to ship and install.
* Expensive, although currently cheaper than LCDs per unit of size at larger sizes.
* Older panels were notoriously subject to burn-in, although due to improvements in phosphors, in modern PDPs the effect is largely caused by polarization of the gas particles and can often be reversed by leaving the screen on a "snow" or static channel for an hour. Some home theater afficionados claim that, while burn-in is less likely now than in the past, it is still possible in some circumstances, and many plasma televisions have functions (such as "orbiting", in which the image is periodically moved imperceptibly) to minimize the problem. In any case, LCDs are not susceptible to permanent burn-in.
* The display is brightest during its first 2000 hours. Thereafter, the display gradually dims. LCD backlights exhibit dimming as well, but they are replaceable. A plasma display cannot be recharged since the panel is a fixed pixel device with each pixel etched into the glass substrate. However, as the phosphors in a modern panel have a 60,000 hour half-life, most users will never see a plasma reach the end of its life.
* At higher elevations, usually 6000 ft (1,800 m) or higher, PDPs exhibit noticeable humming or buzzing.
* Sufferers of the DLP Rainbow Effect may encounter a similar problem with PDPs in high contrast situations. This typically manifests itself as a green flash during sudden changes from white to black and is most obvious in films such as Underworld.
 
I would never buy big electronics online. Exchanges and returns can be nightmares and not worth the few dollars that might (ostensibly) get saved. I just wasted 2 weeks with Dell over a monitor. I would need a quite a few bargains to make up for time and money lost. Dozens of phone calls, waiting for labels, dropped calls, clueless reps - these were just not woth it. At least in the end I dropped off a small package. Humping a TV around would have been worse. Plus it's Christmas and all the shipping services are loaded with temp workers. Most of the larget outfits will price match. I get Circuit City to match Walmart, Best Buy etc.
 
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