I am going to buy a new TV to replace my old Sony 28"CRT and am not sure whether to go for an LCD / LED or Plasma. I am sure there have been questions asked about this but I can't find a good thread. Is there an up to date buyers guide anywhere, I have looked but can't find one anywhere.
Plasma or Lcd or LED ?
- Thread starter emptage
- Start date
I just thought there would some factors which would make LCD or plasma more appropriate. For example I will mainly use it for watching Freeview progs such as wildlife documentaries and sport. I won't use it for gaming. Internet capability is important. I want to be able to display my photo's and videos on it.
Hi emptage,
Yes this is a debate that will go on and on and The_Lhc is right, in the end it is whichever you think gives the best picture but hell I havn't come onto this forum to be told that.
About 6 years I faced the same problem when upgrading from my old 28" philips CRT set and I found 'What Hi-Fi' on line and joined the forum. It was the best thing I'd done to find out what was what and which was the best tv for the money. At the time the members here recommended the Panasonic TH42PX80B (plasma). What a fantastic set it proved to be. Since then, a good friend on a tight buget asked me to check the site for what tv to buy and at the time it was the LG 37LD490 with its 5* rating that he went for and he loves it and everyone who visits his home loves it.
I few weeks ago I was in a position to upgrade my old Pani, so yes you've got it, I turned once again to this site and the forum for advice and I'm now the owner of an excellent Panasonic TX-P46GT30B (Plasma) another 5* rated tv.
So yes it is up to you, but please take notice of the reviews and knowlegde available on this site/forum.
Peter_R
Yes this is a debate that will go on and on and The_Lhc is right, in the end it is whichever you think gives the best picture but hell I havn't come onto this forum to be told that.
About 6 years I faced the same problem when upgrading from my old 28" philips CRT set and I found 'What Hi-Fi' on line and joined the forum. It was the best thing I'd done to find out what was what and which was the best tv for the money. At the time the members here recommended the Panasonic TH42PX80B (plasma). What a fantastic set it proved to be. Since then, a good friend on a tight buget asked me to check the site for what tv to buy and at the time it was the LG 37LD490 with its 5* rating that he went for and he loves it and everyone who visits his home loves it.
I few weeks ago I was in a position to upgrade my old Pani, so yes you've got it, I turned once again to this site and the forum for advice and I'm now the owner of an excellent Panasonic TX-P46GT30B (Plasma) another 5* rated tv.
So yes it is up to you, but please take notice of the reviews and knowlegde available on this site/forum.
Peter_R
power consumption is worse in plasma.for everythng else except vivid colors plasma tens do be better
Honestly, these days the question is irrelevant. Technology on all 3 has improved drastically that you can find 5 star products on each type. It comes to looks and image and a few minor differences. i.e. LCD/ LED's tend to be thinner and lighter than plasma's, Sony's menu system is very easy to use etc etc So just decide on budget, spec, looks etc and go for it
Many thanks for these very helpful responses. I think my concern is mainly around sport which I keep hearing is better on a plasma. But I also like wildlife programmes where colours are important. My original thought, after reading reviews etc was the Panasonic GT30, what would be the equivalent price / quality LCD ?
Hi emptage
It's quite a broad question but it becomes easier to narrow down your choice if you set yourself a target budget and size. Also, is 3D performance important to you? Also, the top manufacturers now offer a lot of media streaming and internet features. Ask yourself is these would be useful to you. You could save yourself a bit of cash by identifying the features that aren't really important to you. Picture performance between the different technologies has become closer over the years but they all still have their own foibles.
It's quite a broad question but it becomes easier to narrow down your choice if you set yourself a target budget and size. Also, is 3D performance important to you? Also, the top manufacturers now offer a lot of media streaming and internet features. Ask yourself is these would be useful to you. You could save yourself a bit of cash by identifying the features that aren't really important to you. Picture performance between the different technologies has become closer over the years but they all still have their own foibles.
There's nothing wrong with the colour on a plasma, particularly if you want it to look like it would if you looked out of your window. If, on the other hand, you want colours that will sear the retinae off the back of your eyeballs then go for an LCD.emptage said:
Plasma all the way, I find it to have a far more natural picture. Some LCD's tend to struggle with fast moving images, but perform well if you're playing video games.
FuzzyinLondon said:
3D is not important at all but I would buy a 3D TV if it gave a better 2D picture. It will be used for watching freeview channels and sport. It would need to have internet capability, being able to stream from my pc would be good. Budget is up to £1000. Size is probably 40" / 42" no larger.
The panasonic plasmas are definitely worth looking at for 2D picture performance. At that size I'd be checking out the 42GT30(3D) & 42G30(2D Only) as they're both within your budget and have the features you're after. There are some cracking package deals on the GT30 at the moment and would still be well within your budget and is a great set.I've got the 50inch variant and am really enjoying it thus far. Definitely try and have a look at one in the flesh as I think that the pictures don't really do justice to the design and the premiun build quality.
The Samsung 40D7000 is also worth an audition, particularly if the set is going in quite a bright room. It's a stunningly designed tv with a great internet platform and media capabilities but I would pay careful attention to the backlight consistency if you go down that road. If you watch a lot of football, try and have a look at how it handles fast-moving sport.
I wouldn't listen to the sweeping generalizations bandies bandied about about a particular display technology. Like Staggerlee said above, there are good and bad LCDs just like there are good and bad plasmas. Don't discount a set just because of the tech it uses. With your budget, you can afford to have a look at some of the best models from each of the top manufacturers. The type of room you're putting the set in is important too. If you're putting it in the realy bright room, you might find the picture from the GT30 a little dull as it's peak light output doesn't go as high as equivalent LED LCD sets.
The Samsung 40D7000 is also worth an audition, particularly if the set is going in quite a bright room. It's a stunningly designed tv with a great internet platform and media capabilities but I would pay careful attention to the backlight consistency if you go down that road. If you watch a lot of football, try and have a look at how it handles fast-moving sport.
I wouldn't listen to the sweeping generalizations bandies bandied about about a particular display technology. Like Staggerlee said above, there are good and bad LCDs just like there are good and bad plasmas. Don't discount a set just because of the tech it uses. With your budget, you can afford to have a look at some of the best models from each of the top manufacturers. The type of room you're putting the set in is important too. If you're putting it in the realy bright room, you might find the picture from the GT30 a little dull as it's peak light output doesn't go as high as equivalent LED LCD sets.
I have been very disappointed with this years Panny plasmas despite the great reviews in What hi fi. I felt they have a greenish tinge to the picture and you can't get bright whites from them, only cream.The picture is a little dim too imo except on THX mode where you cannot adjust the colour balance.
As a former Panny plasma owner i am somewhat surprised to say that after seeing the Panny LED range this year i think they have a better picture than the plasmas. They are definitely sharper(,making Plasma look soft in comparison) and punchier with vibrant colours,whites and Plasma like black depth. Blu ray was also superior on LED.Motion handling is excellent on tv broadcasts with no noticeable blur except for some fast moving sport.
There is a way to fix that though on the panny LED's.The tv's come with an option called frame creation pro. When set on medium the motion blur disappears. When you include the fact that a 42 inch LED uses about 75 watts compared to over 200 for a 42 inch Plasma ( rising to nearly 300 in THX mode in the Panny range), i just can't see past LED. The panny LED range or the samsung LED range this year are absolute belters and that is what I would go for. Plasma used to have some noticeable advantages like motion handling and black depth but with good LED's that is no longer the case.
Do a side by side comparison in a shop and ask to fiddle with the settings so you can adjust the garish shop settings and I think you will agree. Let us know what you decide.
As a former Panny plasma owner i am somewhat surprised to say that after seeing the Panny LED range this year i think they have a better picture than the plasmas. They are definitely sharper(,making Plasma look soft in comparison) and punchier with vibrant colours,whites and Plasma like black depth. Blu ray was also superior on LED.Motion handling is excellent on tv broadcasts with no noticeable blur except for some fast moving sport.
There is a way to fix that though on the panny LED's.The tv's come with an option called frame creation pro. When set on medium the motion blur disappears. When you include the fact that a 42 inch LED uses about 75 watts compared to over 200 for a 42 inch Plasma ( rising to nearly 300 in THX mode in the Panny range), i just can't see past LED. The panny LED range or the samsung LED range this year are absolute belters and that is what I would go for. Plasma used to have some noticeable advantages like motion handling and black depth but with good LED's that is no longer the case.
Do a side by side comparison in a shop and ask to fiddle with the settings so you can adjust the garish shop settings and I think you will agree. Let us know what you decide.
One of the factors you need to consider is how much light is usually in the room where you watch tv - if you have a large window with a lot of daytime light - then you might find the picture on plasma to be very washed out looking. I have a Panasonic Vt30 and it really comes alive at night and is amazing in every way.. but during the day unless i draw the curtains the picture is a little to washed out.. LCD with LED will perform better in brighter environments..
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