We're In The Market For A New TV.

[Hoofbite]

I'm always afraid I'm gonna get it home and it doesn't look anwhere near as sharp and crisp as it was in the store. Does that happen a lot?

I've heard a lot of manufacturers have the default settings on many TVs to produce more blue than they really should. Because blue is a pleasing color to the eye, it looks really nice to see a lot of it so they turn the blue way up.

True or not, I dunno.

What I would do is get the TV home and visit a couple forums on A/V equipment. You should be able to find what other people are using for their settings.

Some people go the extreme and have these intense calibration configurations to get the best picture out of the TV.

 

[Duane]

The Home Theater Spot forums have always been helpful in any of my research. Here's the Plasma, LCD, DLP, etc... forum: http://www.hometheaterspot.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/84/

 

[Kevinicus]

I say Samsung as far as company, and really the best bang for your buck as far as size/cost is going to be DLP. And if you want the best picture you can spend a few hundred more to have someone that is ISF certified calibrate it for you. NOTHING in the store is how it is supposed to be, and no amount of meddling with the color/contrast/hue, etc. is going to make it right. The Manufacturers alter the settings to make their TV stand out from others. They don't want their TVs looking just like all the rest. There is an HD standard that they should follow, but none of them do. It's something that needs to be done in service menus and requires precise color measuring equipment. But not everyone is serious enough about their TVs to do this.

Still, I say Samsung DLP. Get a 56" or 57" and I think you'll have enough to get the rest.

 

[theebs]

I say Samsung as far as company, and really the best bang for your buck as far as size/cost is going to be DLP. And if you want the best picture you can spend a few hundred more to have someone that is ISF certified calibrate it for you. NOTHING in the store is how it is supposed to be, and no amount of meddling with the color/contrast/hue, etc. is going to make it right. The Manufacturers alter the settings to make their TV stand out from others. They don't want their TVs looking just like all the rest. There is an HD standard that they should follow, but none of them do. It's something that needs to be done in service menus and requires precise color measuring equipment. But not everyone is serious enough about their TVs to do this.

Still, I say Samsung DLP. Get a 56" or 57" and I think you'll have enough to get the rest.

ISF calibration is somewhere between 300 and 600 bucks. I knew a guy who does this, still does.

They crank all the tvs up in the store, they usually put them on vivid and crank the brightness and stuff more.

That gives a terrible picture and burns the bulbs and or gas out at a higher rate.

I have a panasonic plasma. My settings are down so low its comical. I like life like colors. The sharpness on the pansaonic plasmas is a picky thing, if you dont get it just right the faces start to suffer from a clay look.

I think my sharpness is at -20 or -22.

With a plasma YOu can get a near perfect image without the isf calibration. ISF calibration has been a projector tv thing forever. Especially the older crt's. CRT's have three bulbs in them and when you move those big screens around the bulbs become displaced and it throws off everything.

Most plasma and lcd's dont even have the ability to be isf calibrated if I rememer correctly, I am almost positive sony lcd's do not even have the service menu's and the ability to calibrate.

I would think if you have the cash I would stay away from dlp, they really have poor viewing angles and they have expensive unreliable bulbs.

 

[Kevinicus]

ISF calibration is somewhere between 300 and 600 bucks. I knew a guy who does this, still does.

They crank all the tvs up in the store, they usually put them on vivid and crank the brightness and stuff more.

That gives a terrible picture and burns the bulbs and or gas out at a higher rate.

I have a panasonic plasma. My settings are down so low its comical. I like life like colors. The sharpness on the pansaonic plasmas is a picky thing, if you dont get it just right the faces start to suffer from a clay look.

I think my sharpness is at -20 or -22.

With a plasma YOu can get a near perfect image without the isf calibration. ISF calibration has been a projector tv thing forever. Especially the older crt's. CRT's have three bulbs in them and when you move those big screens around the bulbs become displaced and it throws off everything.

Most plasma and lcd's dont even have the ability to be isf calibrated if I rememer correctly, I am almost positive sony lcd's do not even have the service menu's and the ability to calibrate.

I would think if you have the cash I would stay away from dlp, they really have poor viewing angles and they have expensive unreliable bulbs.

LCDs and Plasmas can definitely be calibrated. While they don't have some issues (overscan) that CRTs and other projector type TVs do, they still have other things to be calibrated, most importantly gray scale. Generally though, 95% of people who have HDTVs probably will never even hear of ISF calibration, and most wouldn't care if they did.

DLP bulbs aren't that expensive anymore and usually last 2-3 years. I am still on my original bulb after 2 years, if it dies this year it is under warranty and will be replaced for free. It is only about $100 to replace the bulb. That is not bad over 2-3 years, especially considering the price difference between DLP and LCD/Plasma at the larger sizes.

 

[tomson75]

That probably depends on a lot of factors other than whether one is LCD or plasma. Generally LCD is better, but more expensive. But, it always depends on the details of the particular product.

Yeah, I was just pointing out that there are exceptions to every LCD vs. Plasma argument, and that you can find Plasma's at a cheaper price than many of their equivalent LCD counterparts...and get a higher quality product. Just takes some some in depth research.

...and as far as Samsung Plasma's, I've owned one for about two years now, and have had no issues. It was the best $2000 I've ever spent. It's quality has prompted three friends to buy large Samsung plasmas as well. They have had no issues.

I've did a lot of research before I purchased it, and while Samsung had it's detractors, it is generally considered to be one of, if not the best televisions on the market. Maybe their product quality has changed in the last two years?

 

[theebs]

LCDs and Plasmas can definitely be calibrated. While they don't have some issues (overscan) that CRTs and other projector type TVs do, they still have other things to be calibrated, most importantly gray scale. Generally though, 95% of people who have HDTVs probably will never even hear of ISF calibration, and most wouldn't care if they did.

DLP bulbs aren't that expensive anymore and usually last 2-3 years. I am still on my original bulb after 2 years, if it dies this year it is under warranty and will be replaced for free. It is only about $100 to replace the bulb. That is not bad over 2-3 years, especially considering the price difference between DLP and LCD/Plasma at the larger sizes.

yea many can be calibrated but not all of them, I think its sony, cant remember are not able to be calibrated, there are no service menus.

but every tv for the most part can be set up. And if anyone has ever seen an isf calibrated tv it is worth it.

and yep, dlp is less epensive especially at the sizes they come in.

I originally almost bought a 57 inch mitsubishi dlp in 04, then I just held out for plasma prices to come down. I am happy I waited, but I would have been happy with the mitsubishi also. HD is simlpy awesome.

 

[Khartun]

We have talked about this before.

Plasma is the better TV. Its only downfall is the glare it gives off in a bright room. Its the only knock on a plasma.

LCD's still have flaws. They are coming along, they are not plasmas however.

That is not really the only knock on plasma.

One thing i haven't seen mentioned here, although I haven't completely read each response, is if you ever want to hook up a computer you must have LCD. Plasmas are susceptible screen burn-in where LCDs are not, so if you play games you should really go for LCD.

As far as just picture quality, yes plasmas are better but not by much and most people wouldn't even notice the difference. Plasmas are still a bit cheaper as well.

I have a 46" Samsung and it is absolutely perfect. Samsung makes quality flat panels.

 

[tomson75]

Yeah...the one thing that still makes me nervous about my plasma is the burn in threat. It's become far less of a problem than in the past, but its still an issue. If you're prone to falling asleep with a dvd on...you need to utilize your sleep option. If you let those bad boys sit on the same screen for 8 hours or so, you're likely in trouble.

I almost beat my old roomate's *** when he got drunk and passed out in front of the tv with it on a dvd menu. You could see the slight beginnings of a burn in, but it went away in a few hours.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I have been shopping for a while now...

#1 When you go to the store and see some of the pictures that look good on one and not so good n another, from what I have been told it was due to the fact that they are splitting the signal so ch among the TVs and depending where the source is it could effect the picture.

#2 Almost every sales person I talked with said that the Plasmas are better and the fact that LCDs are on the whole much more expensive than their counterparts made me believe them.

I have decided on a 46" plasma and will be getting it in to weeks when I get back off the road for more than three days.

 

[theebs]

That is not really the only knock on plasma.

One thing i haven't seen mentioned here, although I haven't completely read each response, is if you ever want to hook up a computer you must have LCD. Plasmas are susceptible screen burn-in where LCDs are not, so if you play games you should really go for LCD.

As far as just picture quality, yes plasmas are better but not by much and most people wouldn't even notice the difference. Plasmas are still a bit cheaper as well.

I have a 46" Samsung and it is absolutely perfect. Samsung makes quality flat panels.

Well The burn is not an issue anymore unless you are playing video games on a brand new one. And as I said if you are going to play video games do not buy a plasma.

Pretty much all plasmas now have a white out function where if for some reason you have an image burned you can white out the screen and it will take care of it. Doing this on most sets burns about 2-5 % of the life of the panel though.

And really after 100 - 1000 hours of viewing you will not have any issues with your plasma. Its the people who buy cheaply made plasmas, leave them on the vivid settings and then play games and pause them and leave them that will have issues.

But these are all 8th and 9th generation panels and burn in really isnt an issue.

oh and LCDs do have pc inputs and most plasmas do not. That really shouldnt be a reason you spend alot of money on either panel though.

 

[theebs]

Yeah...the one thing that still makes me nervous about my plasma is the burn in threat. It's become far less of a problem than in the past, but its still an issue. If you're prone to falling asleep with a dvd on...you need to utilize your sleep option. If you let those bad boys sit on the same screen for 8 hours or so, you're likely in trouble.

I almost beat my old roomate's *** when he got drunk and passed out in front of the tv with it on a dvd menu. You could see the slight beginnings of a burn in, but it went away in a few hours.

pioneer elite ran a test and left static images on the screen for like 7 days. They simply ran the white out or left the tv on an hd source for awhile and it was fine.

burn in really is not an issue anymore.

 

[tomson75]

pioneer elite ran a test and left static images on the screen for like 7 days. They simply ran the white out or left the tv on an hd source for awhile and it was fine.

burn in really is not an issue anymore.

That's good news, I knew they had been addressing that. My model is almost two years old now though....so either way, I'm not going to be running any "tests" on my plasma.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

That's good news, I knew they had been addressing that. My model is almost two years old now though....so either way, I'm not going to be running any "tests" on my plasma.

can I?

 

[tomson75]

can I?

Only if its a freeze frame of your mother in her birthday suit!

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Only if its a freeze frame of your mother in her birthday suit!

I meant tests of durability

such as Chuck Norrising the screen

dropping it on your head

those kind of tests

 

[Kevinicus]

You can hook a PC to a DLP just fine as well. But if you're limited to LCD/Plasma that's a different story.

They all have strengths and weaknesses.

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Thanks all for the help.

We got a 55". VIZIO. Exeryone who knows about them was telling us to make sure if we got LCD that is has 120Hz. It cost us $400 extra...as in,the same TV w/o 120Hz was exactly $400 less than this one. I'm hoping we don't have any problems becasue as much as we spent, ($2200) it better be perfect! We bought a 3 year head to toe warranty so if it screws up they'll either fix it or give a new one.

 

[trickblue]

Thanks all for the help.

We got a 55". VIZIO. Exeryone who knows about them was telling us to make sure if we got LCD that is has 120Hz. It cost us $400 extra...as in,the same TV w/o 120Hz was exactly $400 less than this one. I'm hoping we don't have any problems becasue as much as we spent, ($2200) it better be perfect! We bought a 3 year head to toe warranty so if it screws up they'll either fix it or give a new one.

Good luck... I hope it works out well for you!

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Good luck... I hope it works out well for you!

Yeah....me too or else. :shoot6: