Plasma?

[Automotivehistorian]

We have seen a 50" Plasma tv (LG) with 600Hz refresh rate. Is plasma still a viable alternative please to LCD?

[hhhhancock]

name='Automotivehistorian' date='05 July 2010 - 06:34 PM' timestamp='1278351288' post='448101']

We have seen a 50" Plasma tv (LG) with 600Hz refresh rate. Is plasma still a viable alternative please to LCD?

Opinions vary but I think the consensus is that plasma TV's give a marginally better picture. The downside is they use an awful lot of electricity compared to an LCD and don't have the longevity of LCD screens.

Hope that helps, no doubt someone more knowlegeable than me can give more technical info.

[GoggleboxUK]

In my experience plasmas flare, need regular degaussing and burn out far too quicly. Give me an LCD any time.



I think it's a choice people make and stick to. The same thing happened to Betamax and VHS, preferences differed but in the end one won out. That said, for the last few yars there have been so many different options in TV screens that it would seem neither plasma nor LCD Tvs are likely to disappear altogether.

[Automotivehistorian]

name='GoggleboxUK' date='05 July 2010 - 11:08 PM' timestamp='1278367685' post='448224']

In my experience plasmas flare, need regular degaussing and burn out far too quicly. Give me an LCD any time.



I think it's a choice people make and stick to. The same thing happened to Betamax and VHS, preferences differed but in the end one won out. That said, for the last few yars there have been so many different options in TV screens that it would seem neither plasma nor LCD Tvs are likely to disappear altogether.

Thanks. And what do the team think about LED TVs please?

[Hugo]

Surely degaussing is only applicable to cathode ray tubes, plasma and LED tvs work on very different principles.

[alan gowdy]

name='hhhhancock' date='05 July 2010 - 08:52 PM' timestamp='1278359564' post='448154']

Opinions vary but I think the consensus is that plasma TV's give a marginally better picture. The downside is they use an awful lot of electricity compared to an LCD and don't have the longevity of LCD screens.

Hope that helps, no doubt someone more knowlegeable than me can give more technical info.

.... and their energy-hungry habits produce a lot of heat that requires cooling fans that can be quite noisy, especially when they age. Also they are bl**dy heavy compared to LCDs (not that you'd probably be moving one around a lot).

[GoggleboxUK]

name='Hugo' date='06 July 2010 - 05:06 PM' timestamp='1278432410' post='448525']

Surely degaussing is only applicable to cathode ray tubes, plasma and LED tvs work on very different principles.

I suppose it's possible that the 3 TV repairmen I paid to stop my first plasma flaring thought they were dealing with a cathode ray tube.



Even LCD Tvs need degaussing but many do this by themselves. It was something I asked carefully about when I bought my Sony Bravia and was told the set's auto update function took care of it without any problems. Apparently sets that don't auto degauss are also likely to not auto update their Freeview tuners which is why some sets store new channels in silly places with Freeview.

[Film Man]

We have had both Plasma and LCD TVs for years...both give excellent pictures...as we live in a house that has a circular room, the Plasma is best for watching from all directions with no fall off of quality and illumination. The LCD isn't so good viewing at an angle with noticable loss of illumination...my advice is buy it and forget about it.

Film Man.

[christoph404]

Its a much asked question...Plasma versus LCD/LED. I have a Plasma TV by Panasonic which I bought about 6 months ago. In my opinion a current Plasma is a far superior and more pleasing viewing experience than any LCD or LED. My opinion is based on spending about 2 hours in John Lewis on Oxford Street London with a very helpful sales assistant who happily carried around a Blu Ray player which we plugged into just about every screen they had on display above size 38inches and played sections of my own Blu Ray copy of Zulu. Before I did the test I was convinced I needed to get an LCD, because it was newer technology and what everyone seemed to go for, however the results on screen changed my mind, to me the difference between LCD and Plasma is startling, I think its a real shame that a superior viewing experience (Plasma) will possibly become obsolete as people opt for newer slimline technology.....oh and all that stuff about Plasmas using more electricity and having a shorter screen life etc etc... well thats all rubbish or irrelevant, its simply sales talk to make you buy an LCD by digging up some of the glitches some Plasma experienced when they first appeared 20 years ago, those glitches were ironed out years ago, the sales folk just don't want to tell you that Plasma is better for watching movies.But most of all the refresh rate of a Plasma screen means the motion stutter you will experience from an LCD is non existent, in fact that motion stutter quality from LCD I find quite unbearable, it drives me nuts to be honest, I'd rather watch a cathode ray telly than an LCD!

[ican]

name='christoph404' date='07 July 2010 - 12:43 AM' timestamp='1278459820' post='448700']

I'd rather watch a cathode ray telly than an LCD!

I agree.

[johng]

I am not going to get involved in LCD versus plasma but any LCD screen I have watched is vastly superior in every respect to a cathode ray tube. As for stutter, there is no stutter on my LCD screen. I suggest LCD or otherwise you merely get what you pay for.



I doubt if there will ever be universal agreement on which of the three types of screen is best since I think it dpends on how the individual sees the picture and this is going to vary widely dpending on ones eyesight.



There are many people who will rightly argue that there is nothing wrong with a good VHS tape as averse to a DVD.The same applies to Bluray. Agreed in theory the DVD is superior but if an individual cannot see any great improvement then surely that is the crunch factor not some theoretical stuff which can only be detected on test gear. It is probably true to say that three quarters of the population have sub standard eyesight and for that reason alone would be unlikely to notice any great difference with more modern technology.

[GoggleboxUK]

It always makes me laugh when people say the took their own DVD, Blu-Ray or whatever and spent hours in a store looking for the best result.



A friend of mine manages a large retail electronics store and tells me it's common practise for display sets to be set up differently with contrast, brightness and colour settings just so the pictures on display look different.



As johng says, we all see things differently and the stores exploit that. If you are given a large choice then the only thing you can do as a buyer is whittle down that choice until you find what suits you. Most people start with price and end up buying what they believe is the best screen for the money they have available but, if you're making your decision based on a picture viewed in a warehouse sized building lit by flourescent lights, there's no way you're going to see the same picture when your choice is installed at home. Particularly if your set has a light sensor built in.



Everyone's an expert when it comes to LCD vs Plasma and nobody who owns an LCD is going to tell you they made the wrong choice. You're much better off reading a few reviews (What HiFi for example) and finding a couple of websites that have user rated scores.

[christoph404]

name='GoggleboxUK' date='07 July 2010 - 12:02 PM' timestamp='1278500560' post='448825']

It always makes me laugh when people say the took their own DVD, Blu-Ray or whatever and spent hours in a store looking for the best result.



A friend of mine manages a large retail electronics store and tells me it's common practise for display sets to be set up differently with contrast, brightness and colour settings just so the pictures on display look different.



As johng says, we all see things differently and the stores exploit that. If you are given a large choice then the only thing you can do as a buyer is whittle down that choice until you find what suits you. Most people start with price and end up buying what they believe is the best screen for the money they have available but, if you're making your decision based on a picture viewed in a warehouse sized building lit by flourescent lights, there's no way you're going to see the same picture when your choice is installed at home. Particularly if your set has a light sensor built in.



Everyone's an expert when it comes to LCD vs Plasma and nobody who owns an LCD is going to tell you they made the wrong choice. You're much better off reading a few reviews (What HiFi for example) and finding a couple of websites that have user rated scores.

Well I always laugh when people fork out large sums of money for a TV based on magazine or internet reviews alone, I think thats crazy! I would agree we all see things differently and my thoughts on Plasma are simply my own opinions based on my own tests. I don't shop in large flourescent lit warehouses so I can't comment on what goes on there.The lighting in John Lewis is pretty good and on the sets I was interested in we went into the menu and fiddled around with the picture settings,colour contrast etc, it takes seconds to do that and of course the settings make a difference to the image, the sales person dealing with me was extremely helpful and patient, I certainly didn't feel he was trying to patronize me or hoodwink me with screens "adjusted" in a certain way, I find that notion pretty silly.I think reading magazine reviews is helpful in pointing you towards a certain product but I think doing some kind of test of your own is the best help of all. Im certainly glad I spent the time viewing screens in store, Im delighted with my screen, Panasonic were doing a free 5 year warranty at the time, it was a good deal.

[Dame Starry]

name='Film Man' date='06 July 2010 - 05:28 PM' timestamp='1278433687' post='448539']

The LCD isn't so good viewing at an angle with noticable loss of illumination...

My brother has just bought me a Panasonic 32" LCD with an IPS-Alpha Panel which gives 178° viewing angle.

[Windthrop]

name='Dame Starry' timestamp='1280290408' post='457211']

My brother has just bought me a Panasonic 32" LCD with an IPS-Alpha Panel which gives 178° viewing angle.

I have a Panasonic LCD and am very satisfied with the picture. The latest generation of LCDs are very good indeed.



OLEDs are supposed to be the way ahead but the screens are very expensive and fairly tiny at the mo IIRC

[jakereacher]

I've been looking at both LCD TV and Plasma TV sets recently (those linked in particular) and I find a lot of it comes down now not to the quality, but the functions of the tvs...



For instance, the Plasma has wireless connectivity, so While I still rate LCD quality, I think the connectivity functions will be the deciding factor for me in choosing the Plasma. I've seen a few others too but I've been using Panasonic for a while and am in my comfort zone with them.

[wellpip]

name='Automotivehistorian' timestamp='1278351288' post='448101']

We have seen a 50" Plasma tv (LG) with 600Hz refresh rate. Is plasma still a viable alternative please to LCD?

Better to go for 100Hz +1080p this will give you far better picture quality and refresh rate.

Be very careful any thinking of buying Samsung they have a fault that’s still not been rectified and much discussed on forums. The problem is that when hooked up to a DVD player and Satbox or Cable one will switch off the TV while you are watching it. Can be a bit of a pain. The only work around seems to be to run one external unit at a time..lol

[MikeB]

I work part time at a certain shop which is 'never undersold' in the TV dept, and I'd certainly agree with Wellpip - 1080 and 100hz is probably the best combination at the moment, since 200hz is relatively expensive.



Getting back to the original question, plasma is still very much in the running, and probably better than LCD at that size (LED is another matter). The 600hz screen isn't actually 600hz though. Both Panasonic and LG make plasma which boast 600hz screens, but this is actually a '600Hz Sub-field Drive with Intelligent Frame Creation Pro' - according to Panasonic! Basically they take 12 frames at 50hz (which is what TV is broadcast in), and multiply it 12 times (50 x 12 = 600), creating lots of extra sub fields and thus making (hopefully) a better picture. It is still a 100hz screen.



We don't do the LG in store any more (although we quite liked it), but the Panasonic is very good (the G20 has more kit on it than the S20). Samsung (and I have to admit I havn't had any feed back about them switching off) also make a pretty nice one at the moment, which we have at something like £630! Plasma moves very fast (its reaction rate is about 0.1ms, whereas the fastest LCD is about 2-3ms), they are warm, good flesh tones and very good blacks. All TV's have a design life of 60,000 hours, and Panasonic reckon 100,000 for theirs (since they are basically Pioneer panels, this sounds like a good deal).



When I advise people on what to buy, I tend to start with the size. One you get that right, your half way there, since its LCD and LED up to 40in (OK, Panasonic do a strange plasma at that size, and LG used to do a 32in) and 42 for plasma. 1080 had pretty much become standard this year (although there some pretty decent 42 and 50 in models that are HD ready), and cheaper than they used to be. 100hz is certainly worth having, and the difference between a 50hz 1080 and a 768 100hz screen is difficult to decide between. One of my co workers reckons that for most people, 100hz is a better bet than 1080, and he's got a point. The ideal is of course both. All can be seen from any angle by the way.



LCD is still pretty good, and generally cheaper than than LED (I tend to divide them into two groups to avoid brain melt), and I've seen some excellent LCDs, and some dreadful LEDs. I would suggest you go for a TV fits your needs for a while, not just this year (we do a 5 year guarantee, so we like to think long term anyway).



Freeview HD is standard this year, although if you have Sky, etc, its not so vital. DNLA is in pretty much everything as is the capacity to use a wireless dongle (around £50-60) to take stuff from your hard drive, your lap top or even your phone. You can use a LAN as well of course. Last year 3 TV's in store had DNLA (and were very expensive), and only one (Samsung) did wireless.

So DNLA, wireless and internet access (which comes in various names) is a good bet, and 1080 is standard. 24 frames is nice as well. For a 40in TV, you can get a Sony or Samsung LCD for around £550-600. 100hz will cost you £699 for the Sony. Thats a good deal. And if you get a trade in....



Plasma in a 42 can be as litle as £450, but this will be an older Samsung (although good), which is 768, but a 100hz screen. No DNLA, Freeview HD, etc. Panasonic will do a plasma (the S20) for about £600ish, although the G20 at around £869 is better .



Plasma V LCD V LED? LED is very good, and very sharp, but there are OKish LED's, even in the best brands. Samsung set the bar very high last year, but I'm pleased with the Panasonics, and Sony have their moments. Put it this way, the Plasma Panasonic G20 is lovely, but the LED D25 next to it is slightly brighter and a little bit sharper - but thats just me.



Best TV? Please come and look. Don't just look at a review. Even What Hifi isn't perfect. They slated a TV we though was good, while giving 4 stars to one we'd hated all year. They also get things wrong sometimes. You have to feel right about your TV. You have to love it. If its not right in size, in picture or in design, chose something else.



Christoph404 - thanks for the good feedback . Its how we all advise customers - look at the options. That doesn't mean LCD is bad at 42 plus (Philips 42/47 models in LCD were very good), you just have to click with it. BTW - all our TV's have a 5 year warrenty anyway, so don't worry too much about the manufacturer warrenty.



Find the right size, go for 1080 (is there any britmovie member who doesn't want Blu-ray? If not now, give it a year or two, and you might even get it free with the TV) and 100hz. DNLA, internet and wireless are all highly desireable (you can download Lovefilm on demand with it) Panasonic, Samsung and Sony are all pretty good, and don't fixate on a particular size or technology. Samsung have a 3D LCD TV which had great reviews (I havn't seen it, so I can't say and that what I told a customer last week when he asked), which is about 2/3rds the price of the LED model - so don't dismiss an old technology.



Also don't buy the cheapest thing in the shop - the prices are very keen at the moment, and buying cheap can mean buying twice (unless we advise you its a bargain!). Don't settle for 2nd best, we don't. Currys are selling a LED Sony 32 (the 603) for £549 (which we dont stock). We've got the 703 LED for £599.95. The 603 has a 50hz screen, the 703 a 100hz. For the extra £50 its a no brainer, but if the LED goes up, then the LCD 503 (with 100hz screen) at £533 is better value. The LED might make a difference, but the 100hz certainly will. Also think how you want to record, get the best sound, etc.



As for 3D, see for yourself, but gamers are going to like it, and if the price is right, you get a 200hz screen into the bargain.



Sorry if this a bit long, and it certainly isn't meant to be an advert for my employer, but I like my movies, and I think you ought to see them at their best - so measure your room, be open to ideas, and do some homework such as here. And then look for yourself. When a customer comes in, I'll ask them room and TV size, what they watch, what equipment they have, etc. And I'll ask them a budget, and stick to it. But for your main room, be realistic and think long term, because you'll get better value.

[Mr Pastry Time]

Hi. As someone said, everyone will have a different view and here is mine.

I had a large screen LCD but as I view mostly black and white films quickly got fed up with the poor rendition of the black areas amongst other things. For me there was only one way to go and that was Plasma and I did, having now had my large screen machine for around 16 months and extremely happy with it. Another factor for me was connectivity and I needed a good range of non visible socketry that is not slapped on the front of the box for all to see. This may not apply to you but I also needed suitable S type connections and currently there is a move to remove these from newer models I noticed. Very happy with my Plasma and would never go back to LCD again given a choice.

Just my view...