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lcd vs plasma

12 years ago

I may be posting this where it doesn't belong but don't know where else to put it.

I need a TV. All I can find is LCD & PLASMA. LCD is a lot cheaper but a friend told me that they don't last as long. Another problem is plasma is so large & my apt is so small.

What experiences have all of U had with LCD TVs?

My monitor is LCD & it has served me well.

Thanks,

Dar

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Comments (22)

mikie_gw
12 years ago
You don't say what size you want but if not huge I know without a doubt I would be looking at LED TV's . Just looked at 32 inch.. $278 price is reasonable at Walmarts stuff.

LED is so very low on power usage..its really kind of WoW on the power bill if you run the tv lots. And its bright too & should last long time.
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azinoh
12 years ago
I have 2 Samsung LCDs (a 46 in 1080p & a 32 in 720p) that are both 2010 models. They still look as good as new and have given me no problems whatsoever. Others may disagree, but I've yet to see another brand that looks better than what I have & I've seen a great many that don't look as good. YMMV. Good luck with your choice.
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Ok gang, the debate here would be the same as anywhere...it probably points to personal preference and word of mouth from family and friends on whether you end up buying a "Ford or Chevy" of the flat screen panels. They work on 2 different technologies to produce the same thing, a picture. Energy costs of the Plasma are higher because of the need to introduce an electrical charge into a gas (neon, Xenon, etc) at every pixel to produce a color (even to produce the color black). Thus all the pixels together, produce a picture. How long does it take the various gases to leak out? Probably just like refrigerant in a refrigerator, etc....varies depending on the particular unit itself. As the gases leak, the picture fades until eventually, there is none.The gases cannot be replaced. The LCD unit works on the principle of refracting light. It has one cfl type light that is refracted to provide different characteristics on the liquid crystal to provide the picture as current is passed through it. The liquid crystal is very similar to liquid dish soap with a lot of salt mixed in it, sandwiched between 2 types of polarized glass. Over time, the cfl type light may change color, similar to that in a florescent light tube (when it turns pink or black, etc.), which will alter the images. The light source usually cannot be replaced. The Plasma will show high speed action better than LCD, which will show a bit of blur to those who are attuned to it. The LCD has the advantage where the screens can be made as small as 5 inches diagonal where the plasma cannot. The LCD provides better clarity when connected to a computer where Plasma does not. The Plasma provides better picture quality when viewed from far left, far right, from above and from below than the LCD. Basically, they both provide a good picture when operating normally, cost is close to the same and they both are good for at least 60,000 hours of viewing before the possibility of deteriorated picture quality. Here's my opinion on this as well as any other competitive product.....what kind of warranty will you get, what kind of customer service can you expect from the supplier and the manufacturer. I hear Samsung is one of the better of all the evils....I don't know because I still use all my older tv's that give great pictures. As they wear out, I'll be in the same boat as the OP !!!
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Personally, I would go with an LED-LCD. I'll explain briefly the characteristics of 3 choices to perhaps help you make a choice. You'll notice a big price drop this year on regular LCD and Plasma's because they want to reduce the supplies. I'll start with Plasma...every pixel on a Plasma tv gets used. Even the color black, is a color that gets defined on a pixel. Each of the pixels on the screen is a cell filled with a gas similar to neon that reacts to various voltages that provide the colors. Over time, the gas leaks out of some of the cells. It's not very noticeable at first but in certain scenes, you might see a tiny black dot that you may even think is a spec of dust at first. As more of the cells deteriorate, the problem gets worse as time goes on. The time span of course depends on the quality of the unit. You can expect to see this maybe after the 5th year. I'm not saying all will do it in that time span but eventually, the problem is inevitable. A regular LCD tv is different. The screen is made up of liquid crystals. You can actually make an LCD display using a mixture of dish soap and salt sandwiched between polarized glass. When you introduce various voltages, you'll get images on the screen. The LCD must use what is called a "backlight". This backlight is similar to a florescent bulb. They are not user replaceable. I'm sure you've seen how over time, a florescent bulb starts getting dark on the ends and eventually it gets progressively worse. The same thing happens on the backlight over time. If you and your family watch the tv often, you may not notice it right away or, you'll find yourself fooling with the brightness and contrast allot. Again it could start as early as 5 years. I've seen them start after 2 years and some earlier, it depends on the quality. The LED-LCD is the going thing right now. The liquid crystal are pretty much the same but the "backlighting" is LED (light emitting Diode"). LED's give a much better light and you'll notice the sharpness is very good. LED's have a tendency to last many years (some anticipated to 50 years or more, many know to last 25 years for sure). Yes, there is a possibility some can go bad sooner but for the most part, they are very reliable. Visit anyplace like Wal-Mart, Sears, Best Buy, SAMS, Costco that has many of each type on display. You'll see the LED-LCD is much sharper. When buying, I recommend a non reflective screen. If you can get one with a flat finish around the edges, I think that would be better on the eyes also. Most have the glossy "Piano" finish around the frame and after a while, you get used to it and don't notice. But a non-reflective screen (flat) with a non reflective outer edge is what I prefer. Check them out when you are looking, you'll surely see what I mean. The LED-LCD is right now, the higher priced of the 3. If price is the preference, you'll see large screen Plasma and regular LCD really greatly reduced in price these days. I hope this info helps you in your shopping and good luck!!!
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX
12 years ago
I would only go plasma when I got my 58" Samsung plasma tv. I went and viewed various types but to me that plasma surpassed all. I have never been sorry, we adore it. Got ours at Costco.
The only way you can determine what you want is to go view some. I would suggest LED if going that route.
Personally I would do the same thing again.
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DA_Mccoy
12 years ago
I remembered the below thread that I recovered by using the Forum's search engine.

My Samsung is still outstanding, and my daughter's family purchased the comparable model this year and it is just as great.

When doing my research in 2011 Consumer Reports then stated most viewers cannot tell the difference between LCD and LED.

DA

Here is a link that might be useful: Computer Help
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Farbuncle
12 years ago
I have a plasma and two lcd's, the plasma is much better, but the lcd is good
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sushipup1
12 years ago
Plasma may have a wonderful picture, but if you have a bright room, you'll get a lot of reflection off the plasma's shiny screen. In that circumstance, the LCD is far better.
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX
12 years ago
Samsung has technology that defeats that problem. The room my tv is in has one big full wall of glass that gets direct sunlight for a good portion of the day and here in the Houston area that means bright sunshine, the windows have zero tint and zero coverings, so just straight clear glass wall. If there was going to be a problem we have the perfect situation for it. But not a problem, even when the sun is shining straight in. We can sit any where in the room and watch the tv. That was one of my main reasons for choosing the Samsung.

Now one thing is that the plasmas are much heavier than LCD or Led.

Another reason I personally wanted plasma is the ease of cleaning, it is a glass screen, I don't like the LCD on my monitor because of its screen and how careful you have to be in cleaning it.
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sugar_fl
Original Author
12 years ago
UH OH now I have another question..
What is the difference in LCD & Led?
Dar
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DA_Mccoy
12 years ago
Using our friend Google, type in the keywords "LCD versus LED" (sans quotes). You get all the reading you need about the difference, and buyer guides.

DA
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mike_kaiser_gw
12 years ago
There are two kinds of TVs, plasma and LCD. LED is a subset of LCD and refers to how the panel is light. LED offers some advantages, depending on how the LEDs are used to light the panel. One of the biggest challenges with LCD panels has always been making black appear truly black because with LCD light passes through the panel. With some, typically expensive, LCDs the LEDs are placed the behind the panel and can be selectively turned off. The result is blacker blacks.
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urlee
12 years ago
Dar,
I am at my wits end trying to find a TV to replace my 50" big screen plasma Mitsubishi which recently stopped displaying the pictures. Can be watched using (going through) my standalone DVR but then I can not watch a different channel when recording.
I had 11 years of enjoyment (screen size) but 11 years of unhappiness of fighting the GLARE of the screen. Hopefully I will find a TV I can watch without glare and not having to pull down all my shades in the daytime!
Trying to convince myself a 47" will do. (miss 50"?)
I found this site VERY helpful in explaining many of the questions I wanted to know about the new TVs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Superb info
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azinoh
12 years ago
Interesting that the link above agrees with me. The first "best LCD" on the list is the current model of the same Samsung I have (mine is a LN46C610). Great tv for the price. If I needed another tv tomorrow, the first one I'd look at would be a Samsung.
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Farbuncle
12 years ago
Why would anyone want to watch a tv in a brightly lit room? AS to which is best under those conditions is a matter of opinion. The LCD also has glare and the picture has a very washed out appearance. My choice would be neither under those conditions.
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sushipup1
12 years ago
Why would anyone watch TV in a brightly lit room? Because most of us who have windows don't want to love in a cave and keep the curtains drawn all the time. Or the room is otherwise lit, like a kitchen.
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DA_Mccoy
12 years ago
"Why would anyone watch TV in a brightly lit room?"

I have a 30x20 foot living room facing the south. The room opens north through a 12 foot arch to the dining room. The dining room has a traditional Anderson door wall while the living room has a large Pella bay window. So I have a great open air presentation, lots of room, lots of comfort, and lots of light. And living out in rural America I don't close my blinds day or night. So plasma was not considered here.

From the squidoo.com page referred to: "Summary: There is little benefit in paying more for an LED HDTV rather than simply getting an LCD HDTV. The whole LED market is more hype than anything else. However, they are more energy efficient than LCDs, and can be extremely thin."

Kinda like I reported during my shopping investigation last year.

DA
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urlee
12 years ago
* Farbuncle (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 12:19
Why would anyone want to watch a tv in a brightly lit room?

I surely wouldn't but have to.
I have no other choice but to put the TV in the Living Room like 100% of the people do, which in my case, has windows on the South and East side.
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stoveguyy
12 years ago
Sugar seemed to disappear from thread? I think a big point is screen size? LCD is from 20-50" or so. No plasma under 37"? So if OP wants a 32" set, than they will have to get a LCD. They like LCD monitor for computer use. Probably 20-23" size? Buddy went from 42 plasma to 60 LCD and he was a little Leary about LCD at first but loves it now.
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urlee
12 years ago
Kinda like I reported during my shopping investigation last year.
DA

You mean THIS
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urlee
12 years ago
Have you ever heard of the saying, "Gas Guzzler"?

I just happened to look at the specs for my Mitsubishi plasma big screen and seen it as 200 Watts! (Power Guzzler?)
WOWIE. Is that the same as having a 200 watt bulb on?
Would I see a difference in my electric bill if I purchased LCD/LED? (smiles)
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bob414
12 years ago
200 Watts times 5 hours = 1 KW hour, 12 to 15 cents on your electric bill going by the rates in my area. Use it 5 hours for 30 days and it'll cost around $4.00.
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urlee
12 years ago
Thanks Bob for the info for me to check to see on my bill what it is.
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mikie_gw
12 years ago
I have led laptop....... its way bright
Its set to... let me look
35% of max

My old fluorescent lcd laptop was usually set I think about 60% for the same eyes, probably about same level of lumens brightness.

New laptop.. 2.3 i3 intel dual core mobile ... fakes 4 cores? ... usually is using 11 watts while I'm sitting here doing webpages.
Old one, slower cycles, low watt dual core intel mobile processor, used 20 watts to do same thing.
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