LCD vs Plasma - Fact vs Myth

I spite of repeated warnings, this thread seems to veering towards becoming a personal war and of no value to other members. If I see one more post in that direction, I will close this thread.

Cheers
 
Why blame the salesmen if panasonic itself shows a panasonic Z series plasma in their ad and boosts about IPS panel.
 
Contrast Ratio: Advantage - Plasma
Even the best of LCDs are still unable to produce 'deep blacks'.

Pixel Response & Blurring: Advantage - Plasma
This is specially so, with Fast-Moving video. Even the fastest LCDs struggle to produce blur-free images.

Bad Pixels: Advantage - Plasma
LCDs have a higher tendency to develop dead pixels.

Screen Burn-In: Advantage - LCD
Not a big concern any more with current Plasmas.

Colours: Advantage - Plasma
Plasma's can show billions of combinations of red, green & blue, while LCDs tend to have over-dominant greens & reds with an overall colour temperature unsuitable for video material.

Viewing Angle: Advantage Plasma
LCDs suffer from picture quality loss, if watched from angles even as small as 45 degrees.

Power Consumption: Advantage - LCD
Advantage is minimized, when compared to current Plasma models.

Overall Picture Quality: Advantage - Plasma
LCDs perform better only in unnaturally brightly lit showrooms. While, Plasmas have a more, natural looking picture, under normal household conditions.

Picture Resolution: Advantage - Tie
This is a non-issue for sizes over 40".

Longevity: Advantage - Tie
Plasma life is 100,000 hrs i.e. 45 yrs @ 6 hrs/day.

Price to Size Ratio: Advantage - Plasma
This advantage is even greater with larger sizes.


Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) states the the most important aspects of picture quality are (in order of preference):
1) Contrast Ratio
2) Color Saturation
3) Color Accuracy
4) Resolution

Plasmas are generally superior to LCD in all of the areas except for 'resolution'. But not only is 'resolution' 4th on the list, but even that too is an issue, only in sizes below 42". LCDs on the other hand are very difficult to manufacture in large sizes. The largest commercially available LCD is available from Sharp, which is 1920x1080 and is 108". Panasonic on the other hand has a commercially available 150" Plasma with 4K resolution. That's right, that is only, 'FOUR times' the resolution of FULL HD 1920x1080.

Plasmas are preferrable over LCDs, for almost all situations except the following:
In smaller sizes than 42".
For display of static text.
For very bright overly lit public places.
When quality of picture is less important and energy consumption is important, such as always on public displays.

More conclusive, scientific and non subjective comparisons. For anyone who still has doubts on this issue.
LCD-Plasma Display Technology Shoot-Out

This one, is for those still obsessed with FULL HD in small TVs, ie. below 50".
Here's when, 1080p FULL HD matters (Screen Size vs. Viewing Distance vs. Resolution)

Excellent anlaytics. I really like your way of reporting.:clapping:

Could you compare LED Vs Plasma and which brand, model @ 50k?

Thank you for your time
 
Excellent anlaytics. I really like your way of reporting.:clapping:

Could you compare LED Vs Plasma and which brand, model @ 50k?

Thank you for your time

Well no point in such comparisons,since for eg blacks not all plasma have the edge,the contrast of most plasma are lower then lcd since when one factor in the poor brightness of plasmas.
some of the points missed bu the thread starter No mention of IR or burn IN,Phosphor trail /dithering ,ABL etc and the lcd tvs tested in that link are very outdated compared to todays lcds.

So anyone can write facts favoring a tech either by mentioning only the advantages or by failing to mention the drawbacks.
 
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Guys,

I am just putting my personal opinion on why I planning to go with Plasma.
I totally agree that LCD and Plasma are neck-and-neck when it comes to PQ.
I was once chasing the Sony W-series actually ;)
But now I am more inclined towards a Plasma. Why? I felt the Plasma offers better PQ per buck. Let me elaborate.

The best of the best LCDs may beat the plasmas. But are they not expensive compared to Plasmas?
If you take price out of argument, every technology will have its own adv and disadv. And some LCDs may beat Plasmas.

So how a consumer looks for a TV? I think its the budget and the size that he is most concerned.
If you looking for sub-40 no choice. Only LCD.

Its 42 and above where both LCD and Plasma come into play.

I was initially going for 40 about when I had eye on W series of Sony.
Once I decided I wanted a 50 I had to consider the Plasmas.

I could buy the best 2009 50 plasma for around 1.3L (the V10).
The best 3D TV released so far; 50VT20 is rumored to be priced around 1.5L.

So my question is Do we get a 50 LCD TV for the 1.3L that delivers PQ as a V10?. Or Will a matching LCD based 3D TV be available for atleast 2L? If YES, then I have missed some things.

In another post, someone noted that a 60 FullHD plasma would be available at around 1.5L. Will you ever get a 60 LCD below 2L? I doubt ;)

I agree that there will be some LCD that will give same quality as V10. But what would be the price?
The MRP of a Samsung 7-series 40 LED-backlit LCD TV is 1.4L. Note its 40. Just for comparison a 42 G10 has MRP of 75K. i.e. You can buy two G10s for one 7 series Samsung and still you get a bigger TV.
An edge-lit 46 NX700 sets you back to 1.6L. (If I am not wrong EDGE-lit will not have local dimming which gives the best blacks)

Buying smuggled goods was the option that I did not want to take. So these price differences mattered to me.

And I can see one reason for Plasmas not doing so good in India. Leaving the large cities, no electronic shops have plasmas and no one informs the same to the customers :)
Trust me, I am not able to get a catalogue/price quote about the PK550 and C550 in my place even today. Let alone the demo. :)
Am sure this is not the problem in Blore, Mumbai or other metros.
All shop owners I have visited advised against going for plasma. So if my father was to purchase a TV, I am sure he had an LCD. So many people would not even know what they are missing.

When going for Plasma I was equally worried about the power consumption, IR, Burn-in just like I was worried about the response time or viewing angle when I was looking for an LCD.
To be frank, I am no longer worried about the burn-ins as they are not an issue on modern plasmas.

So both have their merits and demerits. One should go for how they plan to use the TV.
Like, LCDs are preferred if you plan to use the TV as monitor for your PC.
Matte screen LCDs are good if you have lighting(or window) opposite to your TV.

Plasmas are preferred anything above 42 if you are price sensitive.

In my opinion, Plasmas have better PQ to price ratio at sizes 42 and above. It does have shortcoming compared to LCDs.

Cheers :)

PS: Dont blame me for quoting MRPs. The prices vary from place to place and I got the MRPs from the respective website. I am also aware that TVs are heavily discounted. However, my point is there is significant gap in pricing even after discount.
 
We have a live-in help who spends most of her free time during the day watching TV (and serials in the evening). That's why I am hesitant to buy a plasma because it consumes a lot of power and with that usage, I'll be bankrupt in short time. Just saying that these are also some of the constraints when selecting a TV.
 
Well lower end Edge lit tvs have the same black levels as CCFL displays,the tvs from samsung and sony does have deep blacks levels often surpassing or matching majority of the plasmas.

Now no matter how expensive the plasma is like the very best pioneer kuro its still has all the drawbacks of the plasma.so one has to decide which suits them better.

So i would say you get more screen size per buck in plasmas not necessarily better PQ.
 
^Auto dimming becomes a problem with the edge-lit LCDs.. so it's more prudent to measure their black levels with something on the screen. Check out hdtvtest's review of the Samsung UC8000.. black level is 0.06cd/m^2, which is higher than the G20 even.
 
We have a live-in help who spends most of her free time during the day watching TV (and serials in the evening). That's why I am hesitant to buy a plasma because it consumes a lot of power and with that usage, I'll be bankrupt in short time. Just saying that these are also some of the constraints when selecting a TV.

While checking some TV's recently what I found is that the difference between LCD and Plasma with respect to power consumption is not much. I was checking the specs of a Pana LCD and a Pana Plasma, both are of 42 inch size and the difference was only 23 watts (155 for LCD vs. 178 for Plasma). I might be wrong slightly regarding the actual figures but one thing I can clearly remember that the difference was not much for these newer TVs. Didn't checked for bigger sized panels though.
 
While checking some TV's recently what I found is that the difference between LCD and Plasma with respect to power consumption is not much. I was checking the specs of a Pana LCD and a Pana Plasma, both are of 42 inch size and the difference was only 23 watts (155 for LCD vs. 178 for Plasma). I might be wrong slightly regarding the actual figures but one thing I can clearly remember that the difference was not much for these newer TVs. Didn't checked for bigger sized panels though.

Not sure about 42" but all the 50" plasmas that I have looked at had atleast 350W listed on them.
 
lcd manufactures quote the max power consumption in their specs which is at max backlight setting ,wheres as plasma manufactures lately quote the typical operational power consumption which is not the max power consumption,which occurs at full white screen and remember lcds are brighter then plasma even at low backlight settings.
The only way plasma manufactures are able to meet the new energy standards are by limiting the brightness.
 
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Why would anyone would stare at a blank white screen anyway? typical operational power consumption anyway seems to be what the actual power consumption will be. And as my personal preference I find the LCD's bit too bright anyway. Some scenes look good on LCD but most look good on Plasma without eyes being strained. Now anyway that's a personal perception and I don't want to debate on that.
 
We have a live-in help who spends most of her free time during the day watching TV (and serials in the evening). That's why I am hesitant to buy a plasma because it consumes a lot of power and with that usage, I'll be bankrupt in short time. Just saying that these are also some of the constraints when selecting a TV.

Well, the lesser price would factor in there as well. Not to add to the argument but I think it is futile discussing which one is the best. To each his own.
 
So i would say you get more screen size per buck in plasmas not necessarily better PQ.

I am not sure whether I understood your point.
Do you mean that V10 does not offer a good PQ or do you mean that there are LCDs at that price point(1.3L) which offer better PQ?

Because frankly, I have not seen a V10. Most reviews declared it as the best 2009 model. So my assumption that V10 is the best 2009 model may be wrong.
Who knows, Panasonic may be funding those reviewers ;)

Humour aside, Can you let me know the largest LCD TV that I can buy at 1.3L and still out-performs a V10 in PQ?

This query is just for my information. I was assuming until now that getting a V10 like PQ in LCD will only be in expensive LCDs(unless I go for a 32" or less).
 
I am not sure whether I understood your point.
Do you mean that V10 does not offer a good PQ or do you mean that there are LCDs at that price point(1.3L) which offer better PQ?

Because frankly, I have not seen a V10. Most reviews declared it as the best 2009 model. So my assumption that V10 is the best 2009 model may be wrong.
Who knows, Panasonic may be funding those reviewers ;)

Humour aside, Can you let me know the largest LCD TV that I can buy at 1.3L and still out-performs a V10 in PQ?

This query is just for my information. I was assuming until now that getting a V10 like PQ in LCD will only be in expensive LCDs(unless I go for a 32" or less).

Well like i said before i was generally speaking. the plasma be it the pioneer kuro still has it flaws,it also effected by ABL,its also effected by loss of contrast due to glare,it cannot show judder free 24p movies.

So it all comes down to this whats your viewing conditions and your preference and criteria.

As far as the V10 its also effected by the rising black levels,ABL,glare,phopor trail etc.
those deep blacks can be seen only at night or dark viewing conditions.

In case you read some professional reviews lately many mention specifically about the plasma daytime black or the effect of ambient light in plasmas.

So what i am saying just like you discount the IR and burn in.buyers will also discount the viewing angles which is often the trump card for pro plasma and fanboys,their earlier trump card was contrast.
so it all comes down to what you live with and without.

Anyway with respect to your potential purchase honestly i don't know why one would buy a V10 if the better V20 is around the corner.
unlike last years model where the G10 and V10 where the same or very close in contrast ratio,this year the V20 panels have much deeper blacks then the g20
 
Can you explain why ?

Well its because certain tvs have AMP,Motionflow etc like the ones you find in samsung and sony which remove judder ,with samsungs being more effective.
Even plasma makers like samsung are implementing it on their tvs offcourse it works differently compared to lcd approach.
 
Not sure about 42" but all the 50" plasmas that I have looked at had atleast 350W listed on them.
The 50U320 is listed with a maximum power consumption of 320W. Now keep in mind that this is the 'maximum' consumption and as stated earlier, only possible if you had a totally white screen with full brightness on and at all times. Obviously not a real or practical scenario ofr even aminute, let alone all the time. Basically, Plasma technology uses different levels of power at different times based on the picture displayed and also the picture settings set in the TV. LCDs on the other hand use the same level of power at all times, thus regardless of what settings you use and what is played on the screen, a LCD consumes the maximum rated power at all times. As a matter of fact, most reviewers have reported that a properly calibirated plasma ends up using only slightly more power (average consumption) than most LCDs of the same size.
Bottom line, if you buy a LCD instead of a Plasma, please let be for any other reason but this myth of very high power consumption of Plasma TVs
 
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