LCDs being more expensive than Plasma its correct for a Full HD LCD compared to a HD Ready Plasma (which is what everyone compares). Now if you start considering the prices of Full HD Plasmas then its an entirely different ballgame. Sony dumped plasma not because it was an outdated technology, but mainly because they were not selling any plasma TVs. If you apply this analogy then you have to accept Sony's CRTs are bad or did not sell which is not the case, but Sony has discontinued CRT production too. This is only because they want to push LCD sales. In fact Panasonic has gone the other way and is backing plasma over LCD. Coming to plasma days being numbered, well even LCDs days are numbered with OLED coming in. I have seen OLED TVs and both LCDs and Plasmas don't hold a candle to it. In fact Sony and Samsung (the LCD backers/promoters) are going ahead with OLED TVs more than even Panasonic/Pioneer (the plasma backers/promoters). What does this say? The LCD backers themselves want to push new technology because they know LCD days are numbered right? In a year or a couple of years these two companies will be churning out OLED TVs and not LCDs and be giving the same reasons they are now giving for LCD vs. Plasma i.e. OLED is more energy efficient and consumes less power, saves more space, is a better technology, etc. In 2 years LCD along with plasma will be dead simply because Sony/Samsung and other TV manufacturers want to push newer technology in the form of OLED and that too at newer/higher prices.
I've said this before and will say so again. I was a firm believer in LCD is better than plasma because like many I read all the online reviews, forums, etc. and in fact even argued with friends (a couple of whom had Kuro so you can imagine what these guys must have thought of me). Fact is when I put LCD and plasma next to each other and watched them only Sony X series scored against any plasma TV be it Panasonic PV8 and/or Samsung 410/450 and really to compare the Sony X series you will need to put the Kuro next to it and compare. Apart from the Sony X series (to my eyes and IMHO) plasma just rules in PQ at least. Forget all the marketing talk (that's just companies fooling people to sell their products, just look at the Fair & Lovely ads and you'll know what I am talking about) I would really like to know which LCD TV (company/model) really gives better PQ than say a Panasonic PV8 apart from the Sony X series. If anyone can give me a model/make I will really put it next to a PV8 and compare. I've compared almost all companies/models and to my eyes at least the plasmas were always better on head to head or side by side comparision. This is actually watching in side by side comparision forgetting all the jargon on why LCD is better than plasma. Heck, I can show so many links where they say Dolby is better than DTS but all audiophiles know otherwise.
OLED is another story altogether and that's the future.
well u must understand that 2 years ago 32inch lcd used to cost more then a 42inch lcd,yet lcd took the lead.
sony were selling plasmas tvs i have their 2004/5/6 brochure that had plasma .well sony crts didnt sell atleast in india because of the price,when crts were at thier peak,a sony 21inch used to cost as much as a 29inch philips,samsung etc.and todays lcds and plasma show a better picture then crt,i was having a discussion in another UK forums who has a sony XBR series of crt which is the best of the crt and he also has a pioneer kuro and his brother has a X series lcd,well he didnt find the crt holding well against these tvs,in order for it to get good blacks u will need to decrease the brightness,but then u loose shadow detail,so u again increase the brightness black is no longer black,this were pioneer kuro ,X series lcd has the edge overall picture is still better then the sony XBR crt.i myself bought a crt just so that i can by the last sony crt and i just hate the picture they are so tuff on ur eyes.
again panny pv8,sammy410/450 are better then most lcds in SD content,but if u play a native HD content then u will notice that what ever advantage plasma has is gone,motion trail is also visible in plasma,and lcds like sony s,v,w already have equal or greater ANSI contrast then PV8.
and yes lcds days are also numbered but still is years away imo it will take atleast 7 years or more for it to become extinct ,u must note that OLED will start becoming affordable only after 2012 and OLED still have to improve their lifespan.
and plasma well once EU bans them and other countries follow suite then,it will be the end sooner compared to lCDs which have better future with improving contrasts,falling costs,even more improved power efficency with led backlight.
anway another plasma vs LCD:lol: