TV Buying Guide - LED (LCD) or Plasma

[just4kix]

Interesting situation here - to go for a arguably better product (Panasonic Plasma) with a usually bad after sales service or a slightly lessor known/perceived product (LG Plasmas) with probably better after sales...

I think that it (the decision) should be based on the product. I made a bad choice of going with Samsung when buying Ac. Not that they are bad. But when compared to my older Hitachi, the Samsungs pale in performance.

Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2

 

[rajatk]

I think that it (the decision) should be based on the product. I made a bad choice of going with Samsung when buying Ac. Not that they are bad. But when compared to my older Hitachi, the Samsungs pale in performance.

Sent from my GT-I9100G using Tapatalk 2

I also own a Samsung Window AC and it has gone down in performance, the Napoleon one in other room still goes strong " thanda thanda cool cool"...

So you would suggest going for Panasonic Plasma (X/XT50) over LG Full HD PA6500 for same price range in LG... (65-67K including 3 yr warranty)...

 

[HDFREAK]

Can any plasma owner confirm that their tvs will last more than 10 yrs without any trouble...so under this prediction it's not fair to comment on LED longevity.
And I am very scrupulous about black..I mostly see BD and use THX optimizer to achieve perfect black level..I can tell you that I don't see any brownish tint where a deep black scene is displayed(like in dark knight BD most action scenes are occurring in low light).

My Plasma's (50PK550) PDP got defective thrice in 2 years:sad: . Once just before expiring the warranty, and twice within next 1 year. What about LCD/LED owners' experience?

 

[just4kix]

In reply to [post=392564]this post[/post] ... and the replies thereof ...

just4kix , please check your news sources you quoted


your article is very very old by David Katzmaier |March 2, 2009 9:50 AM PST those days only plasma was phased out gradually

i can feel you believe in plasma......but I guess the forum members will get ditrated by old news you have put .

Most buyers know that why you want to push a different story

and the replies thereof ...

I had two LCD's > LG -LD650 & Sony Bravia...for over 4-5 years....Now moved to basic version of Panasonic XT50 and it hands down beats any LED ever seen on the wall.....Its just HD ready....

Only issue can be reflections in a well lit room,...having said that dont go by how Plasma look in showroom....Own one and then compare..

With lights off its like an angel with WOW black levels and LCD is like a shooting star hitting you in eyes.....

Also, I first saw plasma 7 years back when my bro imported it from US.....

I feel stupid now that I sold it off and replaced it with a LCD.....

At least for 40-50K, trust me this is the best TV in market...also lets not forget you get 3 years warranty ....Icing on cake is HT free...

Mere Vilayati Chacha,

Dont get personal or you will soon get the stick, everyone has a right to give their opinion but you need not get personal...

google pe top TV HDTV 2011 or 2012 search kar lena & see the links that you get (like CNET) and what they have to say about plasmas... anyways I know you are doing this since long on this forum and would not change bcos of this 1 post...

As they say " ignorance is bliss " :sad:

My dear friends, nishabfss and Rajat,

Thank you for your support. I am neither angry nor upset. Disappointed, yes. Disappointed that a senior member with so many thanks chooses to be obtuse.
------------------------------
Dear Mr. Kaushik, I knew perfectly well that the article was older. But that does not mean that the truth has changed dramatically over the years. Yes. But please check the later two sources - they are as good as yesterday.

LED TV sales far outstrip plasma sales. No one doubts that or debates that. When the story is old or new, it is the universal truth that no LED TV can beat plasma for sheer quality. In fact, for colour faithfulness, contrast and response time, it does not beat CRT TV also. Any owner of Sony Hi-Black Super Trinitron will agree with this fact. LED TV is not even a new technlogy basically being LCD TV backlit/edgelit by white LED light. In fact, LCD existance preceeded plasma.

I already said in this thread that when (and not if) OLED become cheaper and eventually replace plasma, they will replace LED also. People who believe that LED will not die because OLED contain the letters 'L','E','D', are living in delusion. My ST50 will become obsolete, not in 3-4 years, but next year itself. But so will the LG LM6700, Samsung 7/8 Series, or the Sony HX-950.

But if people choose to believe that LED is better then that is their business.

And Mr. Kaushik, you have so kind to be forthright ... so please explain this too:

Most buyers know that why you want to push a different story

Now, come on. You have been doing great till now. Please don't be shy now ...

 

[arnprasad]

and yeah try getting a 50 inch 3d LED for 50K!!!!!!!!!!!

he he..they dont even have a 50 inch size...and 1.5 lacs for a 55 incher!!!! and to enjoy a pixel free viewing on 55 inches - you need to be atleast 15 feet away.

I have moved from a 46 inch LCD (full HD) to 50 inch Plasma (720p) - the LCD definitely is brighter and is pleasing to the eye in a bright room. But I would say for normal use (not movies only) - LCD is better but the difference between a LCD and Plasma in this situation is like 95% to 100% with LCD being 100%. But for the 5% improvement in SD viewing for LCD see what you are getting for a Plasma - I am comparing it with 50XT50 here

1) A big % decrease in price - 50K only for 50 inches of heaven
2) 3 years warranty vs 1 year for any LCD
3) 4 inches more for lesser money
4) And if you are sitting less than 8 feet - the Plasma picture is softer but presents no pixellation -

So overall although I miss my LCD TV brightness- every succeeding day of owning my Plasma is bridging that 5% gap:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

 

[kingfisher]

In reply to [post=392564]this post[/post]
In fact, for colour faithfulness, contrast and response time, it does not beat CRT TV also. Any owner of Sony Hi-Black Super Trinitron will agree with this fact.

Yes. Its true. I own a Sony Trinitron CRT bought for 7.5 K which is far better than the some of the costliest LCD/LED I saw. Advantages of LCD/LED includes lower power consumption, less weight, etc but NOT the picture quality. I prefer CRT TVs over LED/LCD in case of picture quality.

 

[gizmofreak]

Hi,

As suggested by many in different threads, I would like to take with me different type of clips like full HD clip, high speed video clip etc to check the performance of the TV before purchasing. Please suggest some good performance measuring clips and place from where I can download it.

 

[arnprasad]

Depends on what you watch. If primarily its Cable/DTH - the showroom should have them -so watch your favorite channels and the TV that you are demoing. dont go much with the demo material..they look good on all TVs..watch real life materials which for most people will be cable/DTH

 

[prosenjit]

plasmas are boss.no lcd and led can compete with plasmas(only panny plasmas) in picture quality...if you are a hardcore movie watcher u will be sorry after buying lcd like me I am very unsatisfied with lcd...........go for panny plasmas blindly.lcd/led cant produce the natural color and skin tone specially

 

[sripra]

I bought a Panasonic Plasma(50") team around 6 months back.I am literally impressed by the performance.Pictures are so natural and life like
I advocate going in for a plasma if you are thinking of going for a bigger screen(42" and above)

Prasad

 

[sripra]

an add-on.
If you have a good home theater,then watching a movie in Plasma is no less experience than watching the same on silver screen

 

[audio_passionate]

I bought a Panasonic Plasma(50") team around 6 months back.I am literally impressed by the performance.Pictures are so natural and life like
I advocate going in for a plasma if you are thinking of going for a bigger screen(42" and above)

Prasad

can you please tell me the model no. please

 

[Swarna Surjya Chakraborty]

In reply to [post=392564]this post[/post] ... and LED TV sales far outstrip plasma sales. No one doubts that or debates that. When the story is old or new, it is the universal truth that no LED TV can beat plasma for sheer quality. In fact, for colour faithfulness, contrast and response time, it does not beat CRT TV also. Any owner of Sony Hi-Black Super Trinitron will agree with this fact. LED TV is not even a new technlogy basically being LCD TV backlit/edgelit by white LED light. In fact, LCD existance preceeded plasma.

I agree with j4k. I own a LG Ultrasim CRT 2010 Model with 3D comb filter which had a price tag of 7.5 k at that time. I genuinely feel that the black level it produces can beat any flat screen any time. I maintain a contrast of 37, a sharpness of 15..believe me I never felt any need to increase the levels even after 3 years. I went to some showrooms nearby to search for a flat screen earlier this year but was disappointed by the PQ produced by LED sub 40K. I believe that unlike CRT the modern day Panels are not that reliable for a huge investment. There was a Sammy PDP 42E4900 coming with a 3D BD player for 42K which was a killer but I somehow felt that the logo text and text related materials were getting messed up when seen from 3 ft distance. May be this was because of 768x1024 resolution of low range PDPs. In my room I have a maximum viewing distance of 5 ft..so I decided to keep my Panel hunt paused for the time being until I have enough budget to go for a FHD PDP...at least PDPs are known to last more than an LCD.
However I still believe that the price/inch ratio of the flat panels(LCD/PDP) is not justified when there is are so many points against each of them. It is proved now that CRT is still the undisputed king of display technology.
I sometimes feel that I should consider a 29 inch CRT if available in the market..Any suggestion from you expert? I am currently using a SD Digital Cable connection and may not upgrade any sooner.

 

[pawandeepalw]

Hi Friends,

From long time I am watching this forum and also have read many articles and reviews on internet.
From my own experience, I own a LG 200Hz 47 inches and Panasonic VT20.
If I compare picture quality, there is no such comparison. Plasmas are the best;
However as said in previous threads, LCD/LED have their own advantages. One is power consumption, monitory wise not much difference as its hardly few hundred bucks a year which can be sacrificed for belter picture quality but it comes to picture when you have power cuts. My inverter cannot take load of my Plasma, however there is no such problem with LCD. That feature is really usable in such condition. SO if you are not much pixel peeper or videophollic then go for LCD/LED.

One more point Plasma is always smooth to eyes , if you have small kids at home then I would say you should go for Plasma . From my own experience my Kids love to watch LCD due to bright and vivid colors but they get tired very soon and have tears in their eyes due to brightness level of LCD. However they have watched Plasma for very long duration without such issues. So choice is yours.

Now come to another question by 95% TV sold are LCD. There is a simple answer to this.
Marketing. But companies promoting LCDs?
All companies are promoting LCD/LED tvs, why because they are cheaper to make lighter for transportation and more esthetic then Glass screen of Plasma. So this make them to earn more bucks per unit. Do you know LED panel are actually cheaper to manufacture then LCD. But LED are sold at premier price by the name its better and consume less electricity. Believe me LCD TVs are better than edge lite LED TVS for uniformity but LCDs are thicker then LED tvs ; that is the selling point. Where are getting more bucks.
Now to question why 95% people bye LED/LCD TVs.
1) Advertisements by multiple manufactures. In any day you see advertisement of LED and LCD TVs , but hardly see anything about Plasma. LCD panels are cheaper and easy to made so we have multiple manufacturer even small companies are also in that race. So most of us are only see flat panel TVs are LCD TVs. They dont even aware about Plasmas
2) In Shops/Showrooms they have put plasma and LEDs together which makes it DULL in from of it. Is that is fare comparison? Comparison should be between apple to apple.
Earlier I was also in such perception that LED TVs are better as I have one LCD tv with me. But when I visited Panasonic Showroom, it changed my entire perception about TVs.
Showroom was normally lighted neither very bright not dull similar to my home. They have put LED on all walls but they have put VT-20 in entirely different corner away from other TVs. From where I was able to done proper comparison. I have visited them multiple times to confirm.
I have 2+ years of my VT20 and I still love it. There is one bad news that there is some problem with my VT-20 that its panel went bad and thanks to 3 years warranty of Panasonic they are happy to replace with new upgraded model. SO I have very good respect for this brand. And overall I am happy with my choice over LCD from LG.

I think above points can may help you in taking right decision.

Thanks
Pawandeep

 

[Dirac]

Our bad luck in being India is that Panasonic won't release all top end models in India.
Above that the recent tax increase on flat panel imports.
If a panasonic vt60 is released in India, I am sure there are more people who would love to pay the premium price.

 

[pawandeepalw]

Our bad luck in being India is that Panasonic won't release all top end models in India.
Above that the recent tax increase on flat panel imports.
If a Panasonic VT60 is released in India, I am sure there are more people who would love to pay the premium price.

That's true, Now they are having trouble in providing replacement to me. VT series is not available in India Maximum they have is VT series ; initially they offered me 55 inches DT LED; but I insist them for plasma only ;

Then they offered 65VT30 after paying difference amount of MRP which is hify 170000. and I refused to pay them now they have exclated issue to senior management ; lets see which model they are going to finalize for me.

Problem is once you experience Panasonic top line plasma, I am afraid you will not settle for any other TV. all other will look like sub standards / mediocre

So now waiting for there response

 

[Dirac]

Very true. Anything other than a panasonic plasma is like committing herecy for me.

 

[Naturelover]

Hi Friends,

One more point Plasma is always smooth to eyes , if you have small kids at home then I would say you should go for Plasma . From my own experience my Kids love to watch LCD due to bright and vivid colors but they get tired very soon and have tears in their eyes due to brightness level of LCD. However they have watched Plasma for very long duration without such issues. So choice is yours.

Now come to another question by 95% TV sold are LCD. There is a simple answer to this.
Marketing. But companies promoting LCDs?
All companies are promoting LCD/LED tvs, why because they are cheaper to make lighter for transportation and more esthetic then Glass screen of Plasma. So this make them to earn more bucks per unit. Do you know LED panel are actually cheaper to manufacture then LCD. But LED are sold at premier price by the name its better and consume less electricity. Believe me LCD TVs are better than edge lite LED TVS for uniformity but LCDs are thicker then LED tvs ; that is the selling point. Where are getting more bucks.
Now to question why 95% people bye LED/LCD TVs.
1) Advertisements by multiple manufactures. In any day you see advertisement of LED and LCD TVs , but hardly see anything about Plasma. LCD panels are cheaper and easy to made so we have multiple manufacturer even small companies are also in that race. So most of us are only see flat panel TVs are LCD TVs. They dont even aware about Plasmas
2) In Shops/Showrooms they have put plasma and LEDs together which makes it DULL in from of it. Is that is fare comparison? Comparison should be between apple to apple.

Great write-up!
All doubters must read this article. Do also scroll down for comments by geertsen.

 

[aajjay24]

thanks very useful

 

[soorya_g]

I was also looking to upgrade my Samsung 40" LCD and studied various models in internet and local shops. As my concern was only better picture quality as I have other devices for sound (onkyo HD) and internet ( Google TV-Logitech Revue).
Finally I decided to go for Panny Plasma 50" at about 70K. As usual the salesmen discouraged plasma with XYZ reasons and I also got an impression that if some problem occurs it will not be rectified locally easily. Glaring of light is another thing though it is minimal in Panny.
But the main reason to give up the idea of plasma is, it uses 300+ Watts power (nearly 3times to LED of the same size) and my Onkyo HD requires more than 700 watts thus the total goes beyond 1000 watts. Hence I have given up the idea not because of the cost of power but due to the HEAT that generates in the surrounding area during summer in particular.
After comparing all the LED models in several stores I have come to a conclusion Sony 800 series is a good one in all respects. But is too expensive and I don't want to pay for the provisions which I never use and thought Panasonic LED is value for money ( as per my requirement) . Negotiated the prices with the dealers and finally fixed for Panasonic TH-L50B6D , a 2013 model has been installed yesterday.( Bought at 64.5K)