Ok this goes out to the HDTV affectionados because it really doesnt matter to me in a practical sense as I doubt I can tell the difference, however, in an academic sense I am curious.
Which is better all other factors being equal would you rather have a 1080 LCD or a 720 Plasma? We will assume a 42 inch screen.
I ask b/c I was in the market for a 32 inch LCD (either 720 or 1080 depending on the price) and got a hell of a deal on a 42 inch plasma 720.
I am not concerned about the 2 of the 3 major plasma makers pulling out of the market I just want to know given the options I outlined above which would have been the better choice from a technical perspective.
Plasmas may not be as sharp, but seem to have more color range and contrast.
Personally, I like any Samsung 1080p. I got a 42" for $888 around xmas - awesome TV.
If you bought from Frys, you probably got the best deal you could - I’ve bought 3 big tv’s from them - all great
LG is good stuff.
Funny story about LG - LG stands for Lucky Gold Stare - that’s right the former Target bargain brand, now re-branded.
LG bought the former Zenith some years ago. I spent a few days down at LG HQ in Lincolnshire, IL. So sad. Zenith was once a great american company. Now they are about 12 old guys in an office building filled with young Korean LG employees. It is like we lost the war …
ALL other things being equal, it is easy – 1080 LCD is better than a 720 plasma.
But, understand that a “cheap” 1080 LCD will be nowhere near as good as a top of the line 720 plasma.
I am bias toward LCD. I just like the picture and refresh rate at 42 inches and smaller. Above 42 inches, the plasmas runs hotter, but, IMO, has a better picture overall b/c the black is deeper and the colors are slightly sharper.
I have a Samsung 32" LCD and a Toshiba 42" LCD. Both are 1080, but, the Samsung is noticably better than the Toshiba. That said, I shopped forever before going with an LCD for the 42 inch and decided on LCD.
Again, we are assume that ALL other things are equal, including your source.
Impossible to answer without specifics. There are TVs of both descriptions that suck, and ones of both that rock. Plasma tends to have better color, and LCs tend to have better brightness and better off-angle viewing.
A 720P plasma can be great, and you probably can’t notice the difference from a 1080p at that size. If it’s a great deal, so for it.
Congrats on the TV - I’m sure you’re going to really enjoy it.
From what I’ve seen and understand, the numbers that manufacturers supply with LCD and Plasma TVs are basically useless. You’ll see some TVs that claim a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and others that claim 50,000:1 or even 1,000,000:1 - it all depends on where they measure and under what conditions… there’s no real standard for measuring various TV performance metrics. I prefer plasma because they seem to perform better in bright environments and they seem to have better black levels and more tolerance for off-axis view angles.
I also don’t get real hung up on the resolution. Sure, 1080p is more sharp than 720p, but sharper doesn’t always = better. To me, the sharpness shows flaws and grain in movies; go to any modern movie theater and the picture will look “soft” - that’s the look that most filmmakers are after. The higher resolution can look better while watching sports, but again, I’ve got 720 and 1080 devices and can’t see any notable improvement between either when watching something like a NFL game.
Enjoy the 720 plasma - you’ll love it. After a while, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to get one. $750 is an excellent price, too, so all-in-all, you done great!
I bought a 48" 1080 LCD that hangs on my bedroom wall. Its a middle of the road Samsung that I picked up for $900 on black friday. Absolutely stunning. But most of the time it only plays in either 720p or 1080i because other than blu-ray, its pretty hard to find broadcast in 1080p. I have directv and they max out their signal at 1080i but alot are only 720p.
Hummmm, wonder if any of the above has anything to do with my credit card thread.
You might want to check consumer reports and also cnet as they both have some good reviews. I bought a plasma and I have been very happy with it. Some plasma sets run a little hotter than LCD and use more power but I think the colors are a little brighter. Another difference is that some plasma sets without the antiglare are not recommended in brightly lit rooms. Ours is in the basement so it works great.
My pick would be a nice 720 plasma over a cheap 1080 LCD. Under 42" the difference should not be noticeable either way though.
$750 is an excellent price, too, so all-in-all, you done great!