LCD/Plasma HDTV Poll

[Patrick Long]

Pat, I assume (perhaps wrongly) that you are looking to buy a television. At this time Costco is selling online only an Envision LCD 26" TV with a 2 yr warranty for $399 0r a 32" Envision LCD for $499. That may not be what you are looking for but for a small time guy like me that is right up my alley and I just ordered a 32".

Dale, I dont have costco membership, or any club for that fact. Best buy and Circuit city have some awesome deals going on, and i have a 30% off on items over 500 from there, soo thats where im gonna go. Im just torn. I really like the toshibas, and LGs And id like something a little bigger than 32. I was lookin at the Toshiba 37" and it looked really really good. Thats the one that I thought looked better than the Sonay Bravia for 1300

[dsirkle]

Costco will sell to you online without a membership but they add a $20 fee for a non member. Just sayin' and junk.

[Spaniard]

Dale, I dont have costco membership, or any club for that fact. Best buy and Circuit city have some awesome deals going on, and i have a 30% off on items over 500 from there, soo thats where im gonna go. Im just torn. I really like the toshibas, and LGs And id like something a little bigger than 32. I was lookin at the Toshiba 37" and it looked really really good. Thats the one that I thought looked better than the Sonay Bravia for 1300

Pat just so you know you can go to Costco and tell them you're thinking of joining but would like a free pass to check out and shop the store for a day. I'm pretty sure they give out temporary passes.

I got my t.v. at best buy around the superbowl and got a great deal. One thing I learned when I was shopping was to keep an eye out for the contrast ratio and refresh rates; depending on what you're going to use your t.v. it could make a difference.

[Patrick Long]

Well....its gonna be for TV DVDs PS2 and Xbox 360...thass it!

[Pintado]

We have a plasma Samsung and absolutely thinks its the best. We shopped around quite a bit.

[dracovolans]

Plasma = Better Picture Quality

LCD = Longer Life

[Spaniard]

I picked LG because of all the brands they were the ones with the best of both worlds. Higher contrast ratio means nice picture quality and vivid colors, refresh rates effect how the picture looks during high speed movements, the lower the refresh rate the better the picture looks during times of rapid movement.

I sacrificed a little bit on contrast ratio to get a lower refresh rate; I play a lot of games and DVDs pretty much too.

[Blue Apple Herps]

I have a 32" Westinghouse LCD. It's an older model, but is awesome. Had it for about 2.5 years and its a rocking TV. Would definitely buy Westinghouse again.

Resolution:
720p - great for TV viewing, DVD and Xbox360 or lower game systems
1080p - great for Bluray and PS3 (along with HD TV)
Personally I would only buy a 1080P as that is where everything is heading but 720p are cheaper and unless you have a Bluray or PS3 you won't see any difference)

I remember reading somewhere that at more than a couple of feet away from a screen your eyes can't see the enhanced resolution from 720p to 1080p. But that being said, I agree that 1080p will be able to handle everything so might as well buy it. From a personal experience I have a 720p TV and can't tell a difference between that and 1080p on my friends TV. Both look amazing.

Size: 40" or small buy an LCD, 50" + buy a plasma

I think where you put the TV is also a factor. If you're putting it a brightly lit room, then LCD is better than plasma. That could be a factor for some who's TV is in a room with a lot of light.

And I agree about the Costco, I know they have a lifetime return policy. You can return it for whatever reason.

[ctrlfreq]

Well....its gonna be for TV DVDs PS2 and Xbox 360...thass it!

Among things like ghosting and color definition, you need to pay particularly close attention to the location and room it's used in. Plasmas tend to suffer in high altitudes, and while they can be brighter in "optimal" conditions (ie. no ambient light), LCDs tend to be brighter in "realistic" conditions (a living room with windows, for instance). Also, the material the screens are usually fabricated from have different gloss levels, which can be extremely annoying if you have any windows within the viewing region (you'll constantly see their reflection during the day).

[Patrick Long]

Well, im right on the beach in Cali, so not worried about the elevation, nor the dark room. My room is pretty lit, and I like the NON glare screen anyways, in any room! LOL