Looking at buying a new tv

[mean05]

So there is now LCD...Plasma...and LED tv's...what are the differences and which is the best bang for the buck? Im completely lost in all this stuff lol

[lo-lyf]

plasma is probably best for the price. LED have a MUCH better picture but it is new technology so expect to possibly have some issues. What is nice about plasma is that the picture doesn't distort(turn negative) at any angle. Bad thing about plasma is the back light can go out and you have to replace that I've heard they aren't too cheap. My recommendation is getting a LG from a mom and pop dealer, they are a better TV than you can get at bestbuy or any nationwide chain. I used to work for an authorized LG dealer and at our training they had a big box TV next to a mom and pop TV and you could actually tell the difference in scene transition and color sharpness. I think Samsung and LG are about the best out there IMO. Pioneer and Panasonic are now the same company(or so I was told by a Panasonic dealer, I kinda call bs). I would stay away from the cheaper brands. You always get what you pay for when it comes to electronics!

[bangbangskeetskeet]

I have a Sony 56" and it's amazing. One of my family friends have a Sharp 44" or 46" and paid more than what we did for the 56" and I think the picture is better in our "lower class" tv. Shoot just go to a tv store and look at them. Whatever picture looks better to YOU is the best tv for YOU.

[conekiller01]

Samsung FTW!!!!! i got a 50" plasma picture quality is awesome only thing about plasma's is dont watch things with still images becuz they will burn into the screen those things get HOTTTT and dont skimp on cables when I went from component cables to all gold plated HDMI cables it was 10000000X better but its all in what you want Plasma is best bang for the buck and dont let the salesman scare you out of it by saying the bulb burns out because they supposedly burn out after 100,000 hrs of continuous play or abouit 10 yrs of normal use....in my opinion i wouldnt doubt technology will advance to 3D holograms by then

[Larry1962us]

Samsung,120 hz lcd 1080p. I have the 46" LN46A650 and it has a beautiful picture but the audio sux. No big deal most people use their stereo for audio anyway.
It will run you around $1500 for a 46" and 17-18 for a 55". The new LED (light emitting diode)models are the way to go. They typically run about $500-$800 more per set.You can usually get the best deal around Xmas time.I personally don't care for the picture quality or the reliability on the plasma sets. I have installed satellite and digital catv on a lot of sets and Samsung,Sony and LG are some of the best.Mitsubishi has a good picture on their DLP sets and are pretty inexpensive but they are rear projection and quite a bit larger than the plasma and lcd/leds.Read the reviews and go to the stores and look at side by side comparisons.Do not spend $70.00 for HDMI cables go to Fry's electronics and pick them up for $8-$10.Sure gold plated is better but you will not see a better picture with the naked eye.

[mean05]

Hmm i think i will go hit up best buy later...i have had a plasma and a LCD and the plasma had a better picture, specially when watching a dvd...colors were a lot more brilliant IMO...but i was looking for reviews and such on the LED tv...i know alot about the LED's we use for signs and what not...looks like i will be going to best buy here in a bit...please others chime in i would still like to know what you guys all think

[randomhero]

If you like buying from a brick and mortar company then that's a personal preference(Nothing wrong with that), but don't buy a TV based on how it looks from the show room.

HDTVs, need a ton of calibration to look good. Many manufacturers ship their TVs from the factory with most of the settings maxed out. The brightness is one of the biggest ones. People(like bugs) seem to be naturally attracted to the brightest one.

Bottom line is buy a tv based on reviews and not how it looks on the show room floor.

If your room has quite a few windows then go with an LCD, but if it's setup for actual movie/tv/etc watching then go wtih a Plasma. LCDs have come a very long way over the past 2 years. The 120hz LCDs are very close in quality to the quality of Plasma. With that said, the LEDs are the baddest(within reason) tvs on the market, but expect to pay two or even three times as much for one.

All things considered though get a Panasonic Plasma. They are the best bang for the buck, and have exceptional reviews. They have the picture quality of a $3000 tv, but at less than half the cost.

Costco had the 50" 1080p Panasonic Plasma for around $1000 a couple weeks ago(Costco also doubles the manfuacturer's warranty).

Oh and lastly, don't get sucked in to the 720p/1080p hype. No matter what people tell you, you cannot tell the difference even on a 50" tv from more than 8' away. So basically, if you watch tv like normal people do, and you don't have to have the biggest baddest specs money can buy(one's that aren't needed), then go with a 720p set and enjoy.

[txarkitekt]

...People(like bugs) seem to be naturally attracted to the brightest one.

If your room has quite a few windows then go with an LCD, but if it's setup for actual movie/tv/etc watching then go wtih a Plasma. LCDs have come a very long way over the past 2 years. The 120hz LCDs are very close in quality to the quality of Plasma. With that said, the LEDs are the baddest(within reason) tvs on the market, but expect to pay two or even three times as much for one.

Oh and lastly, don't get sucked in to the 720p/1080p hype. No matter what people tell you, you cannot tell the difference even on a 50" tv from more than 8' away. So basically, if you watch tv like normal people do, and you don't have to have the biggest baddest specs money can buy(one's that aren't needed), then go with a 720p set and enjoy.

Good explanations. Virgil, this guy is spot on. 720p/1080p is hype. I got my parents into a 60" Pioneer plasma and it is flippin ridiculous. I will also recommend the Sony XBR.

Now, the cool thing is the Aspect ratio and 240Hz in LCDs. All of those specs are great, but go off of what kind of room the TV will be going in. Darker rooms = Plasma. Lighter rooms = LCD. Just buy the best one with the best reviews and best specs for what you can afford.

Also, spend the money on HDMI cables. If you have a HD satellite or cable box with an HDTV, then make sure the audio/video link (CABLES) are of good HDMI quality.

[ChevyLee]

I have been doing a lot of research on tv's since I am going to work in electronics. basically lcd is something that will last for a long time, the picture will be good, an color will be good. Plasma you can't really fix if it breaks, it will be very fast, and have a lot of detail and you get true colors with. Also you don't see blurry reflections on a plasma screen as you would a lcd. I wouldn't buy led yet because its to new and they have a lot of kinks to fix an they are pricey.
if you think of it as a picture book, the lcd has 50 pages, the plasma has 5000. you only get 50 pages to make someone run across a football field, but with the plasma you get 5000, so its more detailed.

as far as brands, i would stick with samsung, sony, Panasonic.

[DBRODS]

I got a 27'' 1998 model samsung and it rocks....nice glare from all directions, horrible picture, and terrible sound quality. Definately don't recommend this one....