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We are currently shopping for a new flat screen HDTV in the size range of 32 to 40 inches. We need help deciding between LCD and Plasma. Any suggestions will be appreciated. We are thinking of Sony or Samsung... Any brands better? What do you have and do you love it?
We love our SONY Bravia LCD. Bought it at Costco. We also have an Olevia LCD. I forget the sizes. Both are pretty good but the clarity on the SONY is definitely better.
My husband didn't want a plasma because of the potential for burn-in and I believe they are easier to damage. With children - particularly one who forgets that footballs are to be thrown outside - we went LCD.
Posts: 2251 | Location: Glen Ellyn, IL | Registered: April 04, 2003
I definitely agree that the Sony Bravia is the way to go. We have 3 lcd's (Sony, Philips, and Insignia), but the Sony is by far our favorite.
We chose lcd because the rooms get a lot of natural light during the day. Lack of burn in is also important. Another good feature is that you can plug in your digital camera and edit photos on the big screen. Plasmas do not have this editing feature.
I definitely agree with Amy that Costco is the best place to buy. We bought ours and a month later the price dropped $100. I took the sales slip back and I was given a cash refund. Costco really stands by their merchandise.
I have the Bravia's XBR 46in and it has excellent picture quality, they're expensive, however. Samsung and LG make highly competenct flat panels as do Panasonic. Plasma vs. LCD has two main considerations burn-in and screen glare. LCD fares better in brighter rooms. Highly recommend you visit cnet.com for the latest reviews. Below is what I focus on when looking for a new tv: HD resolution - 1080p Refresh rate - 120hz vs 60hz (stops blurring on high action video/sports) HDMi - # of inputs and version 1.3 or higher Contrast ratio/Black levels - depends on the set viewing preferences, but can greatly affect the quality of the picture....
Costco is good, but don't overlook some of the highly rated online merchants - cnet.com will give you the price comparisons/merchant ratings. Sidenote: ABT will often match their prices, whereas BB and CC will not. You will still have to pay sales tax with ABT....
Burn in is over rated, most plasmas have built in technology to eliminate this. The big thing should be what room you have it in. Basement - Plasma, Room with a lot of light - LCD. I have a plasma in basement (well, I did before the basement flooded) the colors are awesome for movies. The picture/color quality still has an edge with Plasma.
Fry's in Downers Grove has the best prices I've seen.
DO ENJOY!! The advice we received two years ago was that it was important that a flat screen tv had these qualities: was an LCD or brand starting with an S. Good choice! Just remember that buying one flat panel is like eating just one peanut! Keep us posted.
To enhance your viewing pleasure, I highly recommend that you get your set calibrated correctly. You can do this yourself with some software (on a DVD) and a single piece of hardware. Or, you can have someone come to your house and provide this service.
At a minimum, go on-line and google search "calibration settings Samsung xxxxxxx" where xxxxxx is the model of your TV. What you will find will not be true calibration settings but settings for the user accessable menus.
This will dramatically change the picture and make it much more enjoyable.
