Ok, so the wife and I are due for a new television. I have a tube tv that I bought about 10 yrs ago or so. The color is going in and out and it's shutting off on its own once in a while. We both figured its probably time for a new one.

So what is the better of the two? Looks like our choices are either LCD or Plasma. I've heard good and bad about plasma, and I've heard good an bad about LCD. Does the plasma not last as long as the LCD? Which has a better picture quality? I have been told some plasmas require a ?bulb? replacement after a couple years?

I don't watch alot of TV, but I would like something pretty decent and not have to worry about it going bad in a few years. I'll play my nintendo wii on it once in awhile and watch some football, the wife will watch it more than I will. Our budget will be about $1000-1500, I'd like to find one on sale and spend less.

 

How much are you looking to spend/ size? You might not want to go all out just yet. Suppose to be some new 3d technology coming out from Sony in a year. Best Buy has a decent price on a 40" Sony right now. With the 240hz on the market the 120hz TV's are coming down. Most TV/cable and satellits are 1080I yet, so not all tv's are gonna give you all the bang for your buck anyway. 1080P is nice for movies, games and pay per view(dish network).

 

I did a bit of research and just bought one last month. It looks like plasma is starting to disappear in favor of LCD. (You may be able to get a better deal on plasma if that's what you decide.) Also learned that LCD uses a lot less power than plasma. I ended up with a 40" Sony Bravia LCD 60Hz 1080p.

I wasn't determined to get the latest and greatest, like 240Hz, or even 120, because the 60Hz model already has a picture far superior to the 15 year old unit it replaced.

 

I did the same last year looking for a new TV.. I got the same story about Plasma vs LCD and was also advised that the ambient light has alot to do with the Plasma being good/bad vs. LCD. That being said I went with a 40" Samsung LCD 1080P 120hz.

 

I picked that up in the 42" V series this spring when they were on clearance with 0% int.

 

We have 3 LCD TVs, and the picture is far better than what they replaced.

 

NO PLASMA if in CO..... Thus I voted for LCD. Got one 32" Philips and one 55" toshiba. great tv's.

 

You would be quite surprised if you chat with the big box stores at how many plasma tv's come in DOA. They are not as durable as the LCD. Be sure to get the 1080 and opt for the 240 cycle if you can afford it - - if not, at least go 120 -- much better when watching fast screens like foooootball or races.

Bob

 

OK, I'm also gonna be shopping for a new TV, our main one died and wasn't digital anyways( broadcast TV here, no cable) and had decided on LCD, but what are "Cycles"?? the 120 vs 240 stuff?
* techno-idjit*

 

I ended up with a 42" LG Plasma about 3 years ago. It's been a great TV. When I made the decision the plasma had way better resolution and a lot better picture. I had to opt for the high altitude model as I'm as 4500' so the price tag was a little extreme but my FIL owns a furniture, cabinet and appliance stores so I got it at cost. Now he says the LCD has caught up and will surpass the plasma technology. With screen resolutions at 50,000:1 on LCD's and faster hertz, they will keep up with fast action productions like sports, car racing, etc. so in my opinion either go with the latest LCD technology or get a plasma. Vizio has been a great TV for the money. You can now find a Vizio plasma with multiple HDMI's and 40"+ for under 1000 and most times under 800 and it will blow you away with picture technology. That being said, I will be moving my plasma downstairs and replacing it with a new LCD. Also, one other thing to consier is the lighting in the area in which the TV will reside. If it is high sunlight and reflection then do your homework on which screen to get.

 

Plasmas can give you a better picture in low light as has been mentioned. But they are going the way of the dodo. Thats why there are so many good deals on them right now - the prices have been slashed. The new thing now is LED Tv's.

 

I will be shopping for a TV soon and will go with the LCD and 240 hrtz. The cost to operate a LCD is way less than the Plasma and also the Plasmas give off lots of heat.

 

The "cycles" is the refresh rate of the LCD screen. The higher the hZ the more refreshes per second. That makes the picture less blurry for fast action sports or movies. If you go to a BluRay or 1080P device, this is important to decide on. For regular cable channels it tends to make them choppy.

 

Thanks for all the input so far everyone, I learned some new info. Wife and I are gonna go tomorrow afternoon to pick one out. After reading what you all posted sounds like the LCD is the better choice for us. I have heard from word of mouth that the vizio brand are pretty nice, we're going to look at a few of those and some other brands.

 

Ok, we dont own a video game, and rarely do more than watch the local news, maybe an episode of CSI now and then
when you say "makes them choppy" do you mean the faster refresh rate makes regular TV choppy?