LCD, LED Plasma - which is best

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lissie

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#62122 30-May-2010 17:35

We are shopping for a new TV - the old CRT with crap reception has got to go. I want freeview with HD recorder no question. We are moving too - hopefully to a townhouse so a 32" TV will be fine and wouldn't pay more than a $1000 for a TV

Sow which is best
LCD, LED - are they the same
Plasma (I heard they are particularly heavy and hard to move)

Which will last longer - I'd expect at least 5-8 years, I hate having to have a dark room to see a TV - which work best with light bouncing in from windows?

Which technology is likely to win the race - don't want the betamax of thin TVs LOL

Which are best value for money?

Oh yeah I should say I couldn't care less about 3D - saw Avatar in it and was completely unimpressed

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#336327 30-May-2010 17:57

for a 32" I'd say go with an LCD, for bigger than a 40" Plasma :)

Life - 5-8 years should definitely be doable with teh current state of technology :)
In a room with light bouncing, look for a matte screen, although even matte screens are unfortunately hard to see in light

Technology likely to win - hard to say, at the moment it looks like LCD have a clear lead, plasma is coming in with better power saving technology though and does look better on most dark scenes in movies. There will possibly be OLED soon(organic LED) which apparently beats both. But not much has been heard on it: Flexible OLED here from 26th May 2010 http://nyti.ms/bp97tZ

Best value for money at the 32" level are LCD, you don't really see too many plasmas

Agree with you there :) 3D is a waste of time, until they make it so you don't have to wear glasses...Glasses over glasses is such a pain!!!

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

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simon14

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#336330 30-May-2010 18:00

LED is the newest technology, uses less power and has a much better picture but they cost a lot more.

I personally like LCD better than Plasma but others will have different opinions.

Plasma is typically cheaper than LCD, i don't actually even think you can get plasma in 32inch anyway.

Don't worry about what technology will win the race.... that's not even an issue with TV's as they are just screens... they can all hook up to the same devices. The issue you are talking about with betamax vs VHS is completely different - they were formats to carry content.....

JMatt94

225 posts

Master Geek

#336333 30-May-2010 18:08

Jb Hi-Fi has a 32" Full HD LCD Sony Bravia for $997 with built-in freeview tuner. LED are a bit above your price range and like simon14 said, you can't get Plasma TV's in the 32" range.

Your best bet would be an LCD TV, JB Hi-Fi has 10% off all TV's too.

sbiddle

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#336336 30-May-2010 18:21

I'm a Plasma fan and would never touch a LCD.

For 32" LCD is your only option however as there aren't any Plasma's that small.

simon14

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#336341 30-May-2010 18:58

sbiddle: I'm a Plasma fan and would never touch a LCD.

For 32" LCD is your only option however as there aren't any Plasma's that small.

Are you a Plasma fan??? That surprises me!!

A lot of brands don't even make plasma.... ie Sony

Kiwipixter

246 posts

Master Geek

#336343 30-May-2010 19:10

Bigger the better, go for 40" minimum.
LCD or plasma is dependent on personal tastes. Personally, i'd prefer plasma for watching films even though i have and LCD. Technology wise plasma has been around much longer than LCD and they both proven technologies, so theres no betamax vs vhs scenario here. Plasma has better contrasts and viewing angles, but LCD is lighter and uses less power. Don't worry about 3D yet.

Lastly, stick with major brands like Panasonic, Samsung, Sony etc... I'd only go for Warehouse or Dick smith brands for secondary sets. See demos of different sources, i.e. Freeview, DVD, Blu-ray, Sky etc... Bring along your favourite movies to demo. Good luck.

Kiwipixter

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#336345 30-May-2010 19:17

simon14:
sbiddle: I'm a Plasma fan and would never touch a LCD.

For 32" LCD is your only option however as there aren't any Plasma's that small.

Are you a Plasma fan??? That surprises me!!

A lot of brands don't even make plasma.... ie Sony

Samsung, Panasonic, LG and secondary brands like Sanyo and Konka (dick smith). Sony had their Trinitron CRT market to protect when plasma was taking off, thats probably why they didn't get into it. Plasma is definitely better than LCD for watching most contents, even 3D plasma to my eyes is much better than LCD.

bluedisk

225 posts

Master Geek

#336350 30-May-2010 19:27

I can highly recommend the Sony 32" LCD set model number KDL-32EX400 which I bought from Smiths City market in Porirua yesterday for $799.

To me thats an incredible price for a great set with full HD. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with this model.

As far as Plasma vs LCD goes I've had both and personally prefer LCD. They are lighter to move around, less power hungry and these days have a better picture in my opinion.

JBHifi had the same model for around $897 so a bit of shopping around can pay off.

And it has freeview as well...

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tkr001

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#336372 30-May-2010 20:55

If you are buying 32" you can only buy LCD. LED is really a LCD panel with LED backlighting. I wouldn't give a toss about 1080p at that size either, you won't see the difference.

vinnieg

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#336378 30-May-2010 21:09

Full HD Samsung 32" for $779

http://www.lvmartin.co.nz/public/products/ProductViewDetails.aspx?productcode=LA32B530&level1code=L1...

Good model :)

The Sony above is a good model too

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

langi27

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#336384 30-May-2010 21:22

I don't think you can even buy a 32" Plasma, Panasonic, Samsung and LG only make 42" and above in Plasma.

IMHO - Plamsa wins every category except Gaming.

I'm also looking for a new telly, and trying to find a Panasonic 50" V Series for $2500 is prooving somewhat diffcult.

Dunnersfella

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#336387 30-May-2010 21:29

To start with, you won't see any plasmas under 42" in size.
The pixels (made up of 3 sub-pixels) are simply too large to fit into a screen under 42 inches.

What will win between LCD and LED's?
LED's will.
1: They're actually cheaper to make (the difference between the two is just the backlight), they use less power, weigh less and come in smaller boxes... so are cheaper to ship.
The downside, some sets lack as many connections as LCD's due to their ultra-thin nature.

In regards to the best TV for you...
Look at the Sony EX400.
Full high definition, matt screen (great for brightly lit rooms), loads of connections (4 x HDMI's etc). It should be under your budget too.
As a side note, the Freeview tuner in the TV will only work if you have a UHF aerial. Not a satelite dish... if you have a dish, you'll need a Freeview set top box... but the quality of picture will be lower than with a UHF external aerial.

My $0.02.

lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#336404 30-May-2010 22:16

Wow guys thanks for all the replies - both the Sony and Samsung seem like options for me - time to go and annoy some salesmen!

I help authors publish their books - DIYPublishing.co.nz

richms

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#336425 31-May-2010 01:48

Ive seen a 32" one - was SD tho so crap.

Plasmas have a glass front and the structure in them is grayer than an LCD, so are worse in a lit room. In a lit room the crap blacks of an LCD are not an issue, and the matt finish and darker structure of the screen means that you will get less room light being a problem.

If you get the LCD then the 2 giant gray bars above and below the movie will constantly remind you that its crap when watching in the dark. Some plasmas are getting pretty dark panels now, but still not as black as an LCD is when not showing anything.

Richard rich.ms

wmoore

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#336536 31-May-2010 12:09

When people say they prefer LCD over Plasma, their mind is usually made up from what they see in a retail store. Firstly there are always more LCD than plasmas on display, most LCD have been set to superbrightsupercolourlookatme mode. The only true way to compare an LCD and plasma, is to put them under normal household lighting, all colour processing etc must be turned off and a ISF calibration should be done. The playback machine and even cables should be the same. Only then can you really say which you prefer.

'In Australia, Great Britain and several other European markets, independent surveys have been conducted on the perception of Plasma versus LCD technology. Initially 56% of those surveyed thought LCD would offer better picture quality than Plasma with 42% thinking Plasma was better. These viewers were then shown both Plasma and LCD TVs in normal home lighting conditions and the swing to Plasma was very marked – up to 69%, with only 31% believing that LCD looked better.'

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