[Danberg]

I do not want to start a flame war, but would someone please explain in simple to understand terms the quality of picture positives the majority opinion agree upon (purists or reviewers), that plasma TV's offer.

I have read many of the Home theatre threads, as well as quite a few reviews and the general consensus appears to be LED picture is not yet up to the "quality" of a good plasma TV.

I just don't get it.  In viewing both Plasma TV's & LED TV's in showrooms every plasma unit simply looks "bland" lacking color & contrast in compairison to LED units.  I for myself like the more vivid look of the LED units.  Never owning either, what is the fastination with the "blackness levels" I keep hearing that plasma's offer. 

If I go with the LED format will I quickly tire of the contrast, brighter, more vivid color I like seeing at the showroom?  When watching the TV for hours, will that get irritating or bothersome?  Can't the color / contrast levels be turned down?

I certainly can "hear" the differences my higher end audio system offers, but when it comes to the TV, I just can't visualize what the reviewers and those into high end home theatre seemingly agree upon.  Please explain.



Would like your opinion

   

[srb]

I own both and movement looks less natural with the LCD.  Although there isn't any "jerkiness" like you would get from missing frames with the LCD, there is somehow a palpable natural feel and smoothness of motion from the Plasma that is missing from many LCD sets.
 
Beyond that, LCDs are better in rooms with a lot of light (and showrooms with a lot of flourescent light) and usually have somewhat less power consumption, and Plasmas have a much wider viewing angle.
 
As technology marches on, it's quite possible I will prefer LCD in a few years.

Steve

[Atlplasma]

My Pioneer plasma has a more pleasing picture to me than my friend's Samsung LCD. My picture looks for "film like." His picture appears to have a more "animation like" look to it. Of course, that's just how I perceive the difference between our two sets. He is very happy with his LCD picture.

[Scott F.]

I can only speak from personal preference but I think my choice (63" plasma) comes from a more natural color rendering. We owned a 62" DLP for a number of years. I liked it well enough but the lack of definition and pixilization during action sequences didn't thrill me. and then there was the color shift as the bulbs aged. For me, I saw the color shift within a month or so of installing a new lamp. that drove me nuts.

I spent a considerable amount of time viewing the 60+ inch LEDs and plasmas. I literally told the showroom floor guys to just give me the remotes and leave me alone as I did a quick visual recalibration of the monitors on the floor so I could make an informed decision based on my preferences.

As you mentioned, the LEDs are bright and vibrant on the floor. My problem with them was they are too vibrant. The color push across the spectrum (IMO) was simply too unnatural. When you view the plasma side-by-side to the LED, the difference is pretty apparent. You described it as bland. That is probably true but I look at it as a compromise. I give up vibrancy for naturalness of color, that and better black levels.

Neither position is necessarily right or wrong. It's simply a preference. I say if you like the LED, go for it 


Oh, I also have a 42" backlit LED. It's fun to watch on some movies too.

[mcgsxr]

I will admit that I own plasma, but don't play in this size.

My brother has a 55 LCD that looks great in his room - wall of windows that are partially covered, but lots of natural light in that room.

My best friend has a 60 plasma that looks great in his room - basement, near a sliding door, but that door is under an overhanging deck, so no direct sunlight ever.

I prefer plasma's, and due to the lighting in my main floor probably will for years to come - some windows on, but they are all on the same wall as the tv, and all have cali shutters, so I don't have to deal with lighting concerns.

[davidrs]

Dan,

The market is moving away from Plasma to LED, LCD etc.

LCD is catching up to Plasma in terms of the film like presentation, blacks, etc. and at some point is expected to surpass it, at least according to the 'experts.'

SRB's and other's remarks are spot on.

I recently made the move away from a top of the line LCD to plasma, primarily to save some cash and get a slightly larger screen. I am very happy with my decision.

My room has windows on three sides and though an LCD would likely perform better in bright light, I have been satisfied viewing the plasma under these conditions.

If you are trying to do comparisons at the big-box retailers, keep in mind, that their settings, feeds, lighting conditions, etc. etc. are all going to be very different than in your room. I, personally, would not put much value on how a set looks at these places.

Further, the level of control you have over tweaking video the way you want it to look, is amazing.

When all is said and done, you are likely to be happy with either screen technology.

- David.

[goldlizsts]

I am a novice, but just recently was tutored on this flat panel business, so I might as well comment.

Used to be that plasma was much, much more superior to the other display medium, LCD.  But, the gap has been closing, tho plasma still has a little edge in terms of picture/color quality.  The new LEDs are closing the gap fast.  Plasmas still have a slight edge.  But, I was also told that plasma may not be as reliable, besides it's a house warmer (much more energy use and heat generation).

If you a sports fan, then the little smear in fast action sports may be a drawback.  But... very minor supposedly, especially with the 120Hz versions now (many are still in the 60 Hz mode).....

The new LEDs are much, much thinner (1.2"), and much lighter (vs. Plasma, say).  Also, plasmas are likely on the way to extinction?  LED is taking over.  3D? Not so fast.  It may die.  Expensive (this economy is not helping with sales), and a pair of 3D glass will run you another $150.... I wear glasses, so I don't want another pair on my head.  Also, eD viewing is bad for your vision......  It may turn out to be like 8-Track Cassettes, or even Cassettes..... like dinosaurs, going extinct.

[skunark]

I just don't get it.  In viewing both Plasma TV's & LED TV's in showrooms every plasma unit simply looks "bland" lacking color & contrast in compairison to LED units.  I for myself like the more vivid look of the LED units.  Never owning either, what is the fastination with the "blackness levels" I keep hearing that plasma's offer. 

IMHO, having a good black level is just as important for movies as vibrant, crisp colors.    Plasma's can also do this poorly and with my group of friends is rather easy to spot between the Panasonic and Pioneer Elites plasmas.   For the LED LCD TVs the thought is the colors just seem to pop more and we never notice the blackness levels.   

[Bob in St. Louis]

Plasme has a glass screen, where the LCD has a soft, mushy (read: fragile) screen. If the unit will be within reach of small children, my choice would be plasma for that reason alone.

Bob

[youravhandyman]

Let me add on to what Bob brought up. 
Many of the higher end LCD products have reflective screens over them  to difuse the backlighting that leaks around the LCD cells so they can be just as bad as plasma for reflectiveness though are still brighter.  Let me get this out of the way, I'm a plasma guy. 
But I'm not sure anyone answered one of the first questions asked.  Would you grow tired of the bright screen and saturated colors of the new LED TV's?  You most certainly will at night unless you watch with the lights on all the time.  Eye fatigue sets in rather quickly over 45 ft lamberts of brightness.  One of the services that I offer is professional calibration of HDTV and projection and I can tell you I have measured one brand $@m$ung as high as 95 ft lamberts.  In this "torch" mode you would tire of that picture quickly.
So having observed this you asked can you just adjust the levels?  Yes.  That will get you 85% of the way.  If you want the best picture possible on either LCD or Plasma I would suggest calibration.  But I'm sure that's going to start another flame war too.
One thing...don't go to a BBuy and expect to be able to truly compare a calibrated set next to one that is not.  Not all of their locations are ethical about their calibration display.

Matt

[Dan Driscoll]

Let me also preface that I am a plasma guy.

Someone mentioned that LCD is more reliable than plasma? I'd like to see the actual data on that, because from what I've seen it's the other way around. I suspect the truth is that if you buy a cheap plasma you will have a similar failure rate as a cheap LCD.

Plasma does consume more power than LCD, but it's hardly a "house warmer", as someone suggested. My power amp gets warm, not my plasma, even after being on for  a couple of hours. If thickness is an issue to you, my 58" Samsung plasma is 1.4" thick and no, I'm not envious that there are 1.2" LCDs. 

Plasma is heavier, because the panel is real glass. IMO, that's a positive, but others may feel differently.

If you're a serious TV sports fan, the motion blur of LCD may be a issue for you. Despite claims to the contrary, it is noticeable and the 120/240 hertz refresh rates often just introduce artifacts, with only minimal lessening of motion blur. And frankly, even on calibrated LCDs, the colors still look a little off to me. Plasma is much more natural looking, IMO.

BTW, inch for inch, and feature for feature, plasma is also less expensive than LCD, especially LED edge-lit LCDs.

There certainly are situations where LCD is preferable to plasma, such as in brightly lit rooms or where the sunlight will fall on the screen. However, the facts are that right now, plasma has the better overall picture quality, period. This has been repeatedly demonstrated both through benchmark testing and real world viewing. Even if LCD does catch up eventually (an assumption I don't automatically accept), it isn't there NOW. I suspect that if LCD ever does manage to surpass plasma it won't be until after a new technology has hit the market that is better than both plasma and LCD. Maybe laser, micro-CRT or even a variation of LCD or plasma. Regardless, both technologies will probably be dead long before the plasma or LCD panels in TVs bought today will actually die.

As always, IMO, YMMV, yada, yada, yada.

[Zero]

Plasma.

[John151]

I just don't get it.  In viewing both Plasma TV's & LED TV's in showrooms every plasma unit simply looks "bland" lacking color & contrast in compairison to LED units.  I for myself like the more vivid look of the LED units.  Never owning either, what is the fastination with the "blackness levels" I keep hearing that plasma's offer. 

The hard part is to find a showroom where the display models are properly set up.  You won't get that at any high volume stores. 

Also, keep in mind that the larger the TV, the farther back the proper viewing position.  Thus, to properly evaluate the PQ of a  55"+ TV (of any technology), you need to view from 10'+.    This makes in nearly impossible to properly evaluate a large sized TV in a typical show room. 

[Zero]

I just don't get it.  In viewing both Plasma TV's & LED TV's in showrooms every plasma unit simply looks "bland" lacking color & contrast in compairison to LED units.  I for myself like the more vivid look of the LED units.

First and foremost;   you are not alone.

When you first venture into a store to check out TV’s, there is a natural tendency to cotton towards the screen that delivers the brightest and most vivid picture. I call this the ‘moth to the flame’ syndrome.  At first, your eye will be drawn to whatever picture stands out, which in most cases will from an LED TV.

Subsequently, many people will make knee-jerk buying decisions based off of this initial attraction ( usually in favor of Samsung screens.. ). However, if a customer is lucky, they may run into a well informed sales associate that will take the time to explain that a bright TV doesn't always make for a great TV, particularly when it comes to color accuracy. To test this, go back into the store and pay more attention to things like skin tones, or color tones in general.  Then ask you’re watching the displays… ask yourself..

“Do people really look sunburnt / like oompa loompas”?

“Is grass really neon green? Do peoples shirts really glow?”

Once you notice just how inaccurate those bright screens can be, you’ll begin to appreciate one of the many virtues of a good plasma screen; color accuracy. You may also notice that plasma's have better image depth as well.

Never owning either, what is the fastination with the "blackness levels" I keep hearing that plasma's offer.

The short answer is: color accuracy.

If I go with the LED format will I quickly tire of the contrast, brighter, more vivid color I like seeing at the showroom? Can't the color / contrast levels be turned down?

The general rule of thumb is this:  If you plan on putting your TV in a huge and/or bright room...  than its best to go with a bright screen. Why? Because the brightness from the screen will do a good job of 'counteracting' the light inside of the room. However, if your room is moderately to lowly lit (or if you only watch your TV in the dark), that brightness will quickly cause viewing fatigue.  Now, can you adjust the color/brightness/contrasts?  Sure.  LG LED's in particular give you loads of calibration options and currently produces what is arguably some of the most accurate LED screens to date. However, at the end of the day, a circuit is a circuit, and there is only so much you can do with it.
 

I certainly can "hear" the differences my higher end audio system offers, but when it comes to the TV, I just can't visualize what the reviewers and those into high end home theatre seemingly agree upon.  Please explain.

In a nutshell, when a reviewer brings in a TV for analysis, the measure of quality isn't determined by how bright / vivid / impressive the TV looks inside of a store like Best Buy. Instead, the reviewer's measure of quality boils down to speed, color accuracy, functionality, and a lack of technical issues (such as light bleed, image retention, etc..).  And in the realm of speed, color accuracy, and even value - plasma's rule the roost. 

I for myself like the more vivid look of the LED units.

Look man, the bottom of the line is that this is your money, not ours.  You're gunna be the one to live with this TV, not us.  Buy whatever makes you happy. I know tons of people who own and love their LED panels. Before you shell out some bucks though, go over whats been said in this thread... venture back to the store with all of that information in mind... and take another look.  See if your perspective will change a bit. 

Good luck, and I hope that my response made sense to you!

[Phil A]

This is an interesting read on the lifespan - http://www.flatpaneltv.org/article/flat-panel-tv-shopping-and-tips/the-lifespan-of-plasma-lcd-and-other-flat-panel-tvs.html

I would not let that be the sole influence as by the time the lifespan is up for either, assuming no problems, the technology will likely be outdated.  When I was looking for a bedroom TV to upgrade a 42 inch LCD about a year ago, the biggest factor for me was the deal.  I had bought the swivel out wall mount a couple of months before and was just waiting on a deal and when I could get help mounting it.  Had I got the help at the end of December 2009, I likely would have gotten a 54 inch plasma.  When everything was ready, the deal was on a 55 inch LED and it looks great.

[rockadanny]

In viewing both Plasma TV's & LED TV's in showrooms every plasma unit simply looks "bland" lacking color & contrast in compairison to LED units.  I for myself like the more vivid look of the LED units.

I experienced the same in the showrooms, though all research told me to go for plasma, especially since my room is not bright. I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a plasma, on the guarantee that I could return it if unhappy. However, I am very happy with my decision for MY ROOM. If I lived in Best Buy I'd likely watch the LEDs. But in my home I am confident I made the right choice. I've even bumped up my plasma to the store settings and at first it did look strikingly impressive. But it was not accurate and after about 10 minutes I had to drop the settings back to a more comfortable level. For me, in my room, plasma looks terrific.

[punkaroo]

My in-laws bought a gorgeous, thin Samsung LED television. I thought it looked amazing, until I realized after a few minutes that it felt unnatural...too vibrant...too, fast? If that makes sense? I love my Panasonic plasma tv! Blu-rays look amazing...while watching other people's tv...well, it just looks odd to me. My partner noticed the same thing.

[nomeans]

I'm an LED/LCD guy. I think the plasma has better picture quality and black levels. I think the plasma is a better tv when it comes to performance, but it suffers from one MAJOR problem, burn in. This is the only reason why I didn't purchase a plasma. LED/LCD's have come a long way and are giving plasma a run for it's money. However, I will never own a plasma until this problem is remedied. I'm a gamer and do watch the occasional sports show and if you are either of these two I wouldn't recommend plasma. 

[wushuliu]

I'm an LED/LCD guy. I think the plasma has better picture quality and black levels. I think the plasma is a better tv when it comes to performance, but it suffers from one MAJOR problem, burn in. This is the only reason why I didn't purchase a plasma. LED/LCD's have come a long way and are giving plasma a run for it's money. However, I will never own a plasma until this problem is remedied. I'm a gamer and do watch the occasional sports show and if you are either of these two I wouldn't recommend plasma.

Burn-in should not be an issue at all. Any decent plasma tv these days will not have burn-in problems. I have a 4 year-old Panasonic and any burn-in from say having my PC hooked up or watching a game is minor at best and never lasts more than a few minutes. And that's if the still image is up for a LONG time. LEDs on the overall are much better than regular LCDs, however the 240/480hz motion-this/that-craze is ridiculous and makes movies look like soap operas shot on video. I am stunned that anyone would find that appealing.

[Poultrygeist]

I've had the Panasonic 55ST30 for just over a month. I used the online settings and the picture is so much better than the ones on display at BB. Watched a couple of NFL preseason games this week and the action sure beats my jittery LCD.

Window reflections from an adjoining room were a problem before I put up some room darkening curtains from Walmart. They hide behind regular curtains and can be pulled out when needed - a great fix for under $10.