[Gvt1911]

Been off the Circle for a while, built new home ...Took almost 2 years...Now we are looking for 2 new TV's and need recommendations from you kind folks...See many TV's out there at good prices at Walmart,etc. Looking for something in the 40" - 50" range...Do we go with plasma, LED or LCD...We need to stay around $500-$600 for each...
Any recommendations???
Thanks !

[WC]

What kind of rooms are they? Dark or lots of Light? TV watching or in a Home Theater?

[Gvt1911]

Rooms are are the dark side, only watch at night...One will be for TV and the other will be hooked to a DVD player for movies only...

[mcgsxr]

I am far from objective, since I own only plasma's (both are Panasonic)!

I have a 42 (720p) in the bedroom.  That room has windows beside the TV, but they have california shutters on them, so it can be made dark enough, my wife does not complain.

I have a 55 (1080p) on the main floor in the family room for everyday use.

I would (and may!) buy another for the basement when it is finished, if I don't get the OK for a PJ.

[bpape]

The Sharp Quatro's are great sets for both usages and can be had at relatively reasonable price for their performance levels. Most of them are also web enabled for use with Netflix, etc.  I have one in the bedroom and one in the living room and they're both great.

Bryan

[jarcher]

LED's are just LCD's with LED back-lighting (should be called LED back-lit LCDs - but that doesn't have the marketing ring).  Unless you're on a tight budget, I'd do LED as the brightness & contrast rating is better.

I have to say that I like Samsung LED models for video, and Panasonic plasma's for movies. If you want eye-popping bright images, LED's are hard to beat.   On the negative side, the higher end Samsung LED's to me sometimes look too "video-y / cartoon-y" for movies & motion.  E.g you watch a "Transformers" or "Avatar" blu-ray & it is glaringly obvious that it's CGI, and something about the implementation of the 240mhz refresh that makes motion TOO smooth - to the extent that things move around like cartoons. 

I guess cine / video-philes for that reason still have a preference for plasmas : i.e. very fast but natural refresh rates (600mhz) and that more cinematic look.  Often at big box stores they don't show as well as LED's, but some feel they have a more natural image quality.

For plasma's I'd really look to Panasonic.  They are really one of the few companies that make the plasma panels in house & really are still quite devoted to the technology.  New sets have even got super slim / light & more power efficient.

I have both LCD & Plasma sets & have to say that the 1080P Panasonic plasma I have is my favorite.  I got a demo 42 inch one for $375 last year, so there are bargains to be had.

[django11]

I picked up 2 LG 720p plasma TVs this summer.  A 50" and a 42".  I am very happy with them.  From what I read the 720p will be a downside for video games and Blu-Ray (neither of which I own) but makes no difference on HDTV (I'll hedge that and say"little to no difference").  The 720 p are very inexpensive.   I paid 500$ for the 50 inch in Canada where we always pay more for everything...   http://www.amazon.com/LG-50PA4500-50-Inch-720p-Plasma/dp/B0072260GW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351859685&sr=8-1&keywords=lg+50+inch+720+p

[Dan Driscoll]

The best "Bang fer yer buck" are the Mitsubishi DLP sets. Inch for inch, they are easily the least expensive and the picture quality is pretty good. Also, they now use an LED light source, so there are no expensive bulbs to replace. IIRC, the 63" model sells for about $600 and you can get 72" for less than $1K. The down side is that I think that 63" is the smallest model they sell.

If you're going for pure picture quality, nothing beats plasma. LED-LCD has closed the gap in recent years, but objective and blind subjective testing still gives the nod to plasma There are only two things LED-backlit LCD does better than plasma, brightness and energy efficiency. However, since you have good light control in your rooms brightness is complete non-factor and IMO the difference in energy efficiency is not a critical factor in a TV purchase. Also, all else being equal, plasma is less expensive than LED-LCD, per inch.

The top 2 plasma brands are Panasonic and Samsung, with everyone else a distant 4th. FTR, I have a 2 year old 58" Sammy plasma and my only regret is that I didn't get the 63" model.

As always, IMO, YMMV, etc.

[MaxCast]

Hey Dan, that is good to know about the Mits LED light engine.  I have a Samsung LED projection and at the time it was the biggest 61" I could afford.  Love the TV.

I will also recommend two plasmas.  The 720p will be fine for TV but go with a 1080p for the TV for movies and get a Bluray player.
LCD's look too cartoonish to me too.
Consumers reports just reviewed TVs in the Dec issue.  Should be some great black Friday sales coming up.

[Bob in St. Louis]

A lot of good advice here. The only thing I could add, would be that if the unit is low to the ground and there's a chance children will get to it, then a plasma is the only way to go. The glass screen is "child-proof", while the LCD screens are soft and mushy. Using Hotwheels as hammers, a child can make short work of an LCD.

Bob

[sharpsuxx]

+100 for Panasonic plasmas, I own 2 and have never had a single issue with either of them.  My dad now has a 50" and my brother now has a 55".  I must say the new S and G series plasmas from panasonic are some of the best bang for the bucks sets on the market.  The V series is the best out there.

[srb]

The only thing I could add, would be that if the unit is low to the ground and there's a chance children will get to it, then a plasma is the only way to go. The glass screen is "child-proof", while the LCD screens are soft and mushy.

They're not even "adult-proof".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TncGrpYVBpA
 
And with kids, all bets are off!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLjO4htQFgk
 
Steve

[saisunil]

We are looking to get a 55" Smart TV 
Thought it would be better to add to this thread instead of starting a new one - hope OP does not mind.

We have a 42" 720 Plasma Panasonic and are quite please with it ...
Would not mind a good deal on it

Thanks

[acresm22]

Walmart has some good deals on 720p Samsung plasmas for black friday. I believe they'll have the 43" for $378 and the 50" for $478.
I bought the 43" earlier this fall and it's a fantastic TV.