Television Technology and the Differences

[PS Gamer]

So today I decided to take some time out of my busy schedule and create a topic that is always on everyones mind: What kind of TV should I buy for some good ol' next generation gaming? The guide that I am going to post here will give you ultimate reference to the HD Televisions on the market today. Weather your looking for a LCD, Plasma, DLP, etc. TV this is your number one stop shop for everything HD.

Before I get into the details of all the differences and brands, I sight my knowledge from working in the industry (As some of you may know) and mass amounts of time and research on the subject. However the knowledge that I will represent here today can be taken any way you want.

#1
I hear this about this one A LOT, and I'm sure most of the general public has some knowledge of this. It is said that Plasma TVs will do the following: Die in 4 years, need to be recharged, break easily, are dangerous to your health, won't last as long as a LCD, etc. etc. I hear these things so much that its getting to a point where its just annoying. So I will make this is big bold letters:

MOST RUMORS ABOUT PLASMA TVs ARE FALSE

They do not die in 4 years, there lifespan is just as good as a LCD television (60,000 Hours, equivalent to about 20 years). The gas that is used in plasma TVs never has to be recharged, and it is not harmful. Now about them breaking easier next we'll compare both LCD and Plasma and you decide which is easier to put your foot through.

Comparison - LCD vs. Plasma vs. DLP/SXRD/RearProjo

This is always debated in a fierce argument where you have one person saying "OH WELL MY FRIEND TOLD ME THIS" or "MY FRIEND TOLD ME THAT". Well throw-out what your friend has told you because there probably morons who don't know anything about TVs.

Advantages:

LCD - Better for rooms that have A LOT of light flowing in them, due to there plastic matte screen (Unless its a samsung [the higher series]). LCDs are generally going to have a brighter picture then most TVs because its constant light source in the TV called the back light.

Plasmas - Better for darker rooms due to that glass screen and having to deal with reflections off of it. Plasmas are generally going to have a better color range than any TV out on the market, along with a better picture a plasma TV has a indefinite motion rate. Plasmas will produce the best black colors because there is no constant light source in the TV. A plasma picture is made up of gas that is electrified. The glass screen can also be an advantage due to it being able to take more of an impact hit if something is to strike it.

DLP/SXRD/RearProjos - Big screen size for the cheap price.

Disadvantages

LCD - Motion on any LCD TV is garbage. It doesn't matter 60Hz, or 120Hz it will never compete with a plasma. Black colors on an LCD are also very atrocious due to the back light always on in the TV (Making blacks look like Blues, Reds more like pinks, etc. etc.). Finally, pixel burn out can happen on LCD tv which is pretty much un-repairable.

Plasmas - The screen is glass (or a hard plastic) which you will get reflections off the screen. Plasma TV heat up more than an LCD TV and will get hotter, here in will cost slight bit more on your electric bill. Plasma do have a problem like the LCDs called burn in, however un-like LCD it is NOT permanent.

DLP/SXRD/RearProjos - Considering rear projection it has more Disadvantages then Advantages. In a rear projection there are bulbs, 65% of the time they will need to be replaced every 3 - 5 years. The bulb can cost anywhere from 200 - 400$. Under most 4 year service plans they DO replace the bulbs for free. Another disadvantage is you have to sit right in front of a projection screen to get the best picture, because they have a small FOV where as both LCD and Plasma have a 178 degree viewing angle.

Brands to look for:

LCD - Best: Sony, Samsung | Good:: Sharp, LG, Toshiba, Panasonic | OK: Polaroid, Vizio, Insignia, Phillips | BAD: Dynex, Westinghouse, Element, Olevia

Plasmas - Best: Pioneer, Panasonic | Good: Samsung, LG, Hitachi | OK: Insignia, Dynex | Bad: Element

DLP/SXRD/RearProjos - Best: Mitshubishi, Samsung

Finally, things that are generally needed for a TV. Not to sound like a salesmen but a surge protector is needed for your TV. Now I don't mean a piece of crap power strip, I'm talking about a power center. What a power center is, is when electricity comes into your home there is a lot of noise and junk in it. A power center will filter that noise out and produce a clean picture on your TV, and a better sound on your audio equipment.

One last thing before I finish off this guide: If you plan to mount the TV yourself, it DOES void your manufactures warranty.

FAQs If you guys have any questions feel free to reply to this thread and I will answer them as soon as possible.

Hope this helps!
- PS Gamer

 

[SessDMC]

Nice one PSgamer, i'll sticky this as this can become a nice central point to discuss such subjects.

 

[grcswoosh]

Excellent info, but I still expect a lot of

 

[cHeVe11e396]

I am beginning to realize that playing ps3 games is not as fun on my 720p 37" Ilo tv that I got from Wal-Mart so I am looking at getting the best and bang for every buck. Does anyone have a Samsung 46"? I am looking at this tv just ideally to play ps3 and maybe some 360 games and definitely blue ray dvds. Whay do you guys think?

 

[keefy]

I wouldn't go as far to say a surge protector can improve picture and sound quality, however it is not a bad thing to have.

 

[ps3multi]

I would definitely recommend a Sony LCD 45"+...I'm very satisfied and impressed with my 52" Bravia. My buddy has a Pioneer (plasma) and there is just something about the picture when gaming that I find doesn't wow me as much as an LCD...just MHO

 

[newf_52]

i need to upgrade this week. i exclusively use the ps3 on my tv. my room is fairly dark. no windows/lights that reflect into the tv. all this time i wanted to go lcd...now you're saying i should go plasma?

i need to make the right decision. i need the perfect tv for games/blueray/dvd.

 

[whippet_1]

Panny Plasma Viera Owner here. 50 inches and Ive never had a better T.V or been more satisfied gaming than with this beast.

 

[PS Gamer]

[QUOTE="newf_52, post: 0]i need to upgrade this week. i exclusively use the ps3 on my tv. my room is fairly dark. no windows/lights that reflect into the tv. all this time i wanted to go lcd...now you're saying i should go plasma?

i need to make the right decision. i need the perfect tv for games/blueray/dvd.[/quote]

Go plasma. Better color ranges, better motion rates. And don't let image retention scare you, thats a thing of the past basically.

[QUOTE="keefy, post: 0]I wouldn't go as far to say a surge protector can improve picture and sound quality, however it is not a bad thing to have.[/quote]

Yes it can actually. Notice, I did not call it a surge protector but a POWER CENTER. When electricity comes into your house there is noise in it. This represents pixelation on your TV. With a power center it can clean out that noise, and actually give you a better picture.

 

[newf_52]

i ended up getting an LG lcd 1080p 120hz 50000:1 colour something or other. no regrets

 

[bayster]

Your a bit harsh on lcd's. I think if you going 40+ you should go plasma, unless conditions don't suit.
I don't notice problems with motion on my tv has a 8ms response time. People generally exaggerate the motion blur just like people exaggerate image retention.

The main thing plasma has n lcd is blacks, although that gap is closing quickly. Just like motion blur which is mostly(only) seen on crappy lcd's.

 

[PS Gamer]

[QUOTE="bayster, post: 0]Your a bit harsh on lcd's. I think if you going 40+ you should go plasma, unless conditions don't suit.
I don't notice problems with motion on my tv has a 8ms response time. People generally exaggerate the motion blur just like people exaggerate image retention.

The main thing plasma has n lcd is blacks, although that gap is closing quickly. Just like motion blur which is mostly(only) seen on crappy lcd's.[/quote]

I admit I'm a bit more bias towards plasmas. However that is because I have a pioneer elite and nothing in LCD comes close to it (Even the LED LCDs that just came out [ Samsungs ln55a950, or Sonys kdl55xbr8] I have seen an OLED display and they can produce CLOSE to plasma black if not better. However it'll be a while before they are in big screen sizes) . Maybe in the following year when Pioneer comes out with its LCD line we'll see if the black levels can compete with a plasma.

Also, I was harsh on LCD because since day one everyones been harsh on plasmas. They need to see that both technologies have there advantages and disadvantages.

 

[newf_52]

ive noticed some pretty bad motion blur on friends tvs. but mine has a 2.7ms response time and it is absolutley nonexistant.

 

[richie217]

[QUOTE="cHeVe11e396, post: 0]I am beginning to realize that playing ps3 games is not as fun on my 720p 37" Ilo tv that I got from Wal-Mart so I am looking at getting the best and bang for every buck. Does anyone have a Samsung 46"? I am looking at this tv just ideally to play ps3 and maybe some 360 games and definitely blue ray dvds. Whay do you guys think?[/quote]

I have a Samsung 46" Series 7 that I absolutely love. As stated earlier in the thread, you do get a lil bit of motion blur in some games but it is not all that noticable.

As for the Impedance coils on the incoming power, probably not needed in most cases (unless you live in an industrial park!!). Surge protection is a must though, and don't cheap out and buy some $20 POS board. Belkin have some good board (think ours is a Thor) which offer between $70-$150K cover.

I guess the whole Plasma Vs LCD debate comes down to preference as everyone will be bias. Personally I prefer LCD.

 

[Gunsmoke]

I have a Panasonic 100hz 1080p tv and was wondering if anybody could tell me if the the best BD upscaling setting is default(off), or any one of the other the settings, its driving me crazy trying to see if their is any difference between these settings ok thx.

 

[swaphaj]

External consumer display devices like a TFT LCD mostly use an analog VGA connection, while newer, more expensive models mostly feature a digital interface like DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort. Inside an external display device there is a controller board that will convert VGA, DVI, HDMI, CVBS etc. to digital RGB at native resolution that the display panel can make use of. In a laptop the graphics chip will directly produce a signal suitable for connection to the builtin TFT. A control mechanism for the backlight is usually included on the same controller board.

 

[lediana]

credit auto


Thanks for sharing this useful information. It's great.

 

[pamela]

I’m not convinced that they’ll have this worked out in the next four years enough for it go mainstream.
The technology is close - but there are too many deals to be worked out.
Do you really want to go to Hulu for ABC content, and then someplace else for NBC and another place for indie videos? And now, you basically need to hook a computer to your TV to be able to see everything.

 

[falconsfan07]

I just got an Acer H233H LCD from Best Buy and was wondering if it was good for PS3 gaming. It is full 1080p, has a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, and is 16:9 aspect ratio but I would like to hear your opinions about it.

 

[NARCsnake]

you forgot too add in Samsungs new LED TV

 

[wsjp]

Thanks for sharing this useful information. It's great.

 

[QQimo]

Can someone enlighten me on why LEDs are better than LCDs, besides the bigger price tag and contrast ? I really can't see any REAL reason to buy an LED instead of LCD...unless you're a TV snob or filthy rich.

 

[squirrelbo1]

[QUOTE="QQimo, post: 0]Can someone enlighten me on why LEDs are better than LCDs, besides the bigger price tag and contrast ? I really can't see any REAL reason to buy an LED instead of LCD...unless you're a TV snob or filthy rich.[/quote]

well you said it yourself, the contrast. they can display a wider range of colours (talking in the millions now) but the blacks are blacker, and more defined and throughout the scale there is a greater variety, thus you get a better and more "realistic" picture.

 

[shtunot]

Samsung UN55c7000 55" 3D 1080P LED TV...Some people have said it has game "lag"??? Not sure what they mean by this. Has anyone tested with with games? Looking forward to playing 3d games with the ps3 in the future so before I spend a bunch I would like to due some research.

If you got something better than this then what do you recommend?

Ed.

 

[netherdragon]

[QUOTE="shtunot, post: 0]Samsung UN55c7000 55" 3D 1080P LED TV...Some people have said it has game "lag"??? Not sure what they mean by this. Has anyone tested with with games? Looking forward to playing 3d games with the ps3 in the future so before I spend a bunch I would like to due some research.

If you got something better than this then what do you recommend?

Ed.[/quote]


From what I can gather, the 2 best TV's on the market right now arethe latest edition samsung led lcd and the latest top of the range panasonic plasma's, can't be bothered to find model numbers right now, just look on the manufacturers sites.

either will do nicely if you are going all out.

 

[shtunot]

Thanks dude.

Again I want to spend big once. Funny some people hate the backlit experience which is why they say wait till the UN55c8000 is released. I'm holding off on playing my copy of GOW3 till I get one. Which is why I'm stressing on the research...got the cash. (thank god)

If anyone else can chime in I would appreciate it.

Thanks again.

Ed.

 

[R_Mac_1]

[QUOTE="QQimo, post: 0]Can someone enlighten me on why LEDs are better than LCDs, besides the bigger price tag and contrast ? I really can't see any REAL reason to buy an LED instead of LCD...unless you're a TV snob or filthy rich.[/quote]
Hint: LED tvs ARE LCDs. They just use LEDs for backlighting instead of CCFL.

To the guy above: if you're wanting an LED LCD I'd spend more and get the local-dimming backlit model, as opposed to the edgelit models. They're said to be quite a bit better.

And to the OP, I wouldn't say that LCDs have the same viewing angles as plasma. I have two LCDs and a LED DLP. My DLP's viewing angles are just as good (or poor, however you see it) as the LCDs. Plasma is better than both.

 

[Yokokorama]

Hey everyone. I didn't want to start a new thread in regards to my question so I thought this might be the best place to post it. I am out to buy a 32 inch television for gaming [I'll obviously use it from time to time for regular viewing, but its primary purpose is for my PS3].

I know the first post disregards all the negative rumors about plasmas, but I'm still leaning towards an LCD [unless one of you has had such an excellent experience with a plasma that you'd recommend the crap out of it]. My main questions are:

1) Does it really matter whether I get 720p or 1080p on the TV? Considering its only going to be 32 inches, I personally don't think its going to make a difference. I've also seen people saying on forums that the difference is only recognizable past the 40 inch mark [and even then its still hard to spot].

2) Does it matter whether I have 60 HZ or 120 HZ or is that not a big deal?

If there are any other tips you'd like to throw in/specs I should keep an eye on when shopping for the ideal television please let me know. Heck, if there are any 32 inch television models that you would recommend, please do not hesitate to post a link to them here.

Thank you in advance to whoever helps out.

 

[SharkRunner45]

Awesome info! I'll share this my moron friends to show them all the wrong info they have been feeding people!

 

[REEEPR]

[QUOTE="Yokokorama, post: 5098114]Hey everyone. I didn't want to start a new thread in regards to my question so I thought this might be the best place to post it. I am out to buy a 32 inch television for gaming [I'll obviously use it from time to time for regular viewing, but its primary purpose is for my PS3].

I know the first post disregards all the negative rumors about plasmas, but I'm still leaning towards an LCD [unless one of you has had such an excellent experience with a plasma that you'd recommend the crap out of it]. My main questions are:

1) Does it really matter whether I get 720p or 1080p on the TV? Considering its only going to be 32 inches, I personally don't think its going to make a difference. I've also seen people saying on forums that the difference is only recognizable past the 40 inch mark [and even then its still hard to spot].

2) Does it matter whether I have 60 HZ or 120 HZ or is that not a big deal?

If there are any other tips you'd like to throw in/specs I should keep an eye on when shopping for the ideal television please let me know. Heck, if there are any 32 inch television models that you would recommend, please do not hesitate to post a link to them here.

Thank you in advance to whoever helps out.[/QUOTE]

I got a 32" Vizio 1080p from Wal-Mart for $399 and i couldn't be happier with the t.v. or the price. Shop around and you might be surprised. A 720p won't look bad but i can tell the difference. As far as the 60 vs 120hz question, i prefer the 60. With the motion plus on i get a bit of that drunk driver effect but alot of people like the 120hz better. If you have satellite or cable in your house then try to find something with at least 100,000 to 1 contrast ratio. Any lower and you may get that blotchy effect on the screen where there are darker colors like black. Also, i've noticed that the more features a t.v. has, the more controller lag i get while playing certain games. I imagine the more expensive models don't have this problem, but if your bargain hunting then these things come into play. I am completely satisfied with my Vizio.