Recommendations - LCD or Plasma TV's

[darbo1103]

I have decided to buy a flat screen TV. I have looked at most of the major retailers and have a couple in mind. I'm looking for 37" to 42", with stand and if poss a surround sound. If everything comes as a package all well and good.

Anybody got any ideas on good, reliable makes (apart from P*****PS. Had an issue with them, won't buy again) and would you recommend LCD or Plasma?

Based on average use, what would the lifetime of either of these types of TV be?

[dee2912]

have a look at direct tvs.co.uk

[Frankcastle]

There is quite a lot to think about when buying a t.v, with the question of LCD or plasma you want to look at what you will be using the t.v for mostly (watching tv, dvds, gaming)
as this will ahve an effect on what tecnology you should be looking at.
With LCD you will use less electricity and have a brighter picture, if your an avid gamer then its prob best to stick with LCD as you wont have to worry about screenburn which you can get when leaving a plasma on a static image for too long.
However LCD is NOT superior to plasma when it comes to movement and black levels so if your not bothered about gaming then you will want to consider a plasma as the picture is crisper and the colours are more vibrant although you will use in some brands up to twice as much power running the tv.
If possible find a store that has a plasma next to an LCD and running a decent picture through it and look at the differences, they are quite noticable.

Average lifespan can vary with brands, if you have no budget and want the best of the best then look at pioneer, they have just released for the 1st time a range of LCD tvs (usually only make plasma screens) although i have not seen one in action yet, knowing the brand they will set a benchmark for other companies to try and get somewhere near, thier plasma tvs are 2nd to none and wipe the floor with any competition and in the year and a half i have been selling tvs i have seen 2 returned with faults, i would expect a pioneer screen to last about 70000 hours.

see next post

[Frankcastle]

If you have a budget then the next best thing is panasonic with some of thier lower models you can pick up a 42" plasma a stand and cinema system for under a grand.
With panasonic you also have to option of going for a 37" plasma which noone else does, 42" panasonics will always be plasma as they only deal with plasma above 37", expect a panasonic plasma to last about 100000 hours with thier LCDs about 60000 (i may have that mixed up but im pretty sure thats right)

If your looking at a budget LCD and want to go 40" or 42" then its prob best to look at a brand like samsung, sony or lg they all offer some attractive sets in different models to suit different needs.

If you do decide on an LCD then you will want to get one with 100hz as this helps with movement which is the downside to LCD. Aslo consider you future possible purchases like Blu-ray, playstion 3, sky HD or freesat, is this something you may go for or already have, if so then you may also want to get a 1080p (full high definition) set rather than a 720p (HD ready) set.

Hope this helps you in your decision.
Any more questions then give us a shout.

[darbo1103]

Frankcastle - What a brilliant post. I never expected such a comprehensive explanation to my question. It has certainly given me some questions to ask when I go to the stores and makes to check out. Appriciate your time and comments, Thanks