Then why is the top rated tvs usually plasmas? Like the 2008 kuros and the this years Panny VT25? Personally I prefer the newer LEDs too though. The pop they give is what sold me on LEDs, it's like a 3D effect without the glasses.
I'm an idiot with a plasma. I focused on them because of their contrast and refresh rate. I watch a lot of sports, so refresh rate waas important to me. I don't watch so much TV that the heat buildup becomes an issue.
I have assumed you have done research? Heres some help. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090516220051AATMrDS Many stores don't have LED's in stock but plenty of LCD. Plasma prices are dropping because everyone is going LCD. I purchased a 32" LG HD 3 years ago, and two transisters went out it costing me $120 to fix it. However that 32" 3 years ago was $800. Now you can get that same size for $350-400. I personally love my LG LCD besides having it fixed recently. Sports look good in HD because I have the HD box with comcast. But, if your willing to spend get a LED. A good site for LED comparisons use. Vanns. http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/category/desc/91/1/1.76_69_68/led-flat-panel-televisions/
LED 3D is still a bit expensive and the tech is still a bit raw. Might want to wait on upgrading to 3D as the tech should improve in 2011. You can pick up newish non-LED 1080p LCD's @ 120Hz+ for a good price right now. I just got a Samsung 6-series 40" 1080p LCD for about $650 on sale. The equivalent LED 3D from Samsung is about $1600 retail with the $400 rebate so you can figure that the price is a bit inflated at the moment for the 3D novelty.
Say it ain't so maxiep And for those looking to buy an LED 3D TV, wait another year or two. There are already 3D TVs without glasses. The prices on those are crazy right now, but then again thats how LED TVs were 2 years ago. Was in Japan to witness them, mind-blowing.
I'm an idiot with a Plasma, what do I know? Plasma is still the reigning king of black levels (ability to reproduce as close to true black as possible). This is important in movies more than sports, or video. If you're ever watching a film with a lot of dark scenes, take a look at the background and see how much detail you can pick out. The glare on a plasma screen can be too much in a bright room depending on setup. Though it seems LCDs have gone to reflective screens so that advantage has been lost. However LED is probably where it's all headed I think. The tech appears to have made a ton of progress since the very early models. I understand with local dimming they are right there with Plasma in black level performance. I think the con to this tech currently is the viewing angles, not quite as wide as plasma. So depending on your room and the furniture, number of people watching, etc, could be something to consider. There are some other display techs out there which have been in development for several years and promise to take all of the best of the current stuff into one. Who knows if it ever hits the streets though. If I were buying today, I'd take a real hard look at a Full Array, local dimmed LED model (as opposed to Edge lit, i.e. the super thin LED tvs). There's my two cents or whatever it's worth. I definitely don't claim to be an expert, I just like to dabble.
This is very important. LCD IS NOT LED!!!! Some tv's will have LED around the edge and they try to market it as LED related, it is not though. True LED tvs are about as different from LCD as Plasma.
I kind of want a projection system in my mancave. Is that uncool, outdated or misinformed? Bought a plasma 5 years ago, but then moved to a house with a windowless mancave/theater that makes projection seem like the way to go.
Well if you are building a home theater you need an HD projector unless the room is small enough for a large flat panel TV. Most enthusiast-level home theaters have projectors so you aren't out of the loop at all. Don't overspend on cabling--that is the biggest scam going right now. However the fact you have a man cave suggests you may be p-whipped.
Great topic...... these guys will go back and forth for months on this. Actually if you go back on this OT Forum, there is a HDTV debate thread that was like 20 pages long!
I would say get whatever TV has a good sale for the size you want to get (regardless of the type), and so long as the picture looks decent enough for you in the store, go for it. These days you can't go wrong between any of the three types; lots of people swear by one or another, but it's just personal preference. There really is no "best" or "ideal" option. As for finding a good deal, I see fantastic HDTV bargains on Slickdeals all the time. Great place to look if you ask me Oh and one last thing: DO NOT let a sales rep talk you into expensive HDMI cables!! They're one of the biggest rip-offs in electronics right now. You can get perfectly fine HDMI cables on Amazon for 5-10 bucks (or even less).
I HIGHLY, HIGHLY suggest a projector. Plasma, LCDs, etc just don't compare to the impact a 100+ inch screen gives you. I can't recommend this enough. I don't even have a mancave. [video=youtube;vAtfAtZlcR0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtfAtZlcR0[/video]
Woooooord. Agree with Dobalina up top. And word is people in Japan and Germany have hologram TVs being tested out for 2012. Badass.
