JZ1276

I will be buying one of these TVs over the weekend. I was set on this plasma 50" plasma , but just found this one the CC website 52" LCD Projection . I never thought about getting projection, but for this price I might. I heard something about having to replace the bulb every couple of years with these TVs...is this true? Anyway, which one is the better buy?

SoSpacey

One thing you always need to remember about electronics....just because a company does one technology well, it doesn;t mean they do all technologies well.

the panasonic plasma is very highly rated for a reason. you dont hear much about panny lcd's...for a reason.

stick with the plasma. stop over thinking it.

i am not saying the panny lcd is bad, but the picture wont be as good. blacks are not even close to as black and the colors can't touch the color reproduction of the plasma.

do you know how big and bulky that rear projection is?

are viewing angles a concern in your room?

are you planning on moving out of where you are anytime soon?

JZ1276

i figured it cant be that bulky being that it weighs less than the plasma i have now which is 42" ...
i herad about the viweing angles issue with projection tv's...didnt know if lcd projection had the same issues...i'm not educated on the different types of projection tv's...
and no, i dont plan on moving anytime soon.

Mr. Salty

I agree with SoSpacey on all points.

Panasonic's plasmas are excellent. Their LCD projectors, not so much.

All rear projectors have narrower viewing angles compared to plasmas. And bulk involves more than weight. The plasma will weigh more, but the rear projector will be a larger set --- 16.6 inches deep vs. 3.7 inches for the plasma.

There's just no way I'd take an LCD projector over a plasma, especially a Panasonic plasma.

ANDREMIKE

plasma!!! plasma!!! plasma!!!

Sdallnct

For picture quality, I would agree with this statement,

IMHO, there are two reason you might consider the LCD:

1. Cost. You will save what? $400-$500 on the LCD
2. Brightness. If you are using this in a very bright room with no light control and watching a lot during the day.

You might look at some of the Samsung DLP RP's. That will at least get you closer in black levels and save about the same money.

But with the price drops of these panny plasmas I'd probably just stick with that. It wasn't that long ago the panny plasmas were often double the cost of these digital RP's. Now that they are with in $400 or $500 or less, I'd probably go plasma every day of the week.

Spiky

Are you saying the LCD would be brighter? Because traditionally that is not true. Flat LCD might be brighter than plasma, not RPTV. In this particular comparison, I would likely take the plasma, no contest.

But I wonder about some of the comments of poor Panny LCDs as I watch MLB in HD on my 90" Panny. (technically, Epson makes the LCD) Very nice. Hmm.....

JZ1276

has anyone ever seen the picture on this TV and how it compares to the plasma? Also, is it true about the bulb life lasting 2-3 years?

Mr. Salty

I would say the opposite. An LCD flat panel can rival a plasma for brightness, but a plasma will be a better choice than an LCD rear projector in a bright room.

Sdallnct

Well between Spikey and Mr. Salty, I must be wrong! I assumed (see what happens when I assume) that a LCD RP was just as bright as a LCD flat panel.

However, if that is not the case (and I'll certainly defer to the more knowledable folks) then even more reason to go the plasma.

JZ1276

thanks for all the opinions. i'll be getting the plasma.

Spiky

Sdallnct,
It's just like any other RPTV. The digital ones are a bit brighter than CRT versions, but they still lose a bit with only one lamp and the whole reflection thing. A direct view should be brighter.

Actually, most TVs are too bright, as any front PJ user will tell you. (know any? ) I find all the discussions of brightness a bit strange. Regular TVs give me a headache, and this LCD monitor I'm staring at right now, too. Much prefer my PJ.

Sdallnct

Recently in Home Theater magazine they had a 1080p shoot out. The big samsung won. But what was amazing is they actually said that while it won the shoot it, it was way to bright. So bright it would give you eye fatigue if watched in a dim/dark room.

How can a tv that causes your eyes to hurt win a best picture contest?

And yes, still loving and tweaking my HD70. It is a lot brighter then my X1 was. Of course the X1 had 3,000 hours on it. And I'm thinking of building a new screen that is even more refective!

cultshock

I read that too and was surprised. Seems like an awfully big negative to me. I often watch TV in a dark room and wouldn't want to put up with that at all.

Mr. Salty

One of the things I like about my Sony SXRD is that it has an adjustable iris that knocks down the brightness. It's easy to open it a little for bright daytime viewing, then close it when the sun goes down.

I don't know if Sony's LCD projectors include this feature or not.

Spiky

Faulty criteria?

Patman

Re: brightness of DLP/LCOS single bulb sets - that's one of the reasons I decided to go with plasma. I watched some DLP/LCOS sets in stores for 20-30 minutes straight, and just found it fatiguing and tiring, and that's just wasn't a desirable "benefit" of new TV technology.

Mr. Salty

And as I wrote above, that isn't a problem with Sony's LCoS (SXRD) sets. Of course, I'm sure that the store displays were set to torch mode, which doesn't make it any easier to evaluate TVs before you buy them.

Spiky

You can get headaches from TVs if they are too bright or too dim. Either way is a strain on your eyes. Single-chip DLPs have been known to give headaches all on their own. And SDTVs also to some people if the ~15KHz noise they give off (from the refresh rate) is too loud.

Personally, I get a headache just THINKing about what they do to those poor TVs in Best Buy. If I went there and actually looked at the abused machines, I'd probably end up with a migraine.

cultshock

I was going to mention that too, it's a very cool feature, the iris is extremely adjustable (plus two auto modes). I don't mind it a bit bright during nighttime viewing, but sometimes my wife thinks it's too bright, so it's very simple to knock it back a bit. "Too bright" or "too dim" should never be a problem with the SXRD, just set it the way you like. DLPs can cause eye fatigue with some people, but I've never heard that complaint about LCOS (like Spiky says, the brightness level might be the problem, not the technology itself)

JZ1276

well i just picked up the 50" plasma yesterday and could not be happier. Dont know if it was the settings that CC had for the TV, but the LCD projection looked horrible even with a HD feed. Thanks for everyones help.