LED vs LCD vs Plasma vs DLP

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TechieSooner

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Now, I know this has the possibility of turning into a flame war so PLEASE just keep it civil, folks... I want to keep it objective to hopefully find out what's the best thing on the market right now.

Granted, I think OLED and Laser will both kick the pants of all of these formats, but since those aren't here yet- we'll deal with the "Big 4".

Now, keeping it under $2,000- what kind of display is the best in terms of PQ and Performance (for a TV... Gaming, TV, Movies, etc)?

Dell has 73" DLP Mitsubishi TVs for $1400. That's a nice big screen, 120Hz, 1080p, 3D Ready.
For $1500 you can get a Toshiba 55" 240Hz, 1080p, with the new Local Dimming features.
LCDs are roughly the same price (a little cheaper) than the LEDs.
Plasmas are obviously on their way out, but can be had for about $1000 for a 55-58" 120Hz, 1080p.


Any inputs here?

Obviously that 55" LED is the newest tech at a pretty great price. But the DLP is about 20" larger for less money. So my argument there would be why wouldn't I get that?
The tech has changed so much lately, I wanted to post here. Alot of the info online (The drawbacks to each format) is outdated with the newest models.

Thanks!
 
LED TVs are LCDs with LED *backlighting* (instead of CCFL backlighting). I haven't seen Local Dimming in person, but if its obvious like dynamic contrast then I'll pass. Aside from local dimming, the only advantage of LED backlighting is lower power usage. LED backlighting doesn't give you any PQ or performance improvements.

DLP can have a good picture, they are just pretty thick.

I think plasma still offers overall the best PQ you'll get from a TV. But plasmas do suck down quite a bit of juice iirc.
 
LCD vs. plasma is embarassing.
- Zero ghosting
- Perfect inky blacks, rather than dark blue/grey
- Perfectly even screen uniformity
- Superior image quality

If one really cares about the best viewing experience they buy a plasma TV or a projector, only reason to buy an LCD is if you care about saving a tiny bit of electricity and never watch movies in the dark.

Edit: don't be fooled by the marketeers talking about their 120 / 240 Hz LCD TV's, they still can only accept 60 Hz signals max, the larger figures are a reference to frame interpolation technology.
 
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YouTube the local dimming features, it's a huge improvement over traditional LCD as far as PQ. It's not just energy differences. My struggle is with if it's "worth it". Obviously, LED TV's are ridiculously thin as well. But when you have to put stuff in a cabinent anyway (Xbox, BluRay, whatever), it really becomes a moot point unless you mount the TV to a wall and keep your equipment somewhere else (not going to happen in an apartment). So, size really doesn't make a huge difference. Sure, a thin screen is something to drool over, but just not really needed in functionality for me.

One advantage I see to DLP is they don't die out over time... Spend $100 to replace the lamp every few years and you get a brand new picture again. Versus buying a new TV with Plasma or LCD or LED.


So. I guess the question is, "Thin, cool, kindof expensive" or "Bigger, cheaper"... The PQ seems to be fairly comparable?
 
Solstice said:
LCD vs. plasma is embarassing.
- Zero ghosting
- Perfect inky blacks, rather than dark blue/grey
- Perfectly even screen uniformity
- Superior image quality

If one really cares about the best viewing experience they buy a plasma TV or a projector, only reason to buy an LCD is if you care about saving a tiny bit of electricity and never watch movies in the dark.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that... I'm leaning AWAY from LCD myself, I'd consider an LED set though, because they do have the Local Dimming which makes the black issue go away for the most part.

For about the price I can get a big Plasma (most makers max them out at 55"), I can get a 73" DLP... That's kindof what I'm debating on. What'd be my draw to a smaller Plasma screen?
 
I had this conundrum 2 years ago and researched the hell out of it. I ended up with a RPTV Sony KDS-60A2020 (no longer available). Still happy to this day. So don't go with a flatscreen just because they are flat. ;)

http://reviews.cnet.com/projection-tvs/sony-kds-60a2020/4505-6484_7-32331182.html

Some reasons if I can recall for my final decision. These issue may not be issues anymore.

LCD: poor when displaying black and ghosting/blurring when displaying fast action scenes.

Plasma: burn in(?) and screen door effect. I remember reading about it and when I went to Best Buy and walked up to one close it did look as if you where behind a screen door looking out. Also very expensive at the time for comparable size.

As I said this was 2 years ago. I've since bought a Samsung 32" LCD for my bedroom and no complaints....but I still prefer my 60" cuase its biga. ;)

If the reviews are good on that 73", you have the room and the specs meet your needs I think you have your answer. Go for it IMHO.
 
It depends on what you're primary usage is going to be.

For movies I'd say Plasma then DLP. If there is a healthy mix of gaming in there then LED-backlit LCD or DLP (Plasma still looks awesome here, but I've seen the results of extended gaming on even modern sets and burn-in is still a concern, albiet much less so than it was).

I will always choose a direct-view technology over a reflected/projected one at this point, unless the size requiremetns for the screen mean that projection is the only solution.

Now that I've given a response to the original question ...

OLED is never going to make it to the mainstream for usefully large screens. It'll be eclipsed by something else before it ever becomes cost effective.

At this point in Plasma's development you could find 40" TVs at major retailers. LCD progressed in size and dropped in price almost as quickly. OLED has major issues still with longevity and color-balance over time.

OLEDs claimed advantages are not really panning out either. It was supposed to be dirt-cheap to produce due to, theoretically, being a "printable" manufacturing process. That's been done, but not at a useful enough scale to meaningfully reduce prices (15" panels are ~$2000). It also supposed to be very power-efficient, but in real terms that's not always the case. If your display is principally BLACK then yes it is very power efficient, but it draws more power for a principally light/white display than even CCFL LCDs.
 
Burn-in isn't an issue for me. Plus, I've seen numerous LCD screens and monitors get burned-in as well... Fact of the matter is (unless it's a projection system), no matter what you've got: you'll have burn-in. But like I said, isn't an issue. I'm not going to pause a game or show and leave for four hours.

Sounds like the PQ is pretty comparable as well. Part of what worries me with Plasmas is that they do dull out over time, whereas again- a DLP is a $100 lamp replacement.

Another question- any decent places to buy other than the obvious sources (Fry's, Dell)?
 
Ive been gaming heavily on my 50" Kuro Plasma 5080HD (paid $1999) for over 2 years and its been flawless, awesome black levels, deep rich colors, no motion blur issues, unlimited viewing angles, scales 480p excellent (Wii actually looks good on it). PC output via HDMI was painless and looks amazing / 1:1 scale, It would be very hard for me to recommend LCD after owning one of these UNLESS you have problems with room lighting, LCD's would be a better choice in brightly lit rooms. but I prefer watching movies / gaming in a darker environment myself and was never a fan of DLP due to very limited viewing angles, but guess it depends on the room setup.
 
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A friend of mine purchased an LG LED backlit LCD TV with 120 or 240hz.
Local dimming causes flaring, especially with white text on a black background.

the 120/240hz makes movies look strange due to the motion enhancement. Movies end up having that Soap Opera look.

I'm sticking with my Plasma TV.
 
I have a 50" Panasonic plasma that I have had for 2 years now and I love it! I haven't seen anything yet that I would replace it with...other than a Pioneer plasma :)
 
I will also vote for plasma. The LED local dimming stuff has their own problems that seem to outweigh the advantages if you read the AVS Forums enough (and believe me I do, for better or worse).

After much research myself, and having owned two RPTV's (CRT, both HD), I was ready to buy the now discontinued Samsung 61" DLP RPTV (61a750), http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/reviews/462272991/samsung-hl61a750 but as I was finally ready to buy, they discontinued the model, demand went up as reviews were generally good, the price spiked, so I held off. Many months later, after some extreme research, I bought the Samsung 58b650 (Plasma). Couldn't be happier with it. I had narrowed it down to three in the end, the one I bought, the Panasonic V series plasma (glad I didn't go there based on the recent law suit over gradually decreasing black levels over time!), and the 50" Pioneer Kuro.

I really wanted the Kuro, and knew it to be the superior panel, but I also knew that I wanted more than 50", so I nixed that one. I also ALMOST bought the Panny, but everytime I saw it in the store compared to the Samsung, it looked downright awful. I know you aren't supposed to make much of in store displays, but after seeing this in different locations, I couldn't help but to be affected by it.

So glad with my choice to this day and I am very VERY picky.

1) black levels could be better, but I would put this model up against anything out there today and I feel sure it would meet or exceed everything out in the current market.

2) Don't worry too much about light imo...I have my plasma in a room where the afternoon light comes in through a window and hits right on the screen....window is about 5 feet in front and to the right of the TV...NOT a problem. I did buy some Ikea filtered shades that pull down (before I had even bought the TV), but sometimes I don't even use them. I personally think this problem is overblown, and maybe applies to previous gen plasmas moreso than the new ones. It actually affected BOTH of my old CRT HDTV's, which were both in the same location, more than it does my Sammy.

3) burn in has not been a problem, and I game (PS3) on mine all the time. I DO notice some image retention after the kids watch a 4:3 movie, but it never lasts for more than a few minutes. Again, I think this is a problem for the older gen plasmas.

If I had it to do over, I MIGHT consider buying the model down from mine just because I don't ever hook mine up (using the TV) to the web (one of the primary difference between this model and the one below). There supposedly is a better AR filter on mine (650), which might explain my happiness the lack of reflections from other light sources.

So IMO, check out either the B560 or B650 model Samsungs. You can get up to 58" for much less than $2K these days (I think the 58" B650 was about $2300 when they first came out)
 
Solstice said:
LCD vs. plasma is embarassing.
- Zero ghosting
- Perfect inky blacks, rather than dark blue/grey
- Perfectly even screen uniformity
- Superior image quality

If one really cares about the best viewing experience they buy a plasma TV or a projector, only reason to buy an LCD is if you care about saving a tiny bit of electricity and never watch movies in the dark.

Edit: don't be fooled by the marketeers talking about their 120 / 240 Hz LCD TV's, they still can only accept 60 Hz signals max, the larger figures are a reference to frame interpolation technology.
Click to expand...

QFT. Also throw superior input lag in favor of plasma; it is much closer to CRT than LCD, which makes them great for gaming.

The difference between plasma and LCD is so big it isn't even funny. Plasma isn't "on the way out" as the OP stated either, it is still the display of choice among people that value image quality over weight, power consumption, or marketing. Marketing is a big point BTW, in that retailers and manufacturers make more money selling $3000 LCDs with all of these band-aids (which is all that things like local dimming are) to fix inherent issues in LCD technology, when a plasma that costs half as much will look and perform better in every way. They're obviously going to advertise the more profitable display more.

Do what I did and splurge on something like a Pioneer Kuro (RIP) and now we're really talking. :)

Anyway, if you're going to shop around then I advise doing it in a showroom with controlled lighting, not a Best Buy style warehouse that is lit like the sun. You will not get an accurate assessment of color, black level, etc etc, viewing a display in a massive store environment.

I vote plasma all the way. Black level, color accuracy, motion artifacts, input lag, the technology blows away LCD in every respect. LCDs only advantages are power consumption, weight, and lower heat, all of which are excellent reasons why they're in portables and desktop displays. I have a 60" Pioneer Signature Elite Kuro and I'll likely be picking up a 54" Panasonic V25 for my home office whenever they come out.
 
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Serpico said:
QFT. Also throw superior input lag in favor of plasma; it is much closer to CRT than LCD, which makes them great for gaming.
Click to expand...

Mixing up response time and input lag are we?

While I don't know what is common among plasmas there certainly are plenty of them that have worse input lag than certain LCDs...
 
brumwald said:
Mixing up response time and input lag are we?

While I don't know what is common among plasmas there certainly are plenty of them that have worse input lag than certain LCDs...
Click to expand...
I make similar mistakes (brainfarts?) myself sometimes, but i do see some out-dated info being passed around in this thread.


New Plasmas have more input lag than models from 2008, around 30ms or so, still very do-able for gaming though. LCD's have more input lag than ever before also, a select few LCD's are not quite as bad though.

Burn-in is no longer a genuine issue with plasmas imho. It is an issue if you're foolish with your habits, but LCD's carry almost the same risk, rendering the whole comparison a moot point imho. I've seen many LCD's with "burn in" btw (including LCD monitors).

Burn in is not to be confused with Image-retention because image retention is not permanent.

Supposedly the new 2010 panasonic plasmas no longer have the fading-blacks issue.



Here's a semi-professional review of several 2009 model LCD and Plasmas: http://hdtvbychadb.com/reviews.htm
 
I'm pretty much sold on the idea Plasma>LCD.

The question for me right now is Plasma vs. DLP?
 
i haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me if this has already been covered.

i currently own a 61" Samsung LED DLP. great television for a great price.

however, there are a couple of drawbacks that you should be aware of. if you view this television off-center (in x or y plane), then the picture will appear dim. you can still see it just fine, but it will appear dim in contrast to viewing it dead center. if you plan on sitting on the couch, centered with the television, then i recommend the DLP. if any seating areas are off-center, you may want to go with the plasma or LCD.
 
Solstice said:
LCD vs. plasma is embarrassing.
- Zero ghosting
- Perfect inky blacks, rather than dark blue/gray
- Perfectly even screen uniformity
- Superior image quality

If one really cares about the best viewing experience they buy a plasma TV or a projector, only reason to buy an LCD is if you care about saving a tiny bit of electricity and never watch movies in the dark.

Edit: don't be fooled by the marketeers talking about their 120 / 240 Hz LCD TV's, they still can only accept 60 Hz signals max, the larger figures are a reference to frame interpolation technology.
Click to expand...

Good post!
While high-end plasma from Pioneer (Kuro) and Panasonic have much better black than any LCD, it is not yet perfect. I would also add that plasma has perfect viewing angles.
 
isnt dlp dead? I have a Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma and its been amazing. It does get warm but so what its not like I am sleeping on it. The picture is breath taking and it keeps up with sports and action scenes like no bodies business. The black is black not dark grey. I have the vibrant colour feature on and HD shows like Survivor and National Geographic are eye poping. The one thing to remember is that the technology will never cease to evolve. So, I would look at them side by each at the store with the same signal(I made a deal with my local electronics shop, they hooked up a bluray to 3 tv's and I brought a bluray disc in) I picked the one that looked the best and have never had one regret.

Good luck with your quest. Lets not forget as guys that 90% of the fun of this process is the research.

Cheers!
 
I really wish DLPs didn't go away. My vote usually always goes to the DLP for the size of the screen per dollar. I have a 61in Samsung DLP and before that I had a 50in Samsung DLP. I paid $962 after tax for my 1080p 61inch.

Reason I vote for DLPs and recommend them is the fact that most users care too much about how thick the TV is, but once it gets home.... it doesn't matter.

Take for example:
You have a 360/PS3/Cable/Receiver and an entertainment stand. Guess what? The LCD/Plasma is going to sit on the stand. Because it's sitting on the stand, it's thickness doesn't make one difference.

Nod goes to the LCD iff(iff and only if)
1)plans to wall mount (properly)
2)plans for a HTPC or a gaming computer where 1:1 pixel mapping is mandatory. <--only stressful thing about my DLP.
 
DLPs IMO only really work for me when used as front projectors, which requires full ambient light control, etc etc. The more common enclosed DLP rear projectors have serious viewing angle issues, plus they don't do as good a job rendering blacks as a plasma does.

Yeah they're big but you're really not getting the best image quality given the size. Again, the exception is with DLP projectors, but then you're talking about getting a screen, devoting a room with total light control (no windows or blackout curtains), etc etc.

Plasma all the way for image quality, no question.
 
brumwald said:
Mixing up response time and input lag are we?

While I don't know what is common among plasmas there certainly are plenty of them that have worse input lag than certain LCDs...
Click to expand...

Response time is faster, but I was also referring to input lag, yes. I wasn't aware of plasmas that have worse input lag than certain LCDs out there, but I would love to know about them. It was my understanding that not only do plasmas have better input lag, but that LCDs were continuing to get worse in that area given that more and more processing continues to get added in every generation in an attempt to improve image quality.
 
hossdaddy said:
isnt dlp dead?
Click to expand...
They're more alive than Plasmas :D More units out there last time I saw the numbers on them.

Cloud15x said:
You have a 360/PS3/Cable/Receiver and an entertainment stand. Guess what? The LCD/Plasma is going to sit on the stand. Because it's sitting on the stand, it's thickness doesn't make one difference.
Click to expand...
Exactly.


Modia had a $1900 deal on their 82" Mitsubishi DLP TVs (A pricing error). Some lucky people got lucky and had their orders filled... Mine was one that was cancelled.
 
How come they don't make plasma monitors for computers. I'd like to see a 24" 1900x1200 plasma monitor that can take a 100hz single or higher.
 
TechieSooner said:
They're more alive than Plasmas :D More units out there last time I saw the numbers on them.


Exactly.


Modia had a $1900 deal on their 82" Mitsubishi DLP TVs (A pricing error). Some lucky people got lucky and had their orders filled... Mine was one that was cancelled.
Click to expand...

more dlp's than plasmas? ok sure.
 
hossdaddy said:
more dlp's than plasmas? ok sure.
Click to expand...

Just what I had seen at one point. Totally don't know if that's true anymore or not, but I kind of think it could be. Lots of TV for cheaper.

I'm still on the fence here. I don't know if a 55" Plasma or a 73" DLP would better suit me.
 
Galvin said:
How come they don't make plasma monitors for computers. I'd like to see a 24" 1900x1200 plasma monitor that can take a 100hz single or higher.
Click to expand...

Man I would be in heaven with a 24-30" plasma for a monitor for gaming, like a lot of dark games.

Anyway, I have one of the LED backlit 240hz LCD tv's as well as a 50" plasma. Plasma is much better for TV/movies and it cost a few hundred less. The blacks on the LED LCD are impressive when they are black, probably equal or close to my plasma without close scrutiny, but you get like a halo effect where say your whole screen is supposed to be black except for one white pixel, the immediate surrounding pixels will be gray. Now imagine that on a large image with a mostly black background in a movie. Plasma, one is white, the adjacent is black. Don't believe the lies about motion blur and artifacting on the advertised 120/240hz lcd's either, while they may be improved over the 60hz, it sure isn't non-existant, on a plasma it is unless maybe you have superman eyes.

LCD is better for desktop use like internet browsing I found.

Haven't really done much gaming on either, need to get a wireless kb/mouse.
 
I believe the reason for plasma sizes are the physical size of the borders that separate the plasma cells, on a 42" it begins to hinder the set, I could only imagine that at 24" you'd have a grid on your screen
 
How much of a price difference of a LED LCD vs. a LCD of the same size, same brand?

I remember Samsung 30" LED LCD is $3800, vs. Samsung LCD is $1600, but that was 1.5 yr. ago
 
Plasma's would make horrible computer monitors due to the image retention , lots of sold , bright static images = murder for plasmas to deal with.
 
Godmachine said:
Plasma's would make horrible computer monitors due to the image retention , lots of sold , bright static images = murder for plasmas to deal with.
Click to expand...

Image retention isn't the main issue, that hasn't been a problem for a long time. The usability issues are that they don't come in small enough sizes for a desktop, and they put out loads of heat. Sitting eight feet away from my 60" plasma is no big deal, but if I get close to it then you can tell a big difference in air temperature. As much as I love plasmas, I would not want to be sitting 2-3 feet away from one.

A bigger problem is that they aren't made for near field viewing. LCDs can get their pixels much closer together while plasmas have a visible border around each pixel; they just don't exist with the kind of pixel density necessary for viewing from two feet away. As much as I prefer plasma for their black level, color accuracy, and lack of motion artifacts, it currently has nothing like the pixel density that a 24" LCD at 1920x1200 has, let alone the incredibly fine 2560x1440 on newer 27" desktop LCDs.

I don't think there is much of a reason to make them either. Plasmas are best suited for movies and video games, living room activities where the monitor is across a living room. I don't think people would want to be sitting so close to a plasma and dealing with the heat it puts out. I'd love to play PC games on a plasma but my home office simply isn't configured for it. It would need to be a situation where my desktop is set up five or six feet away from the wall with something like a 50" plasma mounted on it.

That would be kind of rad. :D
 
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Happy Hopping said:
How much of a price difference of a LED LCD vs. a LCD of the same size, same brand?

I remember Samsung 30" LED LCD is $3800, vs. Samsung LCD is $1600, but that was 1.5 yr. ago
Click to expand...

Check on Amazon, the difference is still pretty significant. LED backlit LCDs with local dimming and everything else thrown in there (120/240hz, etc etc) are among the most expensive sets you can get. As its been said before, you're better off getting a plasma, in that a good mid-range plasma will give you better image quality than an expensive LCD. Spend even more on a plasma and you are talking about image quality nirvana. It really is a shame that Pioneer left the plasma business. :(

The pluses for going LCD is if your budget is very very limited (they can go for very very cheap), or if energy consumption is an issue for you, but IMHO that's it.
 
Happy Hopping said:
How much of a price difference of a LED LCD vs. a LCD of the same size, same brand?

I remember Samsung 30" LED LCD is $3800, vs. Samsung LCD is $1600, but that was 1.5 yr. ago
Click to expand...
It depends on the brand. Because you can buy a Toshiba (which by all reviews and comparisions out there says the particular set is just as good PQ as the Samsung) 55" for $1500 now, LED Backlit with Local Dimming. That's comparible in cost to a regular old LCD.

But again, I'm pretty much sold off on the whole LCD thing- don't want one.

Godmachine said:
Plasma's would make horrible computer monitors due to the image retention , lots of sold , bright static images = murder for plasmas to deal with.
Click to expand...
Yep... I've used a 55" as a Monitor before and you won't just deal with image retention, you'll deal with all-out burn-in. That was on a two year old Samsung as well, not older junk.
 
TechieSooner said:
Just what I had seen at one point. Totally don't know if that's true anymore or not, but I kind of think it could be. Lots of TV for cheaper.

I'm still on the fence here. I don't know if a 55" Plasma or a 73" DLP would better suit me.
Click to expand...

My experience has been quite different. DLPs have been on Clearance and most stores that I have been in, that doesn't exclude the fact that the Plasmas have also seen record sales.

Is the Plasma your looking at a Pioneer, Panasonic or Samsung?

The quality of the plasmas blacks and overall color accuracy pretty much goes in that order. Pioneer (the best, though they pulled out of the market last year so new units are becoming scarce), Panasonic (getting very close to the Pioneer KURO* models quality, but still in second), and Samsung (from what I read the blacks aren't as good as the Panasonic but not horrible either, the reds are supposedly over saturated as well).

Anything besides these 3 brands like LG tend to be worthless in the Plasma field, but who knows what the near future holds.

I've done some research on AVS Forum, and honestly as Display technology goes these guys tend to run circles around me, but the above is pretty much what I have accessed from both their information and in person.

I personally own a 42" Panasonic Plasma, it's picture quality surely matches those of an LED backlit LCD and in motion it still feels more fluid. As far as larger units go, it's hard to tell at a store since even my unit's picture quality is superior when compared to in-store hookups of the same model.

DLP Rear Projection, more importantly the 73" your referencing may be the one I saw at BestBuy a few months ago at a price of close to $3,000 it was a Mitsubishi.

My thoughts on it: Viewing angles aren't as good as a plasma but damn they are some of the best I have seen on a DLP rear projection TV. Color quality is definitely up there as well and the Blacks though maybe less inky then my plasma are still close enough to where it's not that big of an issue. Motion wise it's a tough call...

If the Plasma you are looking at is a Pioneer, you can't beat its quality with anything that is current technology. If it's a Panasonic it's still well up there in quality, the larger you go the bigger you pixels dot pitch (I think this is what it's called) will be. So you lose more quality in your picture at 1080P at much larger sizes.

How far will you be sitting back from this TV?

Seriously this question may actually be the determining factor. The further you sit back the less of an issue a larger pixel dot pitch will be.
 
my 50 inch dlp samsung is 7 years old and still looks as good as it did when i bought it.

one thing to keep in mind is the dlp is the only one that is "fixable". the lamp and color wheel are the only parts that wear and both are cheep to replace if needed. the color wheel for mine that i replaced last year was under $100.
with the plasma's their is a limit to how long the screen will last and is not replacable. you could buy a new one cheeper than fixing it. same with led and the like. the dlp's are as reliable as the old tubed tv's.
just though i would toss in the reliability factor for you. if you have money to spare than go for the best. if you want something that will last and can be serviced then go with a dlp..
 
Derfman said:
How far will you be sitting back from this TV?

Seriously this question may actually be the determining factor. The further you sit back the less of an issue a larger pixel dot pitch will be.
Click to expand...
Probably 6-10 feet, not sure yet... I also have to figure out a way how to get my Logitech 5.1 surround setup with it (can't run wires over a doorway- and can't run through the walls...), so that might be a determining factor where I stick it.

From what I've read over at AVS, once you get into the double-digits of feet, a 55" TV is worthless (you might as well just be using a cheaper 720p). 55" TVs, apparently, only benefit from 1080p at fairly close distances (6 feet or so). Once you hit 10 feet or more- DLP or projection is the only way to go to still maintain the image quality.

So that said, I guess I'm leaning toward the DLP.

billstelling said:
my 50 inch dlp samsung is 7 years old and still looks as good as it did when i bought it.
Click to expand...
Had a 42" LCD Projection that had a recall on it once that included replacing the lamp. Dude- it was like a brand new picture. I think you'd be surprised how much better a 7 year old lamp would look getting replaced :D


Right now, DLP is good because it's big. The Plasma might be more worth it to me because of the better picture and viewing angle. Still kindof a tossup. But since DLP PQ is so CLOSE to Plasma, I'm thinking of leaning that direction and getting an additional 18" of size.
 
The main reason I went with DLP was mentioned above. After a couple of years you replace your lamp for a couple hundred bucks and you have a new screen. With LCD's if pixels die or get stuck, your screwed. With Plasma's you have similar issues that some people are running into with black levels changing (right now limited to Panasonic's only).

In addition the size to price ratio is much better for a DLP. My uncle has a 42 inch 7 year old DLP that is quite thick compared to today's DLP's, but he cant bring himself to replace it with either a Plasma or LCD because it still functions like new with no issues.

I bought a 59" Panasonic DLP 3 years ago for 1200 dollars and have never looked back. There are issues with glare from windows and off axis viewing, but if viewed somewhat straight on (or in a darker room) those issues are not too much of an issue.

My vote is DLP all the way with Plasma a very close second.
 
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