Plasma, worth it or not?

[Catt]

I'm looking into buying a new TV for my game room so let's hear some input; we are on a cable network which has HD.

[daviscw]

I hear they don't last very long.

Just my $.02

[xboxfisherman]

Totally worth it. The big tvs are much cheaper than an LCD, but more expensive than a DLP. I have a 50" 720p Panasonic. My buddy has a 42" 1080p Panasonic. He has had his for over two years and I have had mine for over a year and a half. We both game constantly. The "burn in" that you here about is over rated. It's barely noticeable and gone after a few minutes of normal TV.

I wouldn't worry too much about what brand you buy, my research I did before I bought mine said that there is only like 10 companies in asia making plasmas. They just get different cases. Prices seem to be leveling off. I bought mine for a little more than what my buddy payed for his almost six months earlier.

As for them not lasting very long. I forget what my life expectancy is on my TV but at 8 hrs a day it worked out to be like 12 yrs.

[rondef]

The warranty on plasma TVs is only for 10,000 hours so that would be one concern. The second concern is that they need to be calibrated when they are installed to get the best possible picture and that costs around $100. I have friends and family members that own them and told me this. They also tell me they have no regrets and that they love the quality of the picture.

[burleytog]

If you buy, buy Pioneer or Panasonic.

[Redlinerobert]

I have 4 plasma TV's and 2 LCD's in the house.  I much prefer the LCD's over the plasma.  Colors are much more vibrant with the LCD and you dont get any burn in.  

[J_Zink]

Plasma's have the best picture

but

They still have burn-in issues, mostly a problem for gamers.

They use a lot of electricity, more than LCD's or lamp based rear projectors.

They get pretty hot, much hotter than the other 2 formats.

Because of this they're more prone to break down.

They're also very heavy.

It's not surprising that most of the major manufacturers are moving away from Plasma technology and focusing on LCD.  

[Glenn]

I have 2 Pioneer Elite series plasma TV's and absolutely love them!!  The 50" is 3 years old now and has been used heavily for gaming, football, NASCAR, etc.  The picture is fabulous. No burn-in issues here.

The 42" is only 9 months old, but it's outstanding.  The difference in technology in just 3 years is amazing.  The color and clarity is fantastic.

Never had to calibrate them either.  

I WAS going to get an LCD when we got the 42", but it was on sale for about the same price as an LCD, with a much better picture - plus a ton of features I never knew existed.

Fun stuff!

[rondef]

My friends and family stated they could tell a difference after the calibration, they said the picture quality improved quite a bit.  I only say this because they tried to talk me out of buying my Sony Bravia LCD TV.

[Sam]

I have trouble with the remote now and after reading Glenn's post I probably will end up in a mental facility if those TVs have more features other than on and off.

Hey, the bass have me headed towards Central State Mental Hospital so why not have a TV push me over the edge????  ;D

[=Matt 5.0=]

I have a Sony Bravia 32" LCD. Looks great to me, especially HD and the PS3.

[FishingBuds]

I have 4 plasma TV's and 2 LCD's in the house.

Darn BaitMonkey ;D

[Bassn Blvd]

If you have te t.v where glare will hit it then most certainly get the LCD. If you are going to use it for gaming then get the LCD.

If none of the above then I don't know. I have he 56 Samsung LCD and love it. They do put off a lot of heat though. Not sure if Plasmas do.

[smlbass]

I have a 50" plasma in the living room and a 19" LCD in the computer room and have had the same game console connected to both with HDMI.  I can say that the plasma has a better picture with than the LCD, but I am comparing apples and oranges.  The plasma is an LG and the LCD is a cheap Wal-Mart TV by Polaroid.  The plasma will do 1080i and the LCD will only do 720p, so the degradation is understandable.

I would suggest that you get the highest resolution you can afford whether it be LCD or plasma.  The resolution that the set supports is the difference between an excellent HD experience and a "why did I bother" experience.

[AnthonyRSS]

I weighed the options and bought an LCD.  Looked at probably 35 tvs and went with the Vizio.  Have 0 complaints, and while I could see a difference between it and say a JVC, it wasn't worth a grand.

Anthony

[vicdotcom]

If power bills is a concern, then go with LCD.  I once walked past my brothers Plasma Screen while it was on and I swear it was about 5 degrees hotter in the vacinity of the screen.  You can feel the heat eminating.

Vic

[Aaron]

I have a 42" Vizio LCD.  I bought it right after Christmas and have had no complaints.  When I was looking every thiing I read said LCD>plasma.

I don't have access to a lot of HD content but it sure does make my PS3 look good.

[Catt]

Ok if I wasn't confused before I am now but there will be no games other than LSU football in about a month.

[flechero]

Catt,

My plasma TV gets so hot, it will almost burn you if you touch it.  It actually keeps that side of the den a few degrees warmer.... which is no good 10 months of the year.

I won't buy another plasma for that reason alone.  Besides, the other technologies have pictures just as good or even better depending on size and model.

[AnthonyRSS]

I use the TV for two things- Halo3 and SEC football.  HD football cannot be beat.

Anthony

[Pencil Pusher]

I am retired from Fox Television. Before I bought my HDTV, I asked several of the engineers at the station what to buy. Most of them recommended DLP if I was solely looking at quality. If i was going to hang it on the wall, the LCD was the way to go. The DLP sets are projection and are about 12 to 14 inches deep. No one recommended Plasma due to weight and high heat.

[Hoover]

Catt, TVs are like cars, everyone has an opinion.

I just bought a 46" LCD, but I did a lot of research on the web and Consumer Reports.  That is my suggestion to you.  Hope it helps.

Tom