Buying a 42-Incher. LCD, HELP !!

First of all, Mods: I did search, and the info helped, what i am looking for is specific and updatedinput since some new technologies seem to be emerging plus the fact that not all brands are available here. Just stating for the record.

Hello everyone,

I'm looking into getting a good 42" HDTV for the family, 720p probably since 1080p is VERY overpriced here in Egypt. Preferably LCD but i'm willing to look at plasmas too.

Big note : The only brands available here are the following: Philips, Toshiba (mostly Regza), Sony (but not the high-end Bravias), Samsung, Benq, LG, VERY few models of Panasonic and some weird brands like "Hisense", "Universal", probably some chinese shit.

So please answer me the following:

- What specs are the "bare-minimum" acceptable? Response time, contrast ratio, etc?

- Are some brands superior to others?

- The set will be used mainly to watch movies/TV, almost no gaming will be done in it, but i might get an Xbox 360 sometime soon so it would help if it was ready for that in case i use it on their set (heard motion-blurring can be a dog on those things)

That's all, general advice and product specific if you have the experience/time, money is not a big problem since it's for the family home so dad's paying. But i don't wanna advise him of anything too expensive. Also, they're big fans of bright lights so please keep that in mind.

Thanks in advance

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Any of them will do. LCDs are all equally shit.

Although the JVC I saw the other day had impressive black levels.

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But if LCDs are equally "shit", what's the alternative? Plasma? If so, gimme an example what to look for.
What's the minimum acceptable response time these days?
And the JVC you saw, which model was it?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

CRT is the best, but the next best is Plasma and RP LCOS. Response time isn't really worth worrying about since ghosting is probably a rarity these days, except for the cheapest sets.

I think the JVC was one of these:

LCD Flat Panel TV - 1080p Series

If you get a Plasma, get a Pioneer...they are the best. For LCD, I'd probably wait for a Sony XBR...but I don't even want to see what they charge if the price in the states is already outrageous.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Get a plasma. Unless you're only going to watch high definition movies or play video games on the TV. LCD's are terribly overrated (and only because they seem better in the specifications). As soon you're not watching something in HD quality it will look like crap, especially on a LCD TV. On a plasma TV it's not as bad if you're looking on non-HD stuff as it can handle it much better. And then something that could be noted is that Plasma TV's show better detail on black surfaces. Like, on a LCD you could see a guy wearing a black shirt, while on a Plasma you can see the pockets and buttons etc. And well, on an LCD TV it can never like get truly black, only darkish grey black. And really, don't get a TV with too much contrast. Because you really don't need it in most cases (if you get one with too much you'll probably have to put it down a lot anyways).

But don't look at the numbers in the specifications really, go check out some TVs yourself and get a feel of what you want.

I don't know that very much about the different brands, but I've heard Pioneer are the best ones in Plasma, just as Megalith Prime said.

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Plasma TV vs LCD TV - Plasma TV Buying Guide

It gave me some interesting perspective. I dunno if you've read that article yet, but I figured I'd toss it up regardless. The author seems to give a fair shakedown on features and drawbacks.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by nanaman

Get a plasma. Unless you're only going to watch high definition movies or play video games on the TV. LCD's are terribly overrated (and only because they seem better in the specifications). As soon you're not watching something in HD quality it will look like crap, especially on a LCD TV. On a plasma TV it's not as bad if you're looking on non-HD stuff as it can handle it much better. And then something that could be noted is that Plasma TV's show better detail on black surfaces. Like, on a LCD you could see a guy wearing a black shirt, while on a Plasma you can see the pockets and buttons etc. And well, on an LCD TV it can never like get truly black, only darkish grey black. And really, don't get a TV with too much contrast. Because you really don't need it in most cases (if you get one with too much you'll probably have to put it down a lot anyways).

But don't look at the numbers in the specifications really, go check out some TVs yourself and get a feel of what you want.

I don't know that very much about the different brands, but I've heard Pioneer are the best ones in Plasma, just as Megalith Prime said.

These are sweeping statements that really dont do the situation justice.

Plasma's dont show TV or SD content better than LCDs. What differeniates one set from another is always, 1)the scaler electronics 2)the display's native resolution. Plasmas for a long time, have had lower resolutions then LCDs, thus giving the impression that they show TV/SD content better, but that's just because the display didnt have as much detail. The big thing to look for these days is how well the TV scales. The electronics brand matters, but more importantly, the scaler inside. You can research this stuff. Also, just using your eye in a store can work as well.

Plasma's generally show blacks as a lower "brightness" than LCDs can. This is also not necessarily as big a deal as people make it to be. It depends where your display is in your home. If it is in a windowless basement, Plasma is much preferred. If it is in a windowed room in the house, I much prefer LCD because they are generally 1.5-2x brighter than Plasmas which matters ALOT when the sun is coming in.

Really the best thing to do is check your budget, then go looking at displays. It's really great if you can put stuff that you will use on the set to see how it looks. For instance, bring your favorite console with to the store, or insist that they plug in a DVD or turn to a TV/SD channel. Make sure you get something with a native resolution of 1280x720 or higher. 1366x768 is good, and 1920x1080 is cool if you can afford it.

And whoever said CRTs are better.... seriously. Yes they have the best blacks, but that is their ONLY literal visual advantage. Pixels are less well defined, even how the picture goes on the screen (for most TVs and HDTVs) is interlaced and that looks like such a piece of shit.

How ya doing, buddy?

How bright your room is makes a big difference. A Plasma is unbeatable in a room with no ambient light. However, if you like to keep the lights on or the windows open, Plasma's contrast ratio advantage is lost due to the glass screen. I keep the lights on a lot, and so I own a 42" Samsung LCD HDTV. Generally, Plasmas view better in dark rooms, and LCDs tend to handle brighter rooms better.

Honestly, you'll be happy with either technology, as the gaps between the two are narrowing as companies try to address weaknesses. If you go Plasma, you'll want Pioneer or Panasonic. If you go LCD, Sharp, Sony, and Samsung are recommended.

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Originally Posted by Parn

Honestly, you'll be happy with either technology, as the gaps between the two are narrowing as companies try to address weaknesses. If you go Plasma, you'll want Pioneer or Panasonic. If you go LCD, Sharp, Sony, and Samsung are recommended.

Ditto. I forgot to mention brands, and the ones you mentioned are golden. Off-brand LCDs can be good deals too, but not recommended unless you really know what to look for and what to watch out for.

BTW, go here for more info than youd ever want.

AVS Forum

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Ditto. I forgot to mention brands, and the ones you mentioned are golden. Off-brand LCDs can be good deals too, but not recommended unless you really know what to look for and what to watch out for.

BTW, go here for more info than youd ever want.

AVS Forum

Heh, I always get lost in those forums (so HUGE!)

Anyways, great thread for anyone looking for this stuff.

And as advice, try to ignore the fanboys... even the "educated" ones will use outdated facts or blatant lies to make you believe something.

Almost forgot, I noticed you already have a size in your mind... remember that the size depends on the room where this screen is going to be.

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Dudes, DUUUUDES..

THANK YOU everyone, seriously.

But please, although you're all probably right in your views, you bashing Megalith because he said CRT's are the best is totally wrong. CRTs ARE the best image quality, HD CRTs, that is.

You may not have seen good CRTs, but i'm telling you, the difference is big enough to notice, they are superior to both flat screen formats.
This may sound weird, why then am i looking for an LCD?
The thing is : I have young brothers and sisters, and they tend to watch the TV from up close. If health is of any importance (and it is to us), a set with little to no radiation is an obvious advantage. Hence the preference for LCDs over Plasmas and then CRTs.

Also, the ergonomic factor is a big plus, as i read somewhere on the AVS forum, flat screens have a high "WAF", Wife Approval Factor. I just add "MAF" , and even "FAF" and it seems pretty obvious what i should be looking for.

That said, thank you all for your input. I'm currently looking at a sharp Aquos 42" set, which looks absolutely stunning (With no "red push" and an EXCELLENT viewing angle). I especially love the black levels on it. Might reaaally get it.

Thank you all again !

Edit: Oh one more thing, can you recommend any HD videos i can download that i could use to "tweak" the set (forget AVIA and such, i mean a regular HD video , also to show off the detail)

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

WMV HD Content Showcase
Dave's Trailer Page

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Thanks ever so.

I was speaking idiomatically.