40" LCD or Plasma

[rhk]

Hi,
I am in the market for a flat screev Tv, and am facing the usual dilema
LCD vs plasma. I have narrowed down the size to either a 40 or 42 inch tv. The sony 40 " XBR2 is an attractive model, but would it be better than a pioneer or panasonic 42" plasma with similar connectors, ie HDMI ?
Any suggestions ?

[edtyct]

What's important to you? The reflex comparisons give plasma generally the edge in black levels and greyscale tracking, off-axis viewing, and even color fidelity. LCDs usually get the nod when a bright picture is appealing, usually in a room with a lot of ambient light. But uneven screen burn becomes something of a problem for plasmas that have to show a lot of still images, letter- /pillar-boxed material, or video games, though users can minimize these risks with proper setup.

Inch for inch, LCDs are capable of higher resolutions, though not necessarily by eye when all is said and done. LCDs can also suffer from pixel blur when fast motion is on the screen, as in sporting events, though not everyone is sensitive to it, and refresh rates are constantly improving. Because they produce color by a subtractive process from a flouresent lamp, their colors can look oversaturated--particularly green and red--and chromaticity can be visibly inaccurate.

That said, the proof of a display is in the pudding. Many variables in implementation, processing, features, and ergonomics get in the way of the pat answers. Particular LCDs and plasmas can easily subvert the stereotypes. You can't really buy on generalities if you're fussy; you need to do some research and/or some actual viewing under controlled circumstances. Then you can make an informed decision based on the features and performance that mean the most to you.

[AVMASTER]

I'm constancely asked this question and as Edtyct has pointed out there are many variables to consider; answer the following questions that I pose to potential customers then we can answer your question better.
describe the room the display will be in/ will it be wall mounted?
how far will you be from the display?
how will it be used
what source components will be used with it

[rhk]

To answer the questions:
1. viewing distance is 8 feet.
2. Watching both cable TV and DVD movies (mainly action/Thrillers)
3. Receiver Yamaha rxv 2600.
4. DVD - pioneer DV-490V-S.
5. TV will be wall mounted

[AVMASTER]

Pioneer 42" plasma would be my first recommendation without knowing budget and a description of the room. The Sony is a visually beautiful display but its' capabilities would be wasted. The Panasonic plasma, while a good value, IMHO doesn't compare to your other two choices. If the room that you're mounting the display in is a bright sunny room, maybe a LCD might be a better way to go; Take a look at the Sony kdl40v2500

[evil__betty]

One major question that people leave out when looking for either plasma or LCD is the room environment. If you take two equally good tvs, one plasma, one LCD and set them up in a room with lots of ambiant light (bay windows, accent lighting, or bright lights of any kind) on the same signal, the LCD would look better due to it design of a matt finish for the screen. Plasma has a sheet of glass over the screen that will reflect a LOT of light and diminish that coveted contrast ratio. Likewise, if you were to move those same two tvs into the basement with low light (or no light), the plasma will look better as it can achieve better black levels and usually handle motion and colour reproduction better. Take a look at where you will put the set and see what technology would work better for your application.

With that being said, I would have seconded the motion toward the Sony V2500 (almost XBR specs for Hundreds of dollars cheaper) when it comes to LCD, but 2 days ago at work we recieved the brand new Sharp pannels. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!! Puts the XBRs and Samsung sets to SHAME. Sharp definately has made a move to take back the LCD market (in the larger sizes at least). I have never seen such detailed, black levels on an LCD... ever. Take a look at it before dropping any cash. That TV has moved to the top of my "must have" list. Its the LC42D62U (available in 42", 46" and 52".... the 52" is hundreds less than the 46" XBR2 and I think that it looks much nicer).

[rhk]

Finally took the plunge and bought the Hitachi plasma 42PD9500TA. It is rated to have 1080p conversion but have not got a chance to try it out.
The picture quality is excellent and it costs $1000 less than a 40 inch Sony XBR !

[evil__betty]

Where did you get your hands on that TV? I haven't seen anything like that outside Europe/Asia. Regardless, it seems to be almost identical to the 42HDT79 or 42HDX99 - both 1080 plasmas. But to help you clarify - that TV does not support a 1080p signal. It achieves a resolution of 1024x1080 through a technology called ALiS (Alternate LIghting of Surfaces). This will convert all signals to 1080p, but does not have the "full HD" resolution of 1920x1080. Hitachi's web site states
ALiS is the only plasma technology that displays 1080i high-definition programing without vertical scaling So don't expect to plug in a HDDVD or Blu-Ray disc and get 1080p... the TV will only accept up to 1080i. Don't worry though, the picture is kick ass.

[edtyct]

Some people regard the ALiS technique as mere interlacing; it isn't. It relies on different sets of pixels running on the same electronic drivers. In a way, it reminds me of the persistence of vision strategy that figures heavily in DLP displays, especially Smooth Picture or wobulation--which may or may not be fair to either technology.