52" Plasma or LCD?

[wolfereeno]

I've looked at the Bravia lcd and some panasonic plasmas. I have no idea which is preferable. I'm basically interested in just watching movies and some sports. I've got an under $4K budget. Any suggestions?

Also, what are some other message boards you guys recommend for seeing reviews and learning more about tv's?

thanks!

[bobsticks]

Hey wolfereeno,

Welcome to forums. I have a theory on this that has never led me wrong. I vastly prefer the black levels and response time of a good plasma for movies and sports. I have yet to find an LCD that can rival plasma for the "passive viewing" application. If you were intent on icorporating a monitor into an all-in-one package for computer usage, net browsing and gaming my answer would undoubtably be different, but for what you have planned plasma is the way to go.

For some different perspectives check out: http://www.audiogon.com/

Have fun.

[wolfereeno]

Thanks!!

I've been looking at this one: Panasonic TH-50PZ750U. Seems good enough. Wish they had a 52-54" model though.

Are there any others I should consider?

-Bill

[bobsticks]

That's a great model and definetely a worthy contender. Pioneer and Runco are known for making spectacular units near that price point. Also, I've heard tale of a 1080p Hitachi plasma on the market. I haven't had the pleasure but I'm sure it's fantastic.

[pixelthis]

Thanks!!

I've been looking at this one: Panasonic TH-50PZ750U. Seems good enough. Wish they had a 52-54" model though.

Are there any others I should consider?

-Bill

Circuit Cith has an LCD that is 52-54 inches, but its about 3700$, sharp or samsung I beleive, saw it in the paper today

[wolfereeno]

Hmm. Me also likey this one!: the 46 or 52" Sony Bravia XBR4. So now I'm down to either Sony LCD or Panasonic Plasma....

[dean_martin]

I went with a plasma over an LCD set. My budget at the time was less than yours. I went with the Panasonic TH-50PX75U. It's native resolution is not 1080p (it's actually a little higher than 720p), but it's an amazing improvement over sd. Recently Dish added TBS to its HD line-up so last night I had Monday Night Football on ESPNHD and the NLCS on TBS-HD. Couldn't ask for much more than that.

I usually start my research at www.ecoustics.com. I read extensive product info at www.crutchfield.com once I've identified a particlular brand or model. I waded through so much stuff that I can't remember any specifics, but I came to the same conclusion as bobsticks.

[wolfereeno]

OK, the choice is between the Panasonic 50PZ750U plasma and the Sony 46 XBR4. The Sony 52 is just too large and expensive.

This new 120 Hz framerate makes sense but do the reviews support its advantage? Do the broadcasts and stuff like blue ray support that doubled frame rate or does the tv just do its own interpolations?

Much thanks all!

[pixelthis]

OK, the choice is between the Panasonic 50PZ750U plasma and the Sony 46 XBR4. The Sony 52 is just too large and expensive.

This new 120 Hz framerate makes sense but do the reviews support its advantage? Do the broadcasts and stuff like blue ray support that doubled frame rate or does the tv just do its own interpolations?

Much thanks all!

I would wait on that until my next set. Some 120 models have reported banding.
And its going to put more wear and tear on the device, and if it doesnt have any real benefit then why do it?
About the only thing to look out for is that if its 1080p that it has true frame for frame
24fps (72hz)