First LCD TV purchase. I want it to be a good one :)

[tomjose]

Believe it or not, for the past 5 years i have lived in canada, i have never owned a tv.

So, we just bought a house and obviously the time has come to buy a new TV.

I was looking at the samsung lcd 7 series 52 inch model as the main tv and a bigger but cheaper plasma in the basement for my games and stuff.

So two TVs in total.
What are the first hand experiences RFDers have abt the samsung 7 series.
I read up that pretty much the only difference between the 7 and 8 series LCd is the contrast ratio (which the 8 series has like 80,000:1 compared to 50,000 to 1 for the 7 series)

Or should i prolly save up and go for the LED backlit 9 series?
What abt a plasma for the basement?
I was not looking for something too expensive however it should play x360 and ps3 good and also the occassional movies.

Any recommendations and answers will be appreciated
Thanks in advance.

[Menace]

A few people did say Series 6 is a better buy if you don't use the extra feature such as streaming directly to your TV from a media server.


What are the first hand experiences RFDers have abt the samsung 7 series.
I read up that pretty much the only difference between the 7 and 8 series LCd is the contrast ratio (which the 8 series has like 80,000:1 compared to 50,000 to 1 for the 7 series)

[rfdrfd]

One thing that everyone agrees on is, if you are using it for Gaming, do not go with Plasma. Because still images (during gaming, like scoreboard, bullets left, etc) for long periods of time will cause burn in with Plasmas. LCD is much better for gaming.

However, plasmas will give you a real black (for movies) compared to a very dark grey in LCDs. Also colors will be richer for Plasma's, hence, its better for movies and your viewing enjoyment.

[tomjose]

well,
i currently stream movies through my Wireless network (from my PC hardrive) to my laptop.
If the 7 series does something of that sort, then thats great.
Is it the DLNA thingy?

[tomjose]

One thing that everyone agrees on is, if you are using it for Gaming, do not go with Plasma. Because still images (during gaming, like scoreboard, bullets left, etc) for long periods of time will cause burn in with Plasmas. LCD is much better for gaming.

However, plasmas will give you a real black (for movies) compared to a very dark grey in LCDs. Also colors will be richer for Plasma's, hence, its better for movies and your viewing enjoyment.

Well the thing is, other forums i have read up online and from salespeople at the yonge/dundas futureshop is that: BURN in is a thing of the past.

You have to be really dumb to leave a still image on for 20 hrs + on a Plasma in order for the image to be burned in.

And arent most plasmas "broken-in" (so to speaK) at the factories? Broken in as in they leave it on for 24-48 hours on white noise only.

[Psubs]

Do you really need a 52 inch? Going from no TV to 52 is like whoa!!!!

I would get the best deal from the same place and use buying 2 TV's to negotiate a big discount. Also try and get free HD Digital boxes. :cheesygri

[tomjose]

for sure the minimum size is a 52 incher.:cheesygri:cheesygri

HD boxes from rogers you mean?
well, i was kinda thinking abt the fta receivers :cheesygri:cheesygri

[Scott84]

I highly suggust http://www.digitalhome.ca Forums.

Best Canadian Forum for TV information.

This site being the best for finding tv deals!

[zzz3]

One thing that everyone agrees on is, if you are using it for Gaming, do not go with Plasma. Because still images (during gaming, like scoreboard, bullets left, etc) for long periods of time will cause burn in with Plasmas. LCD is much better for gaming.

However, plasmas will give you a real black (for movies) compared to a very dark grey in LCDs. Also colors will be richer for Plasma's, hence, its better for movies and your viewing enjoyment.

Yes everyone would agree if it was a cheapo plasma, but looking at ops budget, a good pioneer/panasonic plasma will not have any of these problems mentioned. So in the op's case, if i am inferring correctly about how much you are going to spend, plasma would be better for gaming.

Well the thing is, other forums i have read up online and from salespeople at the yonge/dundas futureshop is that: BURN in is a thing of the past.

You have to be really dumb to leave a still image on for 20 hrs + on a Plasma in order for the image to be burned in.

And arent most plasmas "broken-in" (so to speaK) at the factories? Broken in as in they leave it on for 24-48 hours on white noise only.

Right on, even a samsung plasma, which imo is not as idiot proof as a pioneer, would be fine if you are willing to take care of it in exchange for good picture quality.

Also its ir, image retention, which occurs first, and then burn in which is permanent and for the latter to occur would require gross incompetence.

[Andrewm]

Plasmas have nice colour, but they use way too much electricity and are horrible for the environment.

LCDs last longer, cheaper electric bill, sharper picture, no burn in, and no fade over time.

Honestly, just go full HD, major brand name LCD, and you really can't go wrong. Just look at it before you buy it.

[champ91]

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=709841

[arisk]

Plasmas have nice colour, but they use way too much electricity and are horrible for the environment.

LCDs last longer, cheaper electric bill, sharper picture, no burn in, and no fade over time.

If you are considering power consumption, don't fall for the common misconception that plasma is hugely different than LCD.
While specs may state dramatically different power ratings, the plasma would only use consume it's stated power (it's a maximum) with a bright image on the entire screen.
During a dark image, it's power would be very low and much less than LCD.

There have been tests of the two under real conditions and while the plasmas do use more power than LCD, it isn't as much as widely believed.

I also question the longevity statement.
I believe them to be similar now.

I did choose LCD myself, mostly over burn-in concerns.
Consider your viewing patterns when making the determination whether that may be an issue for you.

[zzz3]

Plasmas have nice colour, but they use way too much electricity and are horrible for the environment.

LCDs last longer, cheaper electric bill, sharper picture, no burn in, and no fade over time.

Honestly, just go full HD, major brand name LCD, and you really can't go wrong. Just look at it before you buy it.

Dont foget the gas needs to be refilled :lol:


Seriously the power consumption between a similar sized lcd and plasma is trivial when you look at it over a yearly or even monthly basis. If you want to help the environment, there are far more effective methods in which you can help the environment out then buying an lcd over a plasma. Either set you will last at least 15 years through regular use, what difference does it make if an lcd might last 25 years versus 20 years for a plasma? I doubt anyone will keep tvs that long, that is if they havent already broken down, thrown out or replaced with newer tech.

Also a sharper image dose not always mean its the better picture, and thats why i would caution against "looking at it before you buy it" because all sets in most stores are left in torch mode. Get some settings from avsforum for the sets you like and try them out to see how a calibrated set should look like.

Once again burn in is not an issue, let alone ir, if you buy a quality plasma.

[tomjose]

Any one here knows a reputable place to buy a 55" + plasma?

i was thinkign abt the panasonic z85 series. they have a 58" which is rather nice.

[dshek]

Main TV: If you shall be mainly watching movies and soap/ tv shows and no more than 5% of continious gaming or sports channel viewing of total viewing per week, I would recommend Plasma, BUT NOT FOR GAMING only! :confused: Why? :idea: Since the line that divides the screen for two players shall divide your movie in two! :!:
Basement: Go for plasma, provided there is no direct light. :arrowl:
Gaming : LCD please. ;) and for active sports

As for burn in, I have see burn-in on LG 50PG30, Samsung PN50A550 and 50" Pioneer Kuro, so there are no exceptions. It really depends on how you are using it. With careful usage and regular maintenance - like pixel refresh you can actually extend the life. Avoid white-wash which shall work, but kill the life of the TV.
Plasma has a glass surface so is reflective, but with anti-reflective technology it is reduced.
:?: Buy one for each purpose and everyone is happy :D
hope that helps!

Plasma: Pioneer, Panasonic Pz800/PZ80, Samsung PN550
LCD : Samsung LN650, Sharp D85