otis29 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I'm looking to upgrade the main television in my house, but over the years I've become pretty ignorant of the technologies. Currently, I have a 51" Panasonic Plasma HDTV that I purchased four years ago. I'm going to move that into the den and purchase a new HDTV and Blu-Ray player for my living room. I'm not looking for anything huge - really 42" or bigger is fine. But I do have a question on the current strengths and weaknesses of LCD vs. LED vs. Plasma, etc. Plasma is a bit scary for me, as I did get some mild burn-in on the sides of the screen even with following the instructions in the user's manual when I purchased my current set. So I'm hoping to avoid a repeat. And I am looking to do this as cheap as possible, I figure my budget is probably in the $1200 to $1500 range. Anyone have a preferred brand or type they like these days? Also, I'm going to be the last kid on my block to jump on the Blu-Ray bandwagon - and I'm not overly concerned about which player to buy as I am about internet connection and applications (Netflix, Pandora, etc.), but I see that some Blu-Ray players and some HDTV's include wi-fi and internet apps. Is there any real difference if I get the Blu-Ray player or the TV with the internet capability? Are either of these types of devices upgradeable (from a software standpoint)? Should I just get and XBox or PS3 and call it good? Thanks in advance for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 For the bluray, get the PS3. From all accounts, the Blu Ray in that is as good or better than most stand alones, plus you can stream Netflix, etc. hook it up to your network, and as an added bonus even use it to play the occassional video game if you so desire. As for the TV, I have a 55" Samsung LED that we bought when we moved in to our current home about 2 1/2 years ago and it is perfectly fine, no complaints. At that time it cost more than your budget, but I know prices have dropped as they always do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otis29 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 For the bluray, get the PS3. From all accounts, the Blu Ray in that is as good or better than most stand alones, plus you can stream Netflix, etc. hook it up to your network, and as an added bonus even use it to play the occassional video game if you so desire. As for the TV, I have a 55" Samsung LED that we bought when we moved in to our current home about 2 1/2 years ago and it is perfectly fine, no complaints. At that time it cost more than your budget, but I know prices have dropped as they always do. Thanks much - I'm not much of a gamer these days, but I have a nine year-old daughter who does some gaming on our WII these days. So the PS3 might be a decent solution. Does the LED have any burn-in issues? Did you compare picture quality versus the LCD and Plasma? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 You have plenty to choose from in that budget range, and could spend a lot less. Heck you can get a panny 50" for under 1K these days... LED is just a sub-type of LCD. LED is the type of back lighting. Don't get overly-impressed here. Some regular LCDs have a better picture than some LED LCDs. Use your eyes and read up on individual model reviews. In general, Samsung, Sony, LG are good for LCD. Panasonic for plasma. LCDs do not get burn in. The APPS are sort of fun, but I find that I don't use them much other than Netflix on occassion. Most TVs and DVD players come with them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Thanks much - I'm not much of a gamer these days, but I have a nine year-old daughter who does some gaming on our WII these days. So the PS3 might be a decent solution. Does the LED have any burn-in issues? Did you compare picture quality versus the LCD and Plasma? Regarding the PS3, I am in a similar boat these days (7 and 4 year olds that play occassionally).. heck, I didn't even buy Madden this year. Most of my gaming on the PS3 lately has been playing Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars with the kids (or Wii crapped out so I need to ship it off to get fixed or probably just replace it, but considering the kids haven't been clamoring for it back, no big rush on my part) I have had no burn in issues and, despite my repeated requests to the kids and wife to turn off the TV and definitely not leave it paused, they still do. I did not do much comparing at the time. We had a friend that owned a TV/entertainment system sales/setup company so I went with his reccomendations as I trusted his input. My one regret was not having him at least wire for the surround sound (which he suggested, I stupidly said no as I was already juggling the schedules of getting the house painted and ne hardwood floors put in, that I did not want to add in timing his installers cutting holes in the walls, running wires and patching), as I have found that the stock speakers for the TV are a bit lacking. I believe they are rear facing, so while one can hear the TV fine, etc., there have been times that I wish I had ponied up for a decent surround sound setup, mainly with action type movies where you want to get the full effect of the special effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulzale Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 (edited) I have a Sony 40" LCD and 2 LG LCD's, one 46" and one 32". I like the LG's much better than the Sony. I would also recommend getting one as large as you can for your budget and if there are any space constraints (like a built in or something). Never hear people say the one they have is too big, more the opposite. Second the sound, if no surround then a sound bar is a good idea. Edited November 22, 2011 by paulzale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I have a Sony 40" LCD and 2 LG LCD's, one 46" and one 32". I like the LG's much better than the Sony. I would also recommend getting one as large as you can for your budget and if there are any space constraints (like a built in or something). Never hear people say the one they have is too big, more the opposite. Second the sound, if no surround then a sound bar is a good idea. Apologies for sidebar/hijack, but any reccomendations on a quality sound bar or surround sound alternative? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 We have a Sony Bravia LCD, a Vizio LED and two Samsung LCDs and are happy with all of them. They are all 1080p and picture quality is top-notch. I would agree that your best bet is to let your eyes be the judge when you're in the store, some sets really jump out at you while others are pretty ordinary. Unfortunately places like Wal-Mart may not properly calibrate all the sets though. It's a good idea to Google any model number you're looking at and go online and read reviews. We use a PS3 for games, blu ray and Netflix on the main TV and an LG blu ray player in one of the bedrooms which also has Netflix. Also we recently moved and I have not yet gotten around to hooking up the sound bar for the main TV (the Sony). The sound on it is so good that we barely notice a difference, even watching music DVDs. Be aware that this is not the case for many sets, especially the smaller ones like your 32" - 37" range. This is where the reviews really help too, because owners mention sound a lot, and the sound quality is not always easy to determine in the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 As with any appliance or piece of electronic equipment, I think this is important. You have to consider 'operating costs' as far as electricity goes. Yes I like our Plasma picture, but our electric bill spiked significantly after we got that TV. Noticeably. So much so that we now only use it to watch movies or watch games on the weekend. Sort of disheartening. We got a great deal on it....floor model plus a slew of discounts. This was 3 years ago and the price of the same set is still not down to the price we got it. So it was a great deal. But I've worked very hard to insulate/weatherize/update this 1955 home to get our electric (and gas) bill back down under where it was when we moved in 20 years ago. Only to see a good $20-30 spike the first month we had this TV. This is also the reason why most Plasmas in the same size/class are a few hundred less than their LCD counterparts. As long as you don't buy one that is technically a '3 yrs ago model', LCD pictures have gotten very close to Plasma quality. Since you stated a budget, I'm thinking costs after you buy it are important to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulzale Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Apologies for sidebar/hijack, but any reccomendations on a quality sound bar or surround sound alternative? Depends on budget, I got a great deal on a close out Vizio one for under $100, but they can get pricey very quickly. I'd use online reviews using google, don't have much more than that to say about them. I bought mine because it was a smoking deal and the reviews were decent, pretty happy with the sound, but still not comparable to a full system that I have in my basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Apologies for sidebar/hijack, but any reccomendations on a quality sound bar or surround sound alternative? I read two articles on CNET recently about sound bars... You might find them interesting. Before you buy a sound bar... best affordable sound bars I do not own one myself, but am thinking about it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otis29 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 As with any appliance or piece of electronic equipment, I think this is important. You have to consider 'operating costs' as far as electricity goes. Yes I like our Plasma picture, but our electric bill spiked significantly after we got that TV. Noticeably. So much so that we now only use it to watch movies or watch games on the weekend. Sort of disheartening. We got a great deal on it....floor model plus a slew of discounts. This was 3 years ago and the price of the same set is still not down to the price we got it. So it was a great deal. But I've worked very hard to insulate/weatherize/update this 1955 home to get our electric (and gas) bill back down under where it was when we moved in 20 years ago. Only to see a good $20-30 spike the first month we had this TV. This is also the reason why most Plasmas in the same size/class are a few hundred less than their LCD counterparts. As long as you don't buy one that is technically a '3 yrs ago model', LCD pictures have gotten very close to Plasma quality. Since you stated a budget, I'm thinking costs after you buy it are important to you. That's excellent information. I hadn't thought about that, but yeah, the $'s are important obviously. Thanks to everyone for their help. I hadn't thought much about the sound - I have an old (90's) Sony surround sound system that's on its last legs. I'll have to check into the sound bar thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 LCDs do not get burn in. My bro permanently burned the CNBC bar and logo into my LCD by leaving it on the channel for hours (stupid asses leave the tickers going on commercial breaks and everything).... We now have a plasma in the living room which gets temporary burn-in more easily, but goes away as soon as you turn to another channel to get the pixels moving. It's been left on for quite some time without any permanent burn-in... The difference in burn-in seems to be largely a myth, IMO... Can't really give any other advice besides that, because I haven't shopped for a TV in years, but I think Plasma can be a fine option if it can save you cash over more expensive LEDs.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 My bro permanently burned the CNBC bar and logo into my LCD by leaving it on the channel for hours (stupid asses leave the tickers going on commercial breaks and everything).... We now have a plasma in the living room which gets temporary burn-in more easily, but goes away as soon as you turn to another channel to get the pixels moving. It's been left on for quite some time without any permanent burn-in... The difference in burn-in seems to be largely a myth, IMO... Can't really give any other advice besides that, because I haven't shopped for a TV in years, but I think Plasma can be a fine option if it can save you cash over more expensive LEDs.... Wow. I looked it up, and you are right, it can happen. Learn something new... However, it appears to require some extreme ticker viewing like you described, so your average homeowner need not be worried about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Big fan of Sharp Aquos A few years back I installed a small one in my office, liked it so much that I upgraded the office TV with a larger LED model and I just replaced the the Sony in my living room with one also. Also, you can't go wrong with a PS3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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