OT...Plasma, LCD or DLP TV

[G13]

Which type of TV has a longer bulb life? I had heard that DLP was the way to go but I just came back from Best Buy and they told me that plasma and LCD had a longer bulb life, easily trippling the DLP.

I had heard a while back that even though Plasma gave you the best and brightest picture but it would never be as bright as the first time it was turned onn. I was told that I would be able to tell the difference between year 5-7 that the picture will become pretty dark since it loses it's brightness.

I was told LCD couldn't give me a clear picture when there would be sudden movements like in sports. Since it's multiple LCD bulbs changing colors or spectrum (?) that it would blur just like our LCD pc monitors do. That discouraged me since I'm a big sports fan.

Employee also told me that if I planned on putting the tv in a well lit room (windows) that I was better off going with the more expensive plasma/LCD but If I were going to place it in a darker room. Then the best picture would be from DLP. Does that make sense? By the way the TV I was looking at was a Toshiba 56" DLP projection tv.

What is the truth about DLP?

 

[Vamp1975]

Having had all three types, I would have to say that unless your watching it ouside in the sun then the difference is very minimal.

My personal preference is DLP. I have 2 of them, 1 Plasma & 1 LCD. The DLP's have the best picture by far, followed by the LCD then the Plasma.

If space isn't an issue, I would go with the DLP. JMO

 

[1SickReefer]

I have the 50" samsung DLP I love it... another vote for DLP

 

[Vamp1975]

Both of mine are Samsung!

 

[rockdiver]

I got a open box RCA 61' DLP love it all tho there is a noise but i guess its from the color wheel is common with all from what i read. Like the RCA would have never got the RCA if it wasnt such a killer deal.didnt have the remote and they let it go for 1800.00 otherwise i was looking at the sony's but always at the DLP's
Plasmas are good but if you have kids like i do and they play games and leave the games on the "burn in" happens quick i read and seen as a mover.
rock

 

[MrMexReefer]

i got a 42" Sharp Aquos for my ps3... and its AMAZING. The games come to life with AMAZING clarity on this tv... DLP does look very good too tho.

 

[canar]

DLP is the cheap way out. They are for the people that can't afford an LCD. Plasma TV's look nice but they slowly get dimmer over time. The new Sharp LCD's are down to 4 ms response time so the movement problem is solved. Unless you are a vampire you will have sun and light in your house. The LCD will look a lot brighter and clearer then the DLP or the Plasma.

The ONLY positive of a DLP is the price for the size.

Ted

 

[Vamp1975]

Not turning this into an arguement, but price has NOTHING to do with it!!! Please read above as I have one of each.

Also no offense, when I'm getting ready to watch TV, it's not in the sunlight and I think most people will agree. Of course there's light in the room nothing that is going to bring down the viewing ability that much.

When it boils down to it it's going to be your choice. No one can influence how it looks to you. Go with what looks best to you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[canar]

Vamp it does bring down the viewing ability. Look at the actual brightness measurements of them and compare them.

When I read this thread I assumed a new TV of each type of the same quality/resolution, size etc. I have no idea what type/size/age you have at home that you are comparing. I used to fix these things for a living for many years. I know way more about them then I ever want to know.I get into the TV's and home theatre even more then I do the reef. I upgrade my main TV at least twice a year. I am actually picking up my latest upgrade tomorrow.

DO some reasearch out there. All you need to do is look forf the unbiased sites. Obviously if you go to DLP.com they will say it is best. If you start finding the neutral ones you will see the same thing over and over. The only positive of DLP is the size for price.

They are big, the bulbs burn out, the bulbs are hundreds of dollars, etc.

I am not trying to slam your TV I am just stating facts. The LCD's will last well over 20 years with none of the bulb BS. The bulb and the light area in those DLP's get dirty. If you smoke or you have pets or dust it will get on the bulb etc.

The only drawback LCD had was the response time (sports and fast movement) and how big the screens were. . Both of these things are fixed now. Sharp has been kicking out new larger LCD screens for a while now.

So sorry Vamp but the price has EVERYTHING to do with it. It is DLP's main selling point.

Ted

 

[MrMexReefer]

canar... thanks for making me feel better about my circuit city bill. haha hey, G13.. if youre thinking of buying one... i got a free xbox360 from circuit city for buying mine.

 

[Vamp1975]

To each his own...

 

[jgleach]

I have done my research extensively on this. I'll be buying my first one sometime soon and it will be 42" or larger.....and it WILL be an LCD HDTV. Canar is right on the money. DLP tv's will lose quality as stated due to everyday household dirt and dust. Unless your house is so sterile that you don't ever have to dust, you will lose quality over time, and as stated, the bulbs are pricey. Plasma tv's (even the newest ones) have an estimated "half life" of 5 to 7 years of "normal usage"......meaning the brightness will be cut in half in this time. Since the refresh rate of LCD tv's has been greatly improved, the only down side is the possibility of the individual pixels failing....sometimes the fail off, and sometimes they fail on....but I've read this can be corrected.

Just my $.02

Jeff

 

[steve414]

i work for the cable company see alot lcd lose there blacks dlps keep there color. i no its short but thats it in a nutshell.

 

[joroscoe]

I think it is a matter of opinion really. Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses. At the higher end, I think they all look good. Ultimately, window shopping televisions was helpful for me.

I was in the market last holiday season and picked up a 32" Samsung LCD. It has a 3000:1 contrast ratio, which was uncommonly high for LCD at the time. Contrast ratio is an often-overlooked spec. People have traditionally focused on resolution instead.

 

[badazztealcobra]

I have a 32" LCD in my bedroom, and a 50" LCD in my living room.... I have never had a problem with either of them and the picture looks great.... My buddys DLP has been repaired twice in the same amount of time... Granted he couldve just bought a bad DLP, but I always thought the LCDs had alot cleaner of a picture.

That being said, my next purchase will be a plasma TV... I have seen some UNBELIEVABLE looking screens on the newer plasma sets..... They lose half their life over 25,000 to 30,000 hours.... I dont know how much you use your TV, but if you figure you watch it 6 hours a day, EVERYDAY (which I really doubt) you're looking at 11+ years.... NOT near what people think about them burning out in 5 years, blah, blah, blah. :rolleye1:

Your best bet is what alot of people have said though, just go to the store with all the sets in the same general area, with the same thing on the screens, and youll definitely see a set that will catch your eye.... unfortunately for me thats usually the largest most expensive one, fortunately I have a smaller house so I dont have the room for anything too large.

 

[Naperville Reef]

imo...... the difference in the picture quality is very minimal. i have purchased all my TVs at Tweeter. they have a number of TVs on display and you can compare them all, Plasma, DLP, LCD and Rear Projection LCD.

from what i have learned..... the majority of the cost in a Plasma comes from all the waste of materials that are used in building the TV. i was told a year ago that 80% of materials go to waste. i am guessing that it is becoming more efficient....

but i do favor LCD. I have a few LCDs and a Rear Projection LCD. when i view a program in HDTV i do not see a difference between all the sets, although i am sure some people do. regardless, the picture quality is amazing.

fwiw..... i do not like shopping at Best Buy and the other "big box" electronic stores. i believe that the salesmen at Tweeter, Barrets Home Theater and ABT are more educated and experienced and they are a better source of information. when i first started buying electronics i was given lots of misinformation from Best Buy and, quite frankly, i do not trust their opinions. with that said i am sure there are many knowledgable employees at Best Buy and i do not want to offend anyone. just passing along my experiences....

 

[botp2k1]

If it were me, LCD and then Plasma. Is DLP a projection type display? I hate rear projections because of the limited viewing angles.

 

[jmcmahon66]

Tagging along near the end, but it want to add my $0.02. I own all three kinds of technology. IMO, the DLP provides a slightly better picture than the plasma, and LCD. I have already replaced the bulbs-at 1 year old. The bulb was somewhere near $250. Another consideration is the power consumpution; plasmas are energy hogs and the generate a lot of heat in the process. I do not have numbers to back that up though.

I fall into a small percentage of people that have trouble viewing DLP screens. Approximately 3% of the population will see RGB bands on the DLP screen as they move their eyes. This can range from distracting to downright annoying. For this reason alone, I prefer to watch movies on my plasma screen.

 

[badazztealcobra]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8599021#post8599021 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperville Reef
fwiw..... i do not like shopping at Best Buy and the other "big box" electronic stores. i believe that the salesmen at Tweeter, Barrets Home Theater and ABT are more educated and experienced and they are a better source of information. when i first started buying electronics i was given lots of misinformation from Best Buy and, quite frankly, i do not trust their opinions. with that said i am sure there are many knowledgable employees at Best Buy and i do not want to offend anyone. just passing along my experiences....

This I agree with 150%.... I have issues with the chain stores as well... I would go to ABT if youre up north, or if youre on the south side of the city, theres a store in homewood called The Little Guys and they are really knowledgable also.

 

[mhurley]

I'm quite happy with my Sharp Aquos LCD...I've got a big projection Mitsu HD in the basement and the LCD is much nicer. I'm personally indifferent to plasma vs DLP.

I'll now make this a reef related thread
Just like picking halide bulbs, go look at them, see what you like and buy that one that pleases your eye the most. This type of question is just about like asking "what's the best skimmer out there?"