Buying a Flat Panel Display (LCD/Plasma/LED etc)

[jassi]

Originally Posted by kpbhatt

Jassi -- i saw the Samsung LED at Ezone in my area and was not very impressed. I was instead focussing on the price vs size vs features and was able to convince my dad for the Pana PV8. The dealer had Samsung and Pana only and was yet to get the LG models. My spouse though thought that i have gone bonkers to spend so much on a tv at the moment and cancelled the deal over the phone before having a look at it. Do u suggest waiting out for the LG models to come in and then decide. I have a feeling LG might just have all the features of the new Panny plasma at a lower price point.

My take is that current LEDs, if edge-lit are only as good as current LCDs, which means they may not be as good as plasmas on contrast ratios. Hence if the choice is 40" and above, it has to be plasmas for their excellent vfm, contrast ratios and PQ with SD. Below 40" the choice is only LCDs (no LEDs yet and no plasmas). The neo-pdp Panny's have got some excellent reviews on cnet and is the closest to rival the PQ of pioneers kuros (now extinct?) Review: Down the rabbit hole with Panasonic's Neo plasma | Crave - CNET
LGs will always be good on frills, but cannot match the PQ of panny/pio. Thats my opinion formed from various reviews and not from practical experience though.

Originally Posted by Sahil

Well frankly, I am not looking for a much superior image compared to LCD. I intend to put this in a part of our living room hence the thin sleek look will add to the decor.

aah that makes sense - I am not really sure if there are any 32" LEDs (even internationally). Also the price points on 32" LCDs (30k for the samsung 720p), cannot be matched by LEDs yet.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

I thought pure LED TVs are still not in the market, the new Samsung LED TV just uses LEDs for backlighting. Correct me if am wrong.

Yes you are absolutely correct , The largest size display panel of AM-OLED (Actual LED) is 11 inch and commerically available product is Samsung Omnia mobile phone ( among other models).

It will take atleast end of this year for 21 inch prototype and much longer for commerical large size LED display panel.

As I wrote before the difference between LED TV and older generation LCD ( Series 5 and 6) from Samsung is not just display panel. You will see a sharper reolution and more detail and that is function of the processor and improved codecs.
LED backlight improves contrast ratio and decreases power consumption as compared to fluroscent lamp backlight.

[Dushie]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Well frankly, I am not looking for a much superior image compared to LCD. I intend to put this in a part of our living room hence the thin sleek look will add to the decor.

Well if you are planning to view in a brightly lit area where there is lot of light, would recommend to go for LCD's.

Plasma's work best in low lit and dark areas like home theaters .

For living room if there is lot of light and is brightly lit u should go for lcd and avoid the plasma.

[Rocky_Balboa]

I agree Amitk26, power consumption does reduce with LED backlit TVs.
However, the advertisement of the Samsung LEDTv is very misleading - infact I thought this was the first thorough-bred LED Tv before I read about the product.

Thanks for the clarification.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by jassi

Below 40" the choice is only LCDs (no LEDs yet and no plasmas).

LG still sells their 32 Plasma for around 29K. It's got very low resolution, butttt should it not be pretty good with SD DVD and DTH?

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

I agree Amitk26, power consumption does reduce with LED backlit TVs.
However, the advertisement of the Samsung LEDTv is very misleading - infact I thought this was the first thorough-bred LED Tv before I read about the product.

Thanks for the clarification.

Well it is misleading to an extent but not totally misleading , putting LCD back light in LCD panel is not as simple job as replacing a fluorescent lamp with LCDs else we would be doing a lot of DIYs similar to cabin light replacements with LCD. There is a lot of technology involved.

There is a perceptible difference in image quality for example in one of the demo video you can not see eyelashes of model on plasma or LCD series 5 but it is quite clearly visible in LED TV also supported resolutions are quite high.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Well it is misleading to an extent but not totally misleading , putting LCD back light in LCD panel is not as simple job as replacing a fluorescent lamp with LCDs else we would be doing a lot of DIYs similar to cabin light replacements with LCD. There is a lot of technology involved.

There is a perceptible difference in image quality for example in one of the demo video you can not see eyelashes of model on plasma or LCD series 5 but it is quite clearly visible in LED TV also supported resolutions are quite high.

What could improve with LED backlit TVs is the black level since the LEDs can be dimmed around specific areas. But however, the number of LEDs are still not high in number. If you keep increasing LEDs and reducing their sizes, you could actually have a pure LED TV. I have seen these next to plasmas and are still no match to picture quality.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by srishiva

What could improve with LED backlit TVs is the black level since the LEDs can be dimmed around specific areas. But however, the number of LEDs are still not high in number. If you keep increasing LEDs and reducing their sizes, you could actually have a pure LED TV. I have seen these next to plasmas and are still no match to picture quality.

The above description of increasing LED and reducing size is individually dimmed LED-LCD panel ( Samsung series 8 or 9 I think has this ) Pure LED TV is not this.

When Image representation ( individual Pixel in RGB ) is done by LED then it is called LED display.
An example of pure LED is AM-OLED display this is used in Omnia and Jet phones of Samsung you can compare picture quality of these phones to compare difference between LED ( pure LED as you say) and TFT LCD panel.

AM-OLED is better then Passive OLD which was older technology.

[jassi]

Originally Posted by shuvc

LG still sells their 32 Plasma for around 29K. It's got very low resolution, butttt should it not be pretty good with SD DVD and DTH?

aah well i missed that - like i said i don't have much insight on LG if LG 32" plasmas are better than 32" LCDs, then they could be the next rage on tbhp (like panny plasmas)

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by jassi

if LG 32" plasmas are better than 32" LCDs, then they could be the next rage on tbhp (like panny plasmas)

Nah. No such chance. The LG 32PC5RA has been in the market for prob more than 2yrs - launched at around 40K. Don't think it sells much. It has a 852x480 resolution screen. Should work fine with DTH and standard DVDs. I had seen it and it looked quite similar compared to a HD ready 32LCD both being fed with a Fast and the Furious DVD.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by amitk26

AM-OLED is better then Passive OLD which was older technology.

Hey, Amit, who said newer technology HAS to be BETTER?!
Nothing comes close to the picture quality of a CRT!!
There are various OTHER reasons for the huge shift that you see in TV buying trends!

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Hey, Amit, who said newer technology HAS to be BETTER?!
Nothing comes close to the picture quality of a CRT!!
There are various OTHER reasons for the huge shift that you see in TV buying trends!

Fully agree to on that Sirji I wrote the same line long ago in this very thread , If one is not too much concerned about real estate CRT is still the best but reason to buy a flat panel TV are other then Picture quality and fidility ,

It is a kind of conspiracy you can say that TV manufacturers no longer produce HD TVs with all bells and whistles with CRT display. Also a 40+ inch CRT will be really bulky and huge and don't know how much the implosion will be if the tube ever breaks.

Majority on this thread seems to lean towards buying a plasma TV without all the modern features against a LCD for that elusive picture quality and richer blacks that negates the very purpose of moving away from CRT ( apart from cuteness and showoff value). Even plasma can not beat CRT in terms of response time and black levels.

AM-OLED just came in as a reference to real LED vs LED backlit LCD marketed as LED.

[jassi]

^^ agreed to a certain extent, but the whole point of a tv is picture quality first and then frills/features. Since the best PQ after CRTs is plasmas (at 40"+) majority would go for plasmas, either pioneer kuro (if money no bar) or panny neo pdp (for vfm and closest pq to kuro). I guess at 32" one may still consider CRTs over LCDs, but then people want something slim.
The future looks great with OLEDs, lets hope they come soon :-)

PS - btw projection LCDs by sony were excellent in PQ and rated much higher than plasmas and LCDs, unfortunately they died a sudden death, leaving plasmas to rule the PQ department!

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by jassi

..., but then people want something slim.

I wish these same well heeled people were better able to control their own girth!

[jassi]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

I wish these same well heeled people were better able to control their own girth!

dude you are talking as if fat people buy slim LCDs so that they can sit on the big crt tv trolley