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

[appuchan]

Originally Posted by mps_delhi

...Then, lie in wait for a technology that would allow me to buy the desired size (bigger than current 29") with similar or better quality within my budget.

Remember the "How much does a good PC cost?" paradigm? Well, even 5 years on, a "good" PC costs 40K to 50K, the definition of "good" shifting like Thar sands! Here, the "good" includes snob appeal too!!

Let me help you with another rule of thumb, when it comes to TV technology. Always wait for the tech maturity level to reach a point when you will need to spend the same amount you spent on your last TV (older tech) of the same size and same picture quality.

...
2. Wait for the moment when full-HD panel of 29" size or 32" and at least 3 HDMI and multi-PIP costs around Rs. 32000/- or LOWER. This is the price I paid for my LG 29" with 3 component inputs and multi-PIP feature. Of course, being digital, you should be getting far more software capability today.

...

MPS, you hit the target. One should also consider the inflation, currency fluctuations, wage rise and such factors as well here. 32k in Y2K is not the same as 32k now. So it will be a bit "too much" to ask for a "vastly better technology" at same cost. As you rightly said about PC, the costs are actually going down since we are getting better technology at cheaper rate even though the "apparent cost" of 40k remains same. I dont see mature entertainment technologies such as TV becoming cheap and obsolete as fast as PCs do.

As some economists say, we salaried people are all fools and think that we are getting good salary hikes and hence getting "richer". In fact, if your grand father earned Rs 200 pm in 60s, your father earned Rs5000 in 80s and you earn Rs one lac in 2008, dont think that you are way better of than them. Its just a small arithmetic trick done by economy. Even the so called "standard of living" is just a myth, an Amby owner in 1970 had better image than a Corolla owner in 2008.

By the same token, I dont mind paying double of what I paid 10 years back for something that "was/is current". I know its actually become cheaper.

[ST7677]

LCD/Plasma will go soon and OLED Organic TV has step in which uses only 40% of LCD energy. Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba have started making it.
Bright Future Ahead for Organic TVs: Scientific American

Well OLED tech has been struggling with OLED life and huge production costs since last 4 years and it may still take few more years for the tech to become mass production and pervasive. Many of the few People who bough 11" Sony OLED for $2500 are already complaining about dying pigments in less than a year.

Meanwhile something else might just come from nowhere and doom the OLED, so it's too early to say you see (remember SED promise)


You can;t really compare a PC and a TV. A TV is by and large only used to see picture, whereas the PC is used for so many things. The software upgrades and you need more powerful computing. TVs are by and large not SO demanding. The resolutions will keep increasing beyond what we have FULL HD today, but that progress is really slow. Any TV you buy today will easily do it;s duty for next 5-10 years, unlike PC which you need to upgrade every 2-3 years.

Let me help you with another rule of thumb, when it comes to TV technology. Always wait for the tech maturity level to reach a point when you will need to spend the same amount you spent on your last TV (older tech) of the same size and same picture quality.

So, here is what you should do, if you are not in a hurry to set fire to your pay packet:

1. Stay agnostic to technology debate. Good technology never lends itself to debates! (Zippo lighters!!)

What MPS_Delhi, said is so right...
Know what you need - let's say in my case 42-50" with good PQ, decent life span (anything beyond 10 years just doesn;t matter), HD ready (beyond 720P doesn;t matter) and wall hangable. That's it.
Don;t be too hung up on the technology, as long at it serves your purpose.

And beyond that what comes additional is just frills, i would not loose my nights sleep over for a Hard disk recorder, or a 2 cm thinner panel!!!

[ST7677]

Last week I was in US (yes that's why I missed the Bangalore Drive :( )

And I used this opportunity to do a side by side survey of so many high def flat panel TVs. The range available in Circuit City, Best Buy, Frys is so so much more than here that you can actually do a decent comparo yourself.

My most interesting was between 52" Sony Bravia and 50" Pioneer Kuro. As I believe the Sony is the best LCD out there and Pioneer is the best Plasma available out there (of course that;s purely my opinion). The media used was Full HD, spiderman 3.

The Full HD difference is just not perceptible to eyes at all. We had to pause the image and then from a 3 ft distance only, one could make out the additional HD details. (Sony was 1020p where as Pio was 720p). I would definitely not pay up a lump for full HD below 50". At that size I would say it's optional and below it, it's just nice to pamper your ego, that's it.

What came out phenomenally was the difference in the night scenes, were the image on Pioneer seemed to be floating. The blacks are really really good compared to Sony, where even black was a clear gray next to a pio. Geez, and this generation Pio is being phased out this month...

Sony had significantly more brightness compared to Pio. Images appeared whiter, but than it was not helping over all image quality much.

When watching both the TV's on standard signal, LCD showed a significantly higher unnatural crispness, where as Plasma pictures were soft and natural. Due to the high crispness on LCDs, the low standard def resolution was looking awful (too grainy). Big size on LCD is seriously a disaster for standard Def signal. (And Sony Bravia is one of the best image processing engines on LCD).

Pio was being offered at a very very attractive price, I was mentally thinking what if buy this from US and take it to India, when I saw the box. Oh boy, I could sleep inside that... Phishhh my thoughts about importing evaporated.

[ST7677]

In my post 1097, please read 4 years as 14 years, it's a typo.
Yes that's right Sony has been working on OLED display tech since 1994, and there is still a way to go...

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by Ketan

As little as I know, LCD wins when it comes to the screen size and the brigh picture. However, good old CRT is always better when it comes to displaying true black and better PQ,, always...

Again, I dont think you are viewing FullHD content on your LCD all the times (Except you get a HD DVD), it may be performing a little bit of upscaling to whatever traditional PQ (470, or 640 in case of Dish or TataSky - dont remember the exact numbers though), but its definately not even 720P so you will never be watching 720P or 1080P transmission on your FullHD LCD.

Yes i'm aware i am not viewing fullhd all the time. I am comparing dvd qualities here, i use Bigtv which is much better than other DTH services and channels like HBO are true dvd quality.

I hv a plasma in another room and the quality of the LCD is far better maybe not due to the fullhd, the response time in the LCD is less which makes a big diff.

Originally Posted by srishiva

In terms of what ? You compared the CRT and LCD with the same source, same screen resolution ?

I dont hv a CRT at home anymore to compare but from what i remember the LCD is far better.

[hrishig]

Hi,

If you have noticed both samsung and sony came with a new line of LCD tvs. And both contain full HD tv range at little less price than earlier models. Today I am seeing an offer of samsung full HD tv LA37A550P1 at price of 66k which looks good
Can you guys have any other suggestion in the same price range?

[given2fly]

I have heard that in India, leading white goods merchants tweak the settings to sell a particular maker more. Unless the buyer is willing to tweak it correctly, the images from other LCDs around them is always inferior. And it is usually the leading brands in the market paying for the premium high visibility shelves. Is that true?

Originally Posted by ST7677

What came out phenomenally was the difference in the night scenes, were the image on Pioneer seemed to be floating. The blacks are really really good compared to Sony, where even black was a clear gray next to a pio. Geez, and this generation Pio is being phased out this month...

Sony had significantly more brightness compared to Pio. Images appeared whiter, but than it was not helping over all image quality much.

When watching both the TV's on standard signal, LCD showed a significantly higher unnatural crispness, where as Plasma pictures were soft and natural. Due to the high crispness on LCDs, the low standard def resolution was looking awful (too grainy). Big size on LCD is seriously a disaster for standard Def signal. (And Sony Bravia is one of the best image processing engines on LCD).

[akshay1234]

hey guys. need to buy a 30/32" lcd. which one is the most vfm? pleas tell me the models. budget is around 30-35k. samsung is the preference.

[cancerm]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

hey guys. need to buy a 30/32" lcd. which one is the most vfm? pleas tell me the models. budget is around 30-35k. samsung is the preference.

Hi Akshay
As far as I know samsung 32 inch cost approx 50 k with B/W.
I would also suggest you to have a look at Hitachi 32 LCD, the cost of the same is approx 35 k & is VFM completely.

I have a samsung LCD 32 inches which was procured 6 mnths back for 51 k with B/W.

Rgds

[akshay1234]

thanks. which model of samsung is yours?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

hey guys. need to buy a 30/32" lcd. which one is the most vfm? pleas tell me the models. budget is around 30-35k. samsung is the preference.

There is no 30" in LCD. It is 26/32/37/40 etc. I would suggest you a L8R1B in 32" and it should cost you around 45-48K as the prices have reduced. I have the same model but, in 40"

Btw, If i don't consider the new L series of Samsung, L8R1B from Bordeaux is the most beautiful LCD in the market

[PatchyBoy]

Guys,

Colleague of mine is moving to the US end of this month. He has a Sony KLV32V300A 32" LCD TV which he bought just 3 months back. What would be a reasonable price to pay?

Cheers,

Rajan

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by PatchyBoy

Guys,

Colleague of mine is moving to the US end of this month. He has a Sony KLV32V300A 32" LCD TV which he bought just 3 months back. What would be a reasonable price to pay?

Cheers,

Rajan

I think 40K would be a good deal. If anything lower it would be a great deal.

[PatchyBoy]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I think 40K would be a good deal. If anything lower it would be a great deal.

You just made my day. I am getting it for 30 K

Cheers,

Rajan

[ST7677]

I have heard that in India, leading white goods merchants tweak the settings to sell a particular maker more. Unless the buyer is willing to tweak it correctly, the images from other LCDs around them is always inferior. And it is usually the leading brands in the market paying for the premium high visibility shelves. Is that true?

100% true.
It however depends on which company is offering more margin to the dealer.