Team-BHP - The TV Thread

Hi
Is an LED/ LCD better than the Plasma or not?
Im in a bit of a dilemma on this.
Need a 32 incher.
Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by VW2010 (Post 2872843)

Hi T&R,

Some of us call LED/LCD as too bright and washed out while some others say Plasma is too dull.

LED is trying to fix that gap with Plasma in motion as well color rendition while plasma is trying to get a better DR range.

At the end of the day what matters is the kind of room you have and how important the TV is in reproducing an image closer to reality.

For the price point you can look at 42 inch LED;s from Samsung (E series 6,7 series).

In case of plasma, you can look at the 51inch E550 of Samsung. Its equivalent to the E8000 series in features with some subtle differences but comes with samsungs latest Smart features and whatever you wanted.

Burning is something i have not experienced. I already have a 42 Plasma from Samsung for over 4 years now. I am just moving that 40 Inch to my fathers house and going to upgrade mine to a 50 inch.

Given a chance to upgrade i will stick with Plasma for viewing is easier on eyes and the dullness works for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 2872861)

Is an LED/ LCD better than the Plasma or not?

Quite an age old dilemma, an answer to which changes every 6 month, with the advent of newer technology. I had researched this topic quite a deal recently on my upgrade to a 40 incher. Earlier it was thought that in bigger sizes, plasmas were the best due to better blacks and less motion blur. But with the advent of newer LED technology this gap is almost negligible with LED's giving even better picture quality in some cases with very high energy efficiency. I would advise you to stick to LED's now for the foreseeable future. Though some would still swear by (Panasonic) Plasmas for 50"+ sizes, but I for one, would entrust my loyalty to a (Samsung) LED.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkaile (Post 2872938)

... I would advise you to stick to LED's now for the foreseeable future. ...

Do you realize that pound for pound, Plasmas cost roughly 2/3 or less of that of a comparable LED panel of similar size? That's a lot of affordability margin AND better PQ than LEDs at any price point. Conversely, one can buy a much larger Plasma panel for the same cost as LED panel, and enjoy immersive viewing. The larger the panel, the better the experience of watching a movie, just like in a movie theater where the screen covers the extent of one's vision.

One can say that the advise should be buy a plasma now in the foreseeable future, as LEDs - especially with affordable LED matrix backlighting round the corner - are likely to reach Plasma cost and PQ after that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerAlte (Post 2872994)

Do you realize that pound for pound, Plasmas cost roughly 2/3 or less of that of a comparable LED panel of similar size?

That is changing too. I recently bought a 40" Samsung LED D5500 for 32K at Gaffar. Now that's value too. OK, through official route LED's are being overcharged here in India but with proper sourcing that difference is also blurring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkaile (Post 2872999)

... Samsung LED D5500 for 32K at Gaffar. Now that's value too. OK, through official route LED's are being overcharged ...

I am sure there are very few people who have your knowledge of alternate channels and the courage to invest without thinking of After Sales Service.

Most look for 'official route' with b&W and A.S.S., and everyone's comments here are with respect to economics of that route. The 'value' of paying less for customs-bypassed goods do not figure in that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerAlte (Post 2873021)

very few people who have your knowledge of alternate channels and the courage to invest

For that I would only like to quote from your signature - "Never believe it cannot be done - it's only that you haven't found out how!!!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkaile (Post 2873027)

For that I would only like to quote from your signature - "Never believe it cannot be done - it's only that you haven't found out how!!!"

I agree!

I have believed in the grey market ( read Gaffar). And having bought about 7 different tv's, including Plasmas, LCD's & LED's from there over the years , I can vouch for them.
Most companies provide warranty only for one year & I am yet to encounter even an El-Cheapo chinese electronics product which went kaput in the first year , let alone a hi fi Branded TV.

Hell, I even bought a Samsung LED tv from Thailand, duly paid customs duty ( I dont like to pay bribesstupid:) for the tv at the airport & still have international warranty on the tv.

I still saved about 19k on the best price of the same Samsung tv available here with warranty. Costed me 40k then, with duty. That is about 47.5% saving.:thumbs up

Even in the gray market route i can assure you the way the rupee is at now buying at thailand or singapore does not matter for after the exchange conversion you are paying exactly what you may pay here.

The ES8000 LED costs a little cheaper in price you pay at dealer in India. I have not even included the customs or weight charges the airliners ask for.

There is a compromise on old series of tv's. 32 inch is a stealer outside India. But TV's bigger than 40 inch seems to have the same price point after conversion.

Thanks M5_fan for the info & more so for your input on the ST30 vs UT50 PQ under different ambient lighting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M5_fan (Post 2872335)

Its the panasonic store in central market. They are closed today, will reopen tomorrow. The chap's name there is Vipin.

Alternatively you can buy the 42ut50 for around 61K with a bundled home theater.

PQ wise i found the ut50 (2012) to be better than st30 (2011) in a dark room. While in a brightly lit room, my opinion was reversed.

This one is intended for parent's room & they do not want a large panel, infact they do not want to change their 100% made in Nippon, complete with an IPS switching & HD ready 32" panel, HDMI ports equipped, 6 years old relic that is their LCD. I am doing it jabardasti, as I want that Hitachi in my office :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowardly Lion (Post 2872442)

Arrey.. another 10k odd (maybe less) can get you 50ST30..!

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 2872861)

Hi
Is an LED/ LCD better than the Plasma or not?
Im in a bit of a dilemma on this.
Need a 32 incher.
Cheers

As you've seen in some of the previous posts there are fierce Plasma defenders as there are LED's :D.

I would say don't worry much over an LED Vs Plasma rather look at the other features that the TV is offering.

1. Is it a SMART TV ?
- You can view images off FB/Other web portals
- It can stream video/image files right off a USB port

2. If it is not SMART, but still has a USB drive then what formats can it decode (both audio and video) ?
- Eg you may get some high def movies/documentaries in .mkv , .VOB, .avi/ MPEG-4 , etc.. can your TV stream all that is dished out?

If not, then u might need a Media player to do the decoding.

Audio formats.
Video files can come with audio streams in DTS, Dolby Dig, AAC, WMA etc.. If your TV cannot decode these then u will lose out on the audio.

I am not talking about a HTS setup where u have an amp here, since its a 32 inch you are talking about I am assuming u wont have a HTS setup for this TV.

What is the max ext HDD capacity that it can support ? I would say a 2TB should be good enough.

3. Other than that my personal suggestion would be go for an LED.
These days LED's come in 200 hz+ upto 400 hz where the refresh rate can handle any fast video. Plus it takes up lesser power than a Plasma.

-Fillmore

hey guys....am in on the panasonic 50ST50 group buy...as long as there is a confirmed date prior to the end of the month (else my wife and kids are going to slit my throat!)

happy to do card, cash, or cheque...whatever works for whoever. i ought to mention i am in mumbai though! :)

cheerio fellas!

I'm getting a 'display piece' 42ST30 for 49K (40% off label) at a Croma store in Delhi.

Can anyone tell me how to check 'number of hours used' and 'number of times switched on'?

My decision will largely depend on this. Since I'm getting it with 3 yr warranty, I won't mind if it is slightly used.

Gurus - please advice in detail since I need to make this decision today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nayaksudhir

Here you go - http://www.highdefjunkies.com/showth...d#.UC2kS2thiK1

today while driving, i noticed advertisement on radio about panasonic exchange offer in pune.
I'll be visiting the pana store as i am also looking to upgrade my 4 years old 28'' Samsung HD ready LCD.
let's hope i get good exchange value.
i am more inclined towards 42'' (42ST30 or 42UT50) plasma