# plasma vs LCD: practical question



## nikwax (Jan 1, 2007)

I've done a fair amount of on line and in store research on LCD vs plasma, and I have what I hope is a simple practical question that will not reignite any forum wars ;-)


We watch TV in a lit room. In the daytime there are windows on three sides (there are blinds, of course), and at night we always have some lights on (my wife likes to knit or draw while viewing shows). Current set is a 53" Sony rear projection unit, and two issues we have with it (besides it being a great hulking monster) are off axis viewing and screen reflections. 


Looking at sets in Best Buy (granted, not the best atmosphere, but it's there) it appears that plasma, having a glass front, reflects more light than LCD. It also appears that LCD is noticeably brighter (I'm not saying better, not saying more natural, just saying that it looks brighter) though that could be how the sets are adjusted. On the other hand, the plasma sets appear to have better off axis viewing. Let's say for the sake of discussion that the picture quality is acceptable.


So the practical question is: am I foolish to consider a plasma set, given how we watch TV? Is a plasma set just flat out a bad choice for a lit room? 


Anticipating a round of "you're not telling us which sets you're considering"....I'm looking at entry level 50"-52" 1080p sets, i.e.,:

Samsung PN50B550/560
Panasonic TC-P50S1/G10/G15
Sony KDL52S5100

which are in pretty much the same price range right now.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

First off, funny enough I own 2 of the TVs on your list. Panasonic S1 Plasma and Samsung A550 LCD (last years model of the B550). Though a 42" S1 and 46" A550 instead of the 50s like you are looking at.

IMO, Plasma is fine in a controlled lit room. A bit of ambiance lighting is always good with any TV or monitor. Lots of daylight though or uncontrolled light is a huge negative with plasmas, even those with anti reflective coatings. The S1 Panny has a good anti reflective coating, and glare is still very noticeable. I use it in a bedroom though so not a big issue.

I would go LCD in your situation, I have a very bright living room and our Samsung A550 LCD is excellent there with very little glare and plenty bright during the day (we have no shades on our windows). Viewing angles are very good on good LCDs, not as good as Plasma, but still plenty good IMO for a fairly large living room depending on how far back you sit. I sit at the extremes and the picture is still very good on the A550. 

The PQ is better on the S1, BUT not a ton and the difference will be nothing compared to a lot of glare or reflections. Also beware of some higher class LCDs that actually have a glossier screen and can be very reflective as well.


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## JM Anthony (Nov 16, 2003)

If you haven't done so already, you may want to continue your research on our sister site, AVSForum. We have a good size fairly well lit family room. A 61" Sammy DLP used to occupy center stage, but after some research, we just replaced it with a Panny TC-P58V10. Delivered and installed by Magnolia AV for $2349. The only thing we don't like about it is the cheesy sound. The PQ will knock your socks off!

Good luck with your decisions.

John


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## mechman (Apr 29, 2006)

Why don't you get another RPTV DLP? Best bang for the buck and as good if not better than any lcd or plasma out there. I think you can get the Mitsubishi 73" for something like a couple grand. 

They are the best kept secret in TVs. They've come a long ways from the hulking monsters of yesteryear as well. Much lighter, thinner and hardly any viewing cone.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

mechman said:


> Why don't you get another RPTV DLP? Best bang for the buck and as good if not better than any lcd or plasma out there. I think you can get the Mitsubishi 73" for something like a couple grand.
> 
> They are the best kept secret in TVs. They've come a long ways from the hulking monsters of yesteryear as well. Much lighter, thinner and hardly any viewing cone.


The viewing angles are not the greatest though if that is a big concern and they are not the best in very bright rooms.

They are great bang for the buck for a big TV, but definitely have their pros/cons like anything else.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

Panasonic plasmas use two different anti-glare strategies. One has a reflective glass surface, but uses a coating that breaks any light into three or four "layers" of purplish tinted reflections. The other uses a matte finish like LCD screens. We have two of the glass screens one with the matte finish. Personally, I like the glass finish better. Even though you "see" the reflected light, i's very muted being a dark blue/purplish color. On the matte finish set, the reflections are full white-light color, although fuzzy and undefined looking.


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## nikwax (Jan 1, 2007)

rudeney said:


> Panasonic plasmas use two different anti-glare strategies. One has a reflective glass surface, but uses a coating that breaks any light into three or four "layers" of purplish tinted reflections. The other uses a matte finish like LCD screens. We have two of the glass screens one with the matte finish. Personally, I like the glass finish better. Even though you "see" the reflected light, i's very muted being a dark blue/purplish color. On the matte finish set, the reflections are full white-light color, although fuzzy and undefined looking.


interesting...and which models use which?


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## nikwax (Jan 1, 2007)

JM Anthony said:


> If you haven't done so already, you may want to continue your research on our sister site, AVSForum.
> 
> Good luck with your decisions.
> 
> John


Thanks John, I'd forgotten about AVSForum....tons of info over there!


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## shedberg (Jan 20, 2007)

I have a TC-P54V10 in a den with windows along a side wall. The windows have a roof over them and they face south. Depending upon where you sit, you can get some glare. At night, if the lights are on in the room - no problem. If they are in a back room, you can sometimes see them. However, I have an LCD in the bedroom and I can see some light glare there as well. I do agree that in general, glare is less on an LCD than a plasma. BUT I LOVE my panny plasma.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

I have no issue with daylight streaming into the room while watching any of my three Panny plasmas. I recently set up a 65" S1 in my living room, and its anti-glare coating deals very well with noonday sun streaming in.

Compared to LCD's, I prefer the smoother, "movie theater screen"-like characteristics of plasmas, with their deep blacks and ability to view the same picture quality from any seating angle in the room. That last part especially is an issue that has yet to be satisfactorily addressed by LCD's, IMO.

Just my .02. YMMV.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

nikwax said:


> interesting...and which models use which?


Our living room TV is a TH50PZ77U and it has the matte finish screen. The bedroom is a TH42PX50U and it has the coated glass screen. I can't remember the model number of the one at the beach, but it's older than the one in the bedroom and it has the coated glass screen. I believe the matte finish on plasmas is a relatively new (last two years) feature.


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

Our den HDTV is a 42" Pioneer (sorry - don't remember the model) plasma and yes, we do get glare from the glass doors leading to the deck during the daytime. So we have to draw the blinds on the doors. But I have seen numerous LCD sets and I believe my set is far more natural-looking (just like looking through a window -- really!) than any LCD set I have observed. Have not experienced any breakdown or darkening of picture at angles at all. 

So I think that every TV is different. I would just recommend you try several and decide on the set that gives you the best picture you see.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

nikwax said:


> We watch TV in a lit room. In the daytime there are windows on three sides (there are blinds, of course), and at night we always have some lights on (my wife likes to knit or draw while viewing shows). Current set is a 53" Sony rear projection unit, and two issues we have with it (besides it being a great hulking monster) are off axis viewing and screen reflections.


Just to give you an idea, here's a pic of my 65" Panasonic S1 plasma screen I just snapped with late morning sunlight streaming into my living room. I took it off angle to include reflections, and I picked a "dark" scene from last night's _Bones_. Agent Booth is sitting in the interrogation room.

I am also showing the display's "picture menu" settings on-screem. _Cinema mode_ is the "darkest" mode and lowest gamma of all the available display modes. The reflection to the right of Booth's ear is also a room reflection. That's not part of the show.


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## erosroadie (Jan 9, 2007)

nikwax said:


> I've done a fair amount of on line and in store research on LCD vs plasma, and I have what I hope is a simple practical question that will not reignite any forum wars ;-)
> 
> We watch TV in a lit room. In the daytime there are windows on three sides (there are blinds, of course), and at night we always have some lights on (my wife likes to knit or draw while viewing shows). Current set is a 53" Sony rear projection unit, and two issues we have with it (besides it being a great hulking monster) are off axis viewing and screen reflections.
> 
> ...


If you like to watch fast motion events (sports, movies, etc), plasmas will generally give you better motion flow (less stuttering) and deeper blacks. The SONY S LCD model you listed only has 60 Hz refresh rate (I have the 32" version). Great TV, great, bright picture, but fast action and sports tend to blur. Their V-series models have 120 Hz processing (just bought the 40" model), and I think that there are even 240 Hz processing units (at significantly higher costs). If sports are critical viewing for you, and you decide to go LCD, I strongly recommend 120 Hz (at least) refresh rate TVs.

Having said all that, the latest generation DLPs (like my Samsung 50") have great picture, excellent motion flow, high brightness if you need it and relatively good off axis (horizontal, not vertical) viewing. And the cost/screen size is the best in the business.

Good luck and happy viewing!:sunsmile:


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## driht (Oct 17, 2008)

The Panasonic VIERA TC-P50X1 50" Plasma TV is only 720p but it only costs around 730 bucks. The smaller 42" version has an impressive LCD TV ratings of 86 and you can't really tell the difference between 1080p and 720p at the range between 40" - 50" screen size.


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## BarkingGhost (Dec 29, 2007)

nikwax said:


> I'm looking at entry level 50"-52" 1080p sets, i.e.,:
> 
> Samsung PN50B550/560
> Panasonic TC-P50S1/G10/G15
> ...


I was under the price impression that the G series of Panasonic was about $400-500 more than the S/X/SF series. I own the TC-50SF14 that I got last weekend. It is the second plasma I own in the 50"/1080P market (I also own a Vizio).

I am not sure I am sold on Sony's reliability, nor Samsung's dependability.


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## peano (Feb 1, 2004)

I say the deeper blacks, lack of motion blur and excellent off axis viewing of plasma trump the brightness of LCD every time. Besides, if you calibrate an LCD, effectively taking it out of "torch" mode (or Best Buy mode), it will have the same issues with brightly lit rooms as a plasma would.

Two more things to consider: If your existing hulking Sony is a CRT rear projection, you will be disappointed with LCD PQ since it will not have the blacks and contrast you are used to. Also, SD will typically look far worse on an LCD versus plasma.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

nikwax said:


> I've done a fair amount of on line and in store research on LCD vs plasma, and I have what I hope is a simple practical question that will not reignite any forum wars ;-)
> 
> We watch TV in a lit room. In the daytime there are windows on three sides (there are blinds, of course), and at night we always have some lights on (my wife likes to knit or draw while viewing shows). Current set is a 53" Sony rear projection unit, and two issues we have with it (besides it being a great hulking monster) are off axis viewing and screen reflections.
> 
> ...


I have the TC-P50G10 in my livingroom. We have a 55x80 picture window and I like a well lit room at night. I have no issues with glare. Once in a while the headlight from a passing car will drown out the picture but I suspect it doesn't matter what kind of TV I have, that would still be a problem.

I have, and have had, LCDs but prefer the plasma in the living room over the LCD.

Mike


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