Quote:
Originally Posted by missdpuck
Panasonic Plasma gets my vote..and that of Consumer Reports.
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I would concur.
I've heard that LCD's are often preferred under ~40", but plasmas are (almost) always the way to go at 50"+. Panasonic makes a great plasma television. Target a set or two that work for you, and wait for a sale!!
To answer arsenal's specific question:
120Hz Technology refers to the highest consumer-available refresh rate for any TV at present. The idea behind the technology began with the realization that much of the best HD programming is fast-action stuff: sports, action movies, nature scenes with brids, cheetas or waterfalls, etc. Motion blur is the problem TV engineers are attempting to defeat with this innovation. It has been a prominent issue with fast-action shows since the inception of HD, especially on larger displays (these make the effect more noticeable - not actually "worse").
One way to combat motion blur: increase the frequency in which the individual frames are shown (the industry standard has been 60Hz). Manufacturers decided to double the normal frame rate up to 120Hz on many newish TV models (note: there are different ways to accomplish this; see this article for more). Many compatible sets come equipped with a degree of cutomizability in this regard. The ability to turn the effect on\off, and choose varying degrees in between (ie. low, medium, high) are somewhat common.
In my personal experience, the 40" Samsung LCD television my family purchased 8 months ago is better for having the 120Hz technology built-in ... though there is surely room for improvement. Most of the time, the 120Hz "Low" setting gives the best result - even with viewing fast-action HD programming. "Medium" and "High" seem to overcompensate, causing more artifacts and blurring than they remove. I'm sure the technology will continue to improve over time, and since every manufacturer uses a slightly different approach to the issue than the next, it's best to read as many critical reviews as possible and look at the TVs in-person for yourself.
Happy hunting!!