Looking for some help in buying a plasma - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

NSFL · 03-12-2007, 11:11 PM

We had a little accident concerning a baseball bat and the upstairs tv last weekend and now we need a new tv. My dad wants a plasma, but we really don't know what to look for concerning a plasma tvs. So I was hoping that I can benefit from the vast amount of knowledge CP possesses. What kind of questions do I want to ask when I get into a store? What scams should I be wary of? (Ex. do I really need that monster cable energy box thing?)

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

Phanuthier · 03-12-2007, 11:12 PM

You want to buy a plasma or a plasma TV?

NSFL · 03-12-2007, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

You want to buy a plasma or a plasma TV?

Sorry, I'm bad with the sentence structure. I spend half my life writing in point form, I get lazy.

So I want to purchase a plasma TV.

nfotiu · 03-12-2007, 11:19 PM

Start with the Panasonic and compare all others to it. It's universally praised as the best picture for the price. You don't need any monster cables or anything like that. You do need a hdtv cable box or satellite box if you want to watch hd. Just get a cheap hdmi cable to hook that up, and that's all you should need.

PsYcNeT · 03-12-2007, 11:23 PM

You dont need good cables, but with any plasma that costs over $3000, what's spending 100$ on a cable as opposed to $30? Cable interference on HD signals is more noticable than you would think. A good test is to pause a movie or PVR broadcast during a high-color/contrast moment, and moving in very close to see if there is slight movement beneath the display. If so, you settled for cheap cables.

Draug · 03-12-2007, 11:50 PM

Agreed. Start with Panasonic and go from there. It is the best value/picture for your dollar.

Consider the online stores of Complete-It and AVDeals. Both are Canadian, and both offer Canadian warranties. They do only sell the commercial versions (no speakers), but that only matters if you dont have any sound system to hook up.

I feel that the 50 inch is the best value. They are better resolution, at 1366x768 than the 42's at 848x480. You do see the difference. But, that being said, I'd take a Panasonic at 848x480 than a cheap knock off at 1366x768. If you can afford it, you can get True HD (1980x1080) with the Panasonic 50" for just under $5K (commercial).

Regarding cables, MonoPrice is the place to buy all cables. That is all you need to know there.

brownie · 03-13-2007, 12:07 AM

Just letting you know I bought a 42" LG plasma last fall at Future shop for $1800.Although I dont shop around,I am the kinda guy that goes in and buys within 15 minutes.But i dont think thats too bad a price,and I love it.HD is awesome.Hockey is good,but golf,baseball,and football are unreal.

Rhettzky · 03-13-2007, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownie

Just letting you know I bought a 42" LG plasma last fall at Future shop for $1800.Although I dont shop around,I am the kinda guy that goes in and buys within 15 minutes.But i dont think thats too bad a price,and I love it.HD is awesome.Hockey is good,but golf,baseball,and football are unreal.

I have a 42" LG LCD and I'm the same way. I posted for advice on here too and there is a wealth of information that you could consider; what 1080p and 1080i are, differences between lcd, plasma and that other one, differences between sdtv, edtv and hdtv, plus all the crap about cords and hdmi cables and it just goes on and on. In the end I took what knowledge I had gained and combined it with my price range and a brand name that I trust and made a decision.

mykalberta · 03-13-2007, 08:41 AM

The big thing to look for is inputs.

Make sure there are at least 2 HDMI, and 2 Component minimum.

I have a 42, my dad just bought a 50 and even though those sound big, dont not buy a bigger model just because it sounds to big - they are never big enough once you have one.

Also, plasmas are really only usefull if you can bolt em to the wall IMO. Find a good place, 4-5 feet high for the low point of the TV. Also remember that Plasmas as best viewed in the dark so it would be best to find a place that doesnt have alot of external light.

Another option is a project, most "old folks" are hesitant and while the HD quality isnt as good as a good plasma, the screen is a whole mother times larger

MYK

Bill Bumface · 03-13-2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

You dont need good cables, but with any plasma that costs over $3000, what's spending 100$ on a cable as opposed to $30? Cable interference on HD signals is more noticable than you would think. A good test is to pause a movie or PVR broadcast during a high-color/contrast moment, and moving in very close to see if there is slight movement beneath the display. If so, you settled for cheap cables.

Completely wrong. For HD you should be using HDMI or DVI, both which are digital signals, meaning cable quality makes zero difference. One's and zero's are one's and zero's, they don't get messed up halfway in your cable.

I_H8_Crawford · 03-13-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Completely wrong. For HD you should be using HDMI or DVI, both which are digital signals, meaning cable quality makes zero difference. One's and zero's are one's and zero's, they don't get messed up halfway in your cable.

Exactly.
Monster HDMI and Monster DVI are such a scam, its ridiculous.

nfotiu · 03-13-2007, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Exactly.
Monster HDMI and Monster DVI are such a scam, its ridiculous.

The biggest part of the scam is in applications where quality of cable can make a subtle difference, Monster cables do not perform very well anyway.

HelloHockeyFans · 03-13-2007, 12:01 PM

Sweet thread... I'm looking to get a new LCD or Plasma also in the next month or so, but was wondering about ideal screen size for a room which is only 10 feet wall to wall. Is a 42' too big for that size?

Mango · 03-13-2007, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Exactly.
Monster HDMI and Monster DVI are such a scam, its ridiculous.

Is there a notable difference between on HD between component cables and a HDMI connection? I have a Shaw HD digital cable box hooked to a 32" LCD Panasonic. Would the difference be significant?

HelloHockeyFans · 03-13-2007, 12:07 PM

Hmm... found this neat table on some site...

Screen size Viewing distance range
30" 3.75-6.25 feet
34" 4.25-7 feet
42" 5.25-8.75 feet
50" 6.25-10.5 feet
56" 7-11.75 feet
62" 7.75-13 feet
70" 8.75-14.75 feet

alltherage · 03-13-2007, 12:20 PM

All I can say is make sure you listen to the sales guy. If you play any games of any kind whatsoever then you want LCD. In fact, i would never buy a plasma. LCDs are going to be the standard in less than 3 years guaranteed. They are brighter, higher def, more versatile, etc.

Look no further than a SONY XBR. If you cant afford one, then make sure your eyes never grace its picture, for all else will pale in comparrison

nfotiu · 03-13-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mango

Is there a notable difference between on HD between component cables and a HDMI connection? I have a Shaw HD digital cable box hooked to a 32" LCD Panasonic. Would the difference be significant?

Nope.

I've done a/b comparisons on a 34" directview/92" lcd/50" plasma using HD DVD, HD cable, and HD satellite sources. Inputs were often calibrated differently, so I had to make adjustments to make them look the same, but in the end one was no better than the other.

nfotiu · 03-13-2007, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alltherage

All I can say is make sure you listen to the sales guy. If you play any games of any kind whatsoever then you want LCD. In fact, i would never buy a plasma. LCDs are going to be the standard in less than 3 years guaranteed. They are brighter, higher def, more versatile, etc.

Look no further than a SONY XBR. If you cant afford one, then make sure your eyes never grace its picture, for all else will pale in comparrison

I don't really agree with anything said in this post. Never trust a sales guy. They tend to know less than what you could learn with 30 minutes of research. They intentionally spread false claims to get you to buy the products with the highest margins. And will try to get you to buy a bunch of stuff you don't need or even want.

LCDs have gotten better, but I have yet to see one that give an overall image as good as the best plasmas. They do look better in a bright sunny room, I'll give you that.

Bill Bumface · 03-13-2007, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfotiu

I don't really agree with anything said in this post. Never trust a sales guy. They tend to know less than what you could learn with 30 minutes of research. They intentionally spread false claims to get you to buy the products with the highest margins. And will try to get you to buy a bunch of stuff you don't need or even want.

LCDs have gotten better, but I have yet to see one that give an overall image as good as the best plasmas. They do look better in a bright sunny room, I'll give you that.

Agreed, LCD still has catching up to do to match the picture quality of plasmas.

Bobblehead · 03-13-2007, 02:18 PM

The newer LCDs are using a white LED backlight. I've read that is a very nice improvement but like all new things it is still in the higher price ranges.

And the SED saga continues with Canon being forced to end their SED partnership with Toshiba, at least until Toshiba can sign their own agreement with Nano-Proprietary (the patent holder for SED technology). It's already a year after it was supposed to be introduced. I think it may have missed the HD bandwagon, unless they are highly compelling and cheap.