LED vs. LCD vs. Plasma

[Old Yeller]

Cables are the biggest scam/markup that Futureshop/Best Buy have going.

Everything is digital now so the cable either works or it doesn't.

If a futureshop employee is trying to sell you an optical cable or a 6 foot HDMI MONSTER cable for $80, print this out and give it to them:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/a...ter-cable-and/

[Deviaant]

Well that just saved me a few bucks for sure, thanks for the heads up Old Yeller. I know I would have gone to the most expensive ones I could have found.

[Old Yeller]

Monoprice definitely sells good quality cables with all the shielding you'll need. Most Futureshop sales guys will stop pushing Monster branded cables as soon as you mention Monoprice.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Deviaant

Honestly the only reason im not looking at the 3d tv's is that I have no depth perception so its usless to me anyhow. Heck I bought my current tv based on how cool the remote was.

Thanks for the cable advice too ill definatly check out MonoPrice.com. While were on the topic is the quality of cable that big a difference? Assuming I purchase a good middle of the road plasma. Should I be looking at those super expensive ones I see laying around my local eletronics store?

I went into Best Buy today and I checked out this beauty:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...460582bdaben02

so far I think its my front runner but I am still going to look around.

Don't worry about the quality of the cable unless you are going over long distances, than buy a heavier cable. Those super expensive ones aren't needed and are a rip off.

Nice TV. The only downer I've heard with Samsung plasmas is that some can be noisy (buzzy).

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

The best thing to do to decide if you want 120hz, 240hz etc. is to watch different TVs. Check out your friends TVs, go to a dealer, although with their bright lighting it's hard to make a decision. Watch them playing sports or movies or whatever you're interested in and than read reviews.

Stores also tune the picture settings on the TVs to make the more expensive models look much better! You can't always trust what you see in the store!

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Deviaant

Ok well im still rockin a good old crt tv and its time to upgrade. Ive done some research on them but im still somewhat lost.

Im after a HD tv best bang for buck kind of thing. I do enjoy watching the odd movie now and again and frequently play my 360.

Id like a 40"+ tv and am looking to spend around $1500 on one. I dont really care about blue ray as I have a perfectly good dvd player. Also I am a ###### when it comes to computers heck I just got a new laptop and am astounded at just what it can do. Like turn on really really fast and load porn like a mofo lol. I did see that windows 7 commercial where the guy streamed that vid wireless to his tv. I think that would be cool to do. Any idea on how that would work and what my new tv would need to have if I wanted to do that.

But the long and the short of this long winded message I guess is what is better LED or LCD?

Some basic stuff that hasn't been addressed yet:

- That Windows 7 commercial shows you something that I doubt will be mainstream any time soon. You need a special computer and a special TV. Just so you don't have to run a cable when you want to watch content off your computer? Gimmick! And people say 3D is a gimmick (not that you need a 3D TV is you see the world flat anyways).

- Your DVD player is not perfectly good. SD is crap on an HDTV.

- You also need an HD TV source (satellite or cable)... assuming you're on CP because you watch the Flames on TV.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by SebC

Some basic stuff that hasn't been addressed yet:

- That Windows 7 commercial shows you something that I doubt will be mainstream any time soon. You need a special computer and a special TV. Just so you don't have to run a cable when you want to watch content off your computer? Gimmick! And people say 3D is a gimmick (not that you need a 3D TV is you see the world flat anyways).

- Your DVD player is not perfectly good. SD is crap on an HDTV.

- You also need an HD TV source (satellite or cable)... assuming you're on CP because you watch the Flames on TV.

Yeah, definitely put aside money for a HD box from cable or satellite. When a SD signal gets blown up to 50" or so, it looks like crap. Most providers have deals for those justing moving into HD.

Some of the new TVs have an internet connection where you can down load movies (not sure if this works in Canada yet), watch you tube etc and I think some are wireless to your router, so maybe that may be how to connect to your computer. Myself, I just use a wired HDMI connection to my TV from my audio receiver from my computer (and HD satellite receiver) with a cheap wireless mouse and keyboard. Most laptops also have an HDMI connection too.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by SebC

Some basic stuff that hasn't been addressed yet:

- That Windows 7 commercial shows you something that I doubt will be mainstream any time soon. You need a special computer and a special TV. Just so you don't have to run a cable when you want to watch content off your computer? Gimmick! And people say 3D is a gimmick (not that you need a 3D TV is you see the world flat anyways).

- Your DVD player is not perfectly good. SD is crap on an HDTV.

- You also need an HD TV source (satellite or cable)... assuming you're on CP because you watch the Flames on TV.

To stream stuff wirelessly from any computer to TV, you can buy a special box from ASUS that costs about $140.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-012-_-Product

SebC is right, DVD player will look like utter crap on an HDTV, even if you have component color cables and are using an upscaling DVD player (which I'm pretty sure you aren't).

Basically, the "hidden" cost of going from CRT to HDTV is that all your old stuff will look like garbage including your videogames (ie: PS3 if you don't have component or HDMI cables), your DVD player, your old DVDs, your old cable channels, etc.

You'll end up needing to get a BluRay player, a new media library, and definetely you'll need to get HD Cable or Satellite and an HD cable/satellite box as well. That can add another $200-$300 to your overall cost depending on your TV plan.

[Komskies]

Deviaant:

If you are buying your TV at Bestbuy, remember that they will price match. Look around at other stores to see if you can find the same TV for cheaper. Some suggestions are:

• Futureshop
• Visions
• Memory Express
• Costco
• London Drugs

[MickMcGeough]

Don't worry about LED backlighting or CCFL backlighting. LED backlighting is better technology, but a lot of manufacturers are using it just as a marketing tool and cutting corners elsewhere. Some manufacturers are implementing it poorly. Just worry about getting a good TV. Better backlighting is not necessarily equal to better TV.

My price range included LED & CCFL TVs - but the best TV in that range was a CCFL TV.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Don't worry about LED backlighting or CCFL backlighting. LED backlighting is better technology, but a lot of manufacturers are using it just as a marketing tool and cutting corners elsewhere. Some manufacturers are implementing it poorly. Just worry about getting a good TV. Better backlighting is not necessarily equal to better TV.

My price range included LED & CCFL TVs - but the best TV in that range was a CCFL TV.

There is a difference between LED array backlighting or side-LED backlighting. It's a completely different design, not a poor implementation. Side lit LEDs cannot perform local dimming leaving the entire image washed out in darker scenes.

Backlighting is one of the most important things in a TV. Black levels depend on backlighting which is one of the most important features for many people looking for a flat panel TV and it's the one feature that has the most variations between the competing technologies.

Turn out the lights so that it's pitch black and tune your CCFL or side-lit LED TV to a channel or part of a movie that shows pure black and what do you see? It's likely a shimmering greyish screen instead of a darker black and you might even see light hotspots along the bottom or the corners where the CCFL light is located or leaking.

[The Yen Man]

My suggestion is to buy a PS3 with the money you saved getting a Plasma over an LED. You may think your DVD player is good enough, but it's not. The PS3 upscales your DVD, which makes it look a lot better than older DVD players. And once you actually watch a Blu Ray movie on your shiny new TV, it'll be hard to go back to DVD. Honestly, I find DVDs look better on older CRT TVs than they do on HD TVs because of the lower resolution on CRTs.

[Komskies]

I'm also shopping around for a new TV right now. This is the one I've been leaning towards:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...d1486dc061en02

[SilverGS]

You can also easily google how to setup the PS3 to stream pictures, music, and video to your TV from your computer.

[Hack&Lube]

Bought this when it was on sale for $1699

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...492b8ddc31en02

[Jimmy Stang]

I agree with what others have said about the DVD player. I have found (with my 40 or 42" - can't remember which) that:

- Standard def DVD = pretty painful
- DVD upsampled = surprisingly good
- Blu-ray = The cat's rear end, so to speak

Of course, the bigger the screen, the more you'll probably appreciate Blu-Ray for your movies. But on mine I am pleasantly surprised with the upsampling of standard DVDs.

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Bought this when it was on sale for $1699

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...492b8ddc31en02

Nice TV, but plasma would be a no go for me. The TV is going in my living room beside a great big south facing window.

It would be a great TV for my basement, but once I develop it this winter, I'm going the projector route.

[SilverGS]

Originally Posted by Komskies

I'm also shopping around for a new TV right now. This is the one I've been leaning towards:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...d1486dc061en02

Be aware that this tv is an Edge-Lit LED TV so will have the washed out black issues that people have been talking about. That being said I still really liked the picture this TV put out while I was in the store.

I also went with an EX700 since It's still going to be way better than my old projection TV and I don't think I will ever notice how washed out it may be on dark shows unless I have another TV beside it.

Couple good things about Edge-Lit Led is the power consumption is among the lowest technologies and is rated to last longer than CCFL LCD's.

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by SilverGS

Be aware that this tv is an Edge-Lit LED TV so will have the washed out black issues that people have been talking about. That being said I still really liked the picture this TV put out while I was in the store.

I also went with an EX700 since It's still going to be way better than my old projection TV and I don't think I will ever notice how washed out it may be on dark shows unless I have another TV beside it.

Couple good things about Edge-Lit Led is the power consumption is among the lowest technologies and is rated to last longer than CCFL LCD's.

Apparently the TV also has a sensor that judges if someone is in the room or not, and if it deems that nobody is watching it after X minutes it will power down.

Oh and Visions has it on for 1489 compared to BB's 2099.

[SilverGS]

Originally Posted by Komskies

Apparently the TV also has a sensor that judges if someone is in the room or not, and if it deems that nobody is watching it after X minutes it will power down.

Oh and Visions has it on for 1489 compared to BB's 2099.

I liked it due to it's internet capabilities and DLNA support. Will have to see how good a job it does streaming movies over the network.