60 mhz vs 120 and plasma vs LCD

[TheU]

I know there's probably a hundred TV threads out there, but I'd like to focus a bit more on specifics in this thread; 60vs120 and the plasma vs LCD debate.

First and foremost, am I the only one here who's gone to a store and stared at a hockey game on a 120 and a 60 mhz tv and not been able to tell the difference? I can't help but feel I'm either missing out, or, the difference is vastly exaggerated and not worth 400 dollars (almost) per tv.

Second, I was just at best buy and I saw a beatiful plasma TV. If I plan on having this thing in a dimly lit room, why on Earth shouldn't I get one? I have to admit I was stunned to see the quality of the plasma, and how cheap they are now

[mikey_the_redneck]

If it were me, I would go with a 120hz plasma, if your screen is going to be 42" or larger. I have always liked the color quality of the plasma screens better than that of the LCD's. I am biased of course as I have a 42" Panasonic unit. Panasonics kick a$$.......
Watching the models at the store is frankly a poor way to judge their quality though. You don't even know what kind of signal it is getting, the lighting is bad etc.
120hz is absolutely better. If you go to a high end home theater place where they have pro set-up display rooms, you will see that the 120hz screens are faster and more crisp when it comes to high speed action.

P.S. my plasma screen is in a dimly lit room and looks fantastic.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by TheU

Second, I was just at best buy and I saw a beatiful plasma TV. If I plan on having this thing in a dimly lit room, why on Earth shouldn't I get one? I have to admit I was stunned to see the quality of the plasma, and how cheap they are now

Plasmas are good in a bright room too. Unless there is direct sun shining on the screen, which is a problem for any TV, you'll be fine. I have the Pansonic Th-65PZ850U and have the bright levels set down at about 35% capacity. It is a 2007 model, and they have made significant improvements since then in terms of contrast and black levels. Any higher end plasma should look great.

As for burn in, dont worry about that either. I use my display for everything from computer programming, computer gaming, surfing the internet to watching HDTV, and even SD TV (Treehouse). As long as the viewing is varied, there is no problem with burn in. Sometimes, if I have had it on the PC desktop for a complete day, you can see an image of the task bar once the screen is turned off. But, if you watch some HDTV for a few minutes, any image retention goes away.

I cant comment on the 60hz vs 120hz, other than to say when I was shopping two years ago, you could see stutter on LCD when gaming or watching something very fast. I believe all LCD's were only 60Hz then, however.

As for brands, I am partial to Panasonic. My brother and I have a combined 5 displays, and have had friends purchase 4 more. So far, no complaints or issues with the variety of models and sizes. Granted, none of them are this years model, so I cant comment firsthand on those, but I have heard they are improved over previous years.

If you want more reading than you can handle on Plasmas and LCDs, check out AVS Forums. These guys know their stuff, and there are a combined 45,000 threads on Plasmas and LCDs alone.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

[Draug]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

Watching the models at the store is frankly a poor way to judge their quality though. You don't even know what kind of signal it is getting, the lighting is bad etc.

Quoted for Truth!

Most big box stores dont even know how to properly set up a plasma. I bet 90% of them arent calibrated at all for the viewing conditions. Combine that with a signal that is split, boosted, split, boosted a million times and its a surefire way to get a bad picture.

Also, a trick they use is to not put really good displays right next to crappy ones. They group the qualities so its hard to compare the best with the worst.

I suppose the best way to see them would be in a high end audio-video store, such as Sounds of Music or K&W.

[photon]

BTW it's 60 and 120 Hz.. not 60 mhz. Which I assume is to mean megahertz which is MHz.

[T@T]

The 120 is better for gaming (Xbox..etc) A plazma is brighter overall. Depends on your needs, personally nothing beats a good Plazma IMO.

[FireInTheHole]

I bought a new TV in the spring when my DLP bit the dust. I struggled with the same dilemma, but in the end bought a 120Hz Samsung LCD and have been very happy with it. I have it in my bonus room which can be quite bright at times and have had no issues at all with the TV brightness. From what I know plasma is better in lower lit rooms.

[3 Justin 3]

I can definitely tell the difference between 120Hz and 60Hz. It is a crazy difference at first but I am sure you'd get used to it. I don't have 120Hz, and I don't think I'd buy it because it looks to "different" to me. 120Hz looks to fast to me and unnatural. But like I said, you'd get used to it (I think?).

I prefer plasma, but there is no clear better option. Both LCD and Plasma have their pro's and con's.

[ma-skis.com]

Originally Posted by TheU

Second, I was just at best buy and I saw a beatiful plasma TV. If I plan on having this thing in a dimly lit room, why on Earth shouldn't I get one? I have to admit I was stunned to see the quality of the plasma, and how cheap they are now

I was thinking the exact same thing, considering that plasmas are cheaper nowadays and do look good in a dark room.

[TheU]

just brought home my 50" plasma and holy crap. beautiful to say the least, and, for hockey and football, theres zero lag. its a thing of beauty. cant believe i didnt consider plasma until only yesterday

[Slava]

Originally Posted by TheU

just brought home my 50" plasma and holy crap. beautiful to say the least, and, for hockey and football, theres zero lag. its a thing of beauty. cant believe i didnt consider plasma until only yesterday

How bright is the room? I want to buy for my living room and keep hearing to go with the LCD because of that factor. Basically everything else seems to point toward plasma otherwise?

[TheU]

is there sunlight coming in? if there is, unless you have blinds or serious curtains, dont get plasma

i have lights down here that are bright, but, they aren't reflecting because they;re up in the ceiling kind of. im also adding dimmers down here too, to make it even better

is your tv going to be against the window? if so, combined with curtains or blinds you should be ok. just be sure you can adjust the lighting... if you can, get plasma. the quality and price is amazing. im seriously in love.

[Esoteric]

If you get an LCD, definitely get 120 hz, or 240 hz. It makes a huge difference when watching sports, playing games, or even when watching movies. If you are using Blu Ray, definitely get something that outputs higher than 60 hz.

[TheU]

i really dont think i can say how much this tv is the 'stuff'. best purchase ever. plasma!!

[WindomURL]

Good choice. Plasma is the "stuff" as far as picture quality goes.
What brand and model did you get?

[TheU]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...95&catid=28399

[WindomURL]

Nice...

I've read good things about it and it's a good looking set IMO. Also the power consumption at 252 W is quite low too. Usually that's one of the cons to plasma vs. LCD.

[TheU]

dude its spectacular. you can spend 500 dollars more and not see any difference. i know and have read panasonic is the best in plasma, but this tv is the best value for any tv period. the best buy guy gave me 100 dollars off the 4 year warranty too... so hopefully in year 3 something terrible will happen lol

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by TheU

dude its spectacular. you can spend 500 dollars more and not see any difference. i know and have read panasonic is the best in plasma, but this tv is the best value for any tv period. the best buy guy gave me 100 dollars off the 4 year warranty too... so hopefully in year 3 something terrible will happen lol

You got ripped off. During boxing day I bought a 4 year warranty on my Pioneer Receiver for $1.

Kidding aside, nice purchase, excellent price and everything. The next time my bulb goes (first one burnt out already) I'm getting a new TV and can't wait to get a 1080p plasma set.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Slava

How bright is the room? I want to buy for my living room and keep hearing to go with the LCD because of that factor. Basically everything else seems to point toward plasma otherwise?

Take a look at my post #3. In all but direct sunlight, a plasma is fine. Some even have anti glare coatings on the screens. My plasma is in a room with 6 windows (but none directly facing the screen) and I have no problems with light.

Maybe you could buy one from Costco and try it out? Last I heard, Costco will accept returns for pretty much any reason. But, make sure you read their policy in case it has changed.