I was wandering if any body could help me with some info. I am looking to buy a new TV, but I'm not sure what to get i.e. Plasma 42" or a Rear Projection TV. I'm mainly going to use the TV for gaming on a Playstation 2. My main concerns are:
• Widescreen for PS2 • Burn-in • Picture Quality • Viewing Angel • Life span of set • Normal TV viewing
Plasma wins in all of your categories except for one which is possible burn-in. Check out the new Consumer Reports. Plasma pretty much beats out everything else when it comes to picture quality, but not all plasmas are created equal. Some of the plasmas scored worse than the best rear projection sets. Surprisingly, Panasonic Plasmas were #1 and scored excellent in almost all categories (42" and 50") Also, the burn-in issue really isn't an issue unless you leave static images on for several hours at a time.
Life span is the only other questionable factor, but with new technologies, it's really hard to say which would fare better. CRT technology has the edge there. It's a proven technology that has matured and is a very good value right now, and has proven reliable, but they are heavier and consume more space. Burn-in is also a possibility like the plasmas, but again only if the TV displays the same images for several hours non-stop. If you have the space, consider a RPCRT.
Prices on plasmas have fallen dramatically over the last several months. You can pick up a good 42" for roughly the same price as a quality 42" to 50" rear projection DLP/LCD/LCoS.
As a side note Consumer Reports highly recommends buying an extended warranty with a micro-display (DLP/LCD/LCoS). The plasmas they say to consider an extended warranty only if you can negotiate a good price on it, and CRT's they say do not buy an extended warranty.
RandyM
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Boy, I'm not sure I would suggest plasma for gaming. Most of competitive analysis I've done shows plasma and LCD to have fast motion artifacts that RPCRT and DLP don't have. Although each technology has drawbacks, I still prefer DLP for pix quality, too. DLP never burns in, but the lamp has 5-6K hours life. However, when you change the lamp, it's like getting a brand new set in terms of light output. Plasma goes to about 1/2 light out in 5-6 years.
However, plasma is a strong choice for viewing angle.
For gaming I would recommend a LCoS set like the JVC. NO worry about lag issues or eye strain like DLP, no motion bluring like LCD, and no burn-in problems like CRT or Plasma.
One of the main reasons I chose my JVC set was because of its outstanding perfomance with videogames. I've played hundreds of hours on my set over the past year without any gaming related issues.
Plasma wins hands down. The burn in issue is non existant.
IDC had a Halo Menu screen up for 48 hours and there was no permanent burn in. Don't be afraid of Plasma.
Be very afraid of Anything with a $250 LAMP you will need to replace every year or two.
Also realize on this board there are more people who have vested interest in certain technologies and will point you that way......I do not and since I have an alternate opinion and there were some new people like yourself who read my posts and agreed....I was banned. Go figure. I posted under Tom Bong....Read my posts. Especially the ones that have my post count. There have been those who have tried to discredit me by posting as an unregistered user with my name. You will know my posts
Read the forums. There are major issues with this technology put forth by many owners of it. I had tthe same questions as you and realized by reading to save my money and warn others to do the research before spending a dime.
You will help yourself immensely by reading the problem threads. (notice the number of posts under the problem headings)
Don't listen to anyone, even me without researching. Just read the posts of others experiences with these TVs........If I had to buy a new HD fixed pixel display today I would choose a Plasma.
