TV's: Plasma vs LED

Basically for Plasma vs LED, it all boils down to lights vs darks. On plasma, the darker colors look better, so overall it is probably better for movies, most notably dark scary ones. LED has much nicer light colors however, which make it the better choice for sports. Plasma uses (or at least used to use) more power, so you may notice an increase in your electric bill. Another benefit to LED is that you get much less of a glare on the TV from lights, sun shining through the window, etc. I decided to go with LED since football controls my life and I can't stand glare on TVs, but if you're a big movie buff who watches lots of movies at home, you may want to consider plazzy. I currently have a Sony Bravia 240hz LED.

 

I have a Panasonic 50 inch plasma and a Samsung 55 inch LED

I enjoy watching LED more. Not an expert though.

 

If weight is a consideration, LED is the way to go. Keep in mind you'll have to buy HDMI cables compatible with the max scan rate of the TV you're getting. For example, if you're buying a TV with a 240Hz scan rate or higher, generic HDMI cables won't do your picture justice. High scan rate HDMI cables can get pricey PDQ. Throw in BD and you'll get it.

You'll want the higher scan rate because it will make "motion" smoother. You'll notice it watching football in HD. Plasmas can come with very high scan rates, but they run hotter than LED's and I believe there is a weight penalty to consider. Especially if you're gonna mount it on a wall over say, a fireplace. Plasmas used to be really heavy but now, not so much although I doubt if they'll ever be as light as LED's.

I own two Sharp Aqous LED HDTV's. A 70" and a 60". I also own a older Hitachi 45" Plasma HDTV that maxes out at 720p. The Hitachi does have better "darks" although I do think my Sharps have better overall "tech" within. I believe Panasonic makes Plasmas these days so check it out. If you have a HH Gregg in your area, pay them a visit. They don't work on commission so they tend to give you the straight 411.

Just my $0.02

 

Also depends on the room you'll be watching it in. If its a dark room with minimal/no windows, you may want to look at the Plasma. If its a lighter room with some windows, you'll want the LED

 

Just like to add that plasmas have a greater viewing angle . So people sitting at an angle to the screen can see it perfectly well,.


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I love my plasma. In my opinion, the LED looks very fake to me. Colors are too vibrant for my taste. Choosing also depends on the light in the room. Plasmas use glass for screens, so if the room it's going in has light from certain angles, it will reflect and make it extremely hard to see. LEDs don't have that issue.

 

Plasma is being phased out.

Also, make sure you know that 'LED' = LCD TV with an LED backlight, rather than the fluorescent backlights in older LCD's. That switch meant less consumption, no bulb to ever worry about, and thinner screens.

The blacks are darker, but total brightness is usually lower, so they're rough in well-lit rooms.

Plasma TVs are thicker, heavier, put out heat, and consume 2-3 times more electricity than LED.

The viewing angle and response time advantages of plasma are virtually non existent vs newer LED's.

 

The energy consumption difference is overstated. Current plasmas match up well with LED TVs in that regard. I have bought two plasmas in the last couple years. Plain and simple, plasmas offer a better picture. With that said, glare is certainly a concern with plasmas. I sometimes get caught focusing on the reflections in the screen and it can drive me nuts on occasion. My wife barely notices it. The biggest draw of plasma is the price difference. Better picture if you can deal with the glare and you can often get a good one for a few hundred less than a good LED of the same size.

Whatever you do, DON'T go to a store and compare the screens there. You can't trust it, especially in store/warehouse conditions and factory color settings. Just read reviews and you'll get a better handle on it. Figure out your budget and glare considerations. If you can deal with a little glare and want to cut cost, I couldn't be happier with my plasmas. Costco usually has a good deal on good brands. If the price is substantially lower than similar sized TVs though, so is the quality. I'd steer clear of Vizio and Westinghouse.

 

Just viewed a Samsung 4Kp 60" unit at my local HH Gregg. I have never seen a clearer picture in my life! They were using a Mp4 video to showcase the picture quality off a thumbdrive and my god, it made BR look pedestrian by comparison.

The price right now is prohibitive as a +$4K TV just can't be justified with wifey but once the price drops to say, $2K or so, I'm gonna take the plunge.

If any of you get the opportunity, go check out a unit or two. Samsung and Sharp are the only two units I saw. I believe they're 3D capable as well. In that price range, those tv's should include "happy endings" as well..

 

For others that want to throw money at a 4k don't.

Absolutely pointless in buying a 4ktv as less than one percent of content out there will take advantage of if for years to come. You will have an ugly picture as the TV will do is best up converting everything.

Broadcast tv to this day can't do 1080p right. Best for many to wait 2 to five more years.

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Again, I wouldn't support anything other than going to a audio/video store and looking at the "future" of home video. 4K will be the gold standard although many will not be able to take advantage of it for quite some time. Until the US catches up with Japan regarding broadcast content, having a 4K TV will be like having a Ferrari and living in a midtown condo. Fast car, nowhere to drive it.

While at HH Gregg, I did ask the salesman to switch from the thumb drive to a HD Satellite feed but due to licensing and other restrictions from Samsung and Sharp, he could only present 4K from whatever Mp4 file was provided by the manufacturer. Wifey did ask for the switch over so one day, she might be on board.

It was indeed the clearest, sharpest picture I have ever seen displayed on a consumer grade HDTV. Samsung apparently has made firmware and software upgrades with this level of HDTV as easy as how you would update your computer. Not sure if Sharp followed suit.

4K is the future. How far into that future is the question..

 

People are being caught up in the hype as Sony has begun marketing. I'm just giving a heads up to those that don't know any better.

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I went to Best Buy on Black Friday but their deals sucked. Went to a PC Richards and got a 50" LED for cheap

 

We have 2 Samsung LED TVs....32" & 40". IMO, Samsung makes the best TVs for the price point.

 

My parents home and me and my sisters apartments all have Samsungs...Not one problem with any of them.

 

I have an old Samsung LCD and it struggles enormously with HDMI if I run it at 1080p. At 1080i the problems are still there (hiccups, losing connection, not supported mode, etc) but a lot less frequent.

Most of these issues happen on the video game consoles rather than TV service, but it still does happen to me.

 

Does anyone own an OLED TV? I saw them in Sears for over 4k. Picture looks amazing, but my Samsung LED TV can hang with it, I calibrated my TV’s.

One thing I recommend for anyone buying new TV’s, have them calibrated or buy a calibration disk (I bought one for 20 bucks) it’s totally worth it to get the best picture.

 

20 bucks isn't too much. How does calibration disk work and can you provide a link from amazon or ebay?

 

Disk is easy to use, it's a blu-ray disk. It makes you run through a series of test, for proper color, white balance etc. The disk comes with special glasses, that helps you balance out the colors with a color chart. The disk walks you through step by step it's easy.

This is the disk I used.

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-WOW-World-Wonder-Blu-ray/dp/B0045ASBLG