Plasma or LCD?

[Elspode]

I prefer plasma, personally. I find them to have more satisfying color saturation and black levels. YMMV.

[glatt]

Before shelling out a lot of money for a full resolution (1080P) TV, take a look at the charts that show what resolution the human eye is physically capable of seeing at different screen sizes and viewing distances. And think about how you are likely going to be using this TV.

I was all gung-ho about getting a 1080P TV until I saw such a chart. I'm now the happy owner of a 32" 720P TV that I view from across the room. It's lower resolution, but I can't tell the difference from my couch, and neither would you.

(Basically the charts will tell you that for a 32" screen it's only at the 4-6 foot range that you can tell the difference between a 1080P and a 720P resolution screen. If you sit further away than that, you can't see the difference.)

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

I was all gung-ho about getting a 1080P TV until I saw such a chart.

Since nothing in broadcast in highest resolution, then how would you know? Highest resolution is only displayed by DVDs.

Meanwhile, many HD broadcasters are only broadcasting a conventional low resolution screen in higher definition. We buy TVs today for the resolutions that will be future available. When those better resolutions are broadcast, then the clarity will be obvious.

Currently, most have a widescreen TV that really has no better resolution. But it is a wide screen - therefore it must be better - their reasoning. All that wide screen does in most situations is make faces fatter.

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by tw

Since nothing in broadcast in highest resolution, then how would you know? Highest resolution is only displayed by DVDs.

Meanwhile, many HD broadcasters are only broadcasting a conventional low resolution screen in higher definition. We buy TVs today for the resolutions that will be future available. When those better resolutions are broadcast, then the clarity will be obvious.

Currently, most have a widescreen TV that really has no better resolution. But it is a wide screen - therefore it must be better - their reasoning. All that wide screen does in most situations is make faces fatter.

There is a distinct difference in quality of a native HD broadcast and a DVD, even on a 720p set like mine...with the HD broadcast content being far superior, I suppose I should add.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Elspode

There is a distinct difference in quality of a native HD broadcast and a DVD, even on a 720p set like mine...

UT accurately corrected my previous post. Where I said DVD, I should have said Blue Ray.

Meanwhile, I vaguely remember HD-DVD (Tohsiba's version) only did 1080i.

How long is the life expectancy of a video screen? How long does your computer or laptop flat screen last?

[Elspode]

I've never had an LCD display go bad. My plasma TV is two years old this month with no appreciable difference in display quality. We probably only put about 20 hours a week on it, though.