Shopping for new TV

[deadphish]

Don't even try to send me over to AVSforum. Bunch of pricks over there who like to pick apart every aspect of a TV ntil it seems like there is nothing that great about any TV if you read enough.

Anyway, my primary concern is smoothness for HD hockey and other stuff (movies, TV, not so much gaming). Need about 46"-55". LED or Plasma? Not sure...open to suggestion. Budget: ~$1500 (give or take a couple hundred.

GO!

[DaDitka]

Don't even try to send me over to AVSforum. Bunch of pricks over there who like to pick apart every aspect of a TV ntil it seems like there is nothing that great about any TV if you read enough.

Anyway, my primary concern is smoothness for HD hockey and other stuff (movies, TV, not so much gaming). Need about 46"-55". LED or Plasma? Not sure...open to suggestion. Budget: ~$1500 (give or take a couple hundred.

GO!

From my experience and research only...

Plasma is the way to go, and I get no tracks on my Panasonic.

[Leedog]

I've got a Toshiba 42" plasma that is almost 5 years old and have never had a problem and the picture is always brilliant no matter what I watch on it. Much better with the signal that I get with U-Verse than the crappy one I got from Charter, but that's another story.

[deadphish]

Checking out this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+50%22+Class+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+Plasma+HDTV/9788953.p?id=1218175321979&skuId=9788953&st=g20&contract_desc=null

Certainly within the budget and a ton of great reviews. Thinking hockey might look pretty sweet on this, I am. Just worried about the burn in factor on plasmas. Anyone care to put my mind at ease about that issue?

[Leedog]

I haven't had an issue with it in 5 years. I'm no electronics expert by any means, but I think they have fixes the problem by shifting the picture back and forth very slightly and very quickly....you can't see it, but it is enough to mostly eliminate the problem. Things like that, from what I understand, are the differences between brands and prices of tv's. The screens themselves are mostly the same, but the quality of electronics that generate the picture are the dif.

[ViPeRx007]

Checking out this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+50%22+Class+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+Plasma+HDTV/9788953.p?id=1218175321979&skuId=9788953&st=g20&contract_desc=null

Certainly within the budget and a ton of great reviews. Thinking hockey might look pretty sweet on this, I am. Just worried about the burn in factor on plasmas. Anyone care to put my mind at ease about that issue?

Sure. It doesn't exist. Well, it does, but it takes quite a bit of stupidity to make it happen. Reality is, burn in can happen on any type of TV, even old CRT's so it isn't just a plasma issue.

Besides, most newer plasma's have a setting that slightly shifts the screen around periodically as an added measure of safety if you're worried about it. You don't even notice it.

[deadphish]

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Panny 50" G20. BB had it packaged with a Panny BluRay 5.1 system, a Skype camera, and a free Geek Squad install (not that I need that, but I'll let them calibrate the TV for me). $1290 after tax.

So far the TV is amazing and the little speakers pack a big punch. Very pleased, I am. Saved $800 over a similarly quality Sony LED setup.

Ima gonna put the Skype camera on craigslist since I won't use it. $169.99 retail...$140 if anyone here is interested, unopened.

[deadphish]

This set is still wowing me. Just spectacular image quality and nice deep blacks. A keeper for sure. Guess I will throw away the big ass box now.

[cprice12]

Good to hear.

I own a 42" Pioneer plasma that is a few years old...and I love it. Never had a problem with it and the picture is outstanding.

Right now it's in our great room on the first floor, but I'll be getting a bigger tv (plasma, lcd, led...not sure yet) after we finish our basement...MAN CAVE!! ... but that won't be until late winter/spring. I'm looking forward to the research.

[deadphish]

Is it a KURO??? That's the tech that Panny bought from Pioneer. The G20 plasma I bought is a kind of watered down KURO, but I am def sold on plasmas after watching some of the newer LED-LCD's. It reminds me more of a CRT, whereas an LCD looks like a big computer screen with washed out blacks.

[ViPeRx007]

I have a Kuro. It rocks. That is all.

[stlbluz]

Not that I'm currently on the market, but does anybody know anything about those Vizio TVs?

[deadphish]

Not that I'm currently on the market, but does anybody know anything about those Vizio TVs?

Didn't even look at or research those. The Panny G20 is awesome still.

[cprice12]

Not that I'm currently on the market, but does anybody know anything about those Vizio TVs?

I thought I heard somewhere that they are pretty good...especially for the price.

Don't hold me to that though.

[DaDitka]

Not that I'm currently on the market, but does anybody know anything about those Vizio TVs?

I've got a 42" plasma, and it's a good TV for the cost.

If you don't have to have the absolute best, they are a good deal, I don't know anyone who has ever regretted purchasing one.

[Prngr44]

stlbluz - I have a 32" Vizio LCD in the bedroom. It works fine.

A lot of the bigger TVs are dropping like crazy. I bought a 47" for $699 late spring, and now you can get 50" 1080p for less (650)

For my basement TV, I'm seriously considering a 73 or 82 DLP.

[cprice12]

Thinking hockey might look pretty sweet on this, I am. Just worried about the burn in factor on plasmas. Anyone care to put my mind at ease about that issue?

You'd have to seriously neglect or abuse your plasma tv to suffer permanent burn-in.
Most have pixel shifting technology that reduces the risk.
If my tv is paused for more than 10 minutes, a screen saver comes on. I think that is a faeture of my DVR though.

If something happens to slightly burn in on your screen, it will go away if you change the channel and watch something else for a while unless it's really burned in.

The only time I saw a hint of burn in was during a Presidential debate between Obama and MaCain a couple years ago. CNN had the same big, bright, bold graphic across the entire bottom of the screen for three hours...no commercials...no breaks...on screen the whole damn time...and when we changed the channel after it was over, you could kinda still see it, but it went away after a few minutes of watching something else. Never happened before, never happened since...never with a FOX box or a channel's logo that they put in the bottom corner...nothing.

I wouldn't worry about burn-in. Just don't leave your tv paused for a few hours. If you pause it and it's going to be a while, turn it off.

[cprice12]

stlbluz - I have a 32" Vizio LCD in the bedroom. It works fine.

A lot of the bigger TVs are dropping like crazy. I bought a 47" for $699 late spring, and now you can get 50" 1080p for less (650)

For my basement TV, I'm seriously considering a 73 or 82 DLP.

I was never high on the DLP sets. Viewing angles aren't great...at least they weren't a few years ago when I was looking at them.

Anyone have a projector set up? I know some people that have them and they love them, but when I watch tv on them, they seem washed out...colors aren't bright, etc. because if any light is on, it takes away from the color. Your room has to be pitch dark to get a great picture.
Based on what I have seen, I'd never get a projector.
Has this technology changed at all?

[big d note]

It's tough for a projector to overcome ambient light unless you get a high lumen projector (expensive, and replacement bulbs are too) or use rear projection (most people don't have the space behind the screen). A high end screen can help some too. I'd love to have a big projection setup for watching movies at night, but I wouldn't use it for everyday TV watching.