Lcd or Plasma screen.

[Envious]

My advice is stay away from plasma screens, either get a projector (my parents got one and i took my computer around and played call of duty....... :dr_Evil: sweet !) or wait for a year or so, there is a new type of screen coming out, better than the rest, i will get some details for u soon.

[djjase]

I use to work for Fujitsu and I had a plasma in my office connected to my laptop. It worked perfectly. Here is a picture of my dogs as a wallpaper being shown on it.



As far as plasma only lasting a few years is total crap. We had one at Fujitus that was 12 years old and still working perfectly.

Where I am now, I have a 24" Dell LCD - click here to see details - http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/prod...=au&l=en&s=dhs

I also have a 42" Plasma at home and I won my computer through it, I capture from it as well.

[micksta]

don't get one that just says "HD Ready" coz it can mean the high definition is CRAP.

it should say 720i or 1080p .. those reso's are crystal clear.

LCD's always get dead pixels which don't come alive again. i dunno if thats the same as plasma .. but yeah.

LCD's should be cheaper then plasma's.

i use a 19" LCD for my computer.. and its perfect for movies and games.

[XR8 Uterous]

If you plan on keeping it for awhile i would get the LCD, i reckon they last longer than a plasma, and would be better for computer use and still not that bad when watching TV.

[parawolf]

You have to ensure that your video card can output 50Hz at the required resolution as well. Most video cards will have a low frequency of 60Hz. I think ATi make cards which do 50Hz more often than Nvidia cards.

[JADED6]

Wow. this thread was certainly dug up.

Whilst on the subject of Plasma screens. Can someone explain what the "contrast ratio" is.
Thought the higher number would be good (10,000 : 1) but the more expensive plasma screens say 8,000:1 or 5,000:1 and seeing as I have no idea what it does/is it's probably a good chance to ask someone who might.
What does it do for the screen? Is the difference noticable with it?

[russellw]

Contrast Ratios

The contrast ratio is typically measured differently between LCD and Plasma units making any direct comparison irrelevant.

In terms of definition contrast ratio is the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and darkest black the screen is able to produce. The main benefit is that a higher contrast ratio results in finer details in the display of colour.

Thanks to the differing standards used to measure them it is generally considered that a Plasma contrast ratio should be divided by anywhere between 12 and 15 to arrive at an equivalent if it doesn't use the ANSI standard for measurement.

For example my PDP43MXE Pro unit claims a 1600:1 contrast ratio and tests out to about 1540:1 using the ANSI standard but the Mitsubishi DV42P1-MK2 claims 10,000:1 and test out at about 850:1 or middle of the mid range LCD pack. Unless the specs actually tell you which standard is used the only way to know is to do the actual testing.

For what help it is we have tested a number of the more popular units on the market presently and found that most of the LCD's are close enough to claimed spec but most of the Plasma units aren't anywhere near and there is a large variance in how far out they are from their claims. For example the Mitsubishi DV42P2 claims 3000:1 and test out at about 650:1 a ratio of 4.6 whereas the unit mentioned above is 11.76. Go figure.

As with all things simply trust your eyes. Contrast ratio is important but with Plasmas you are never going to be sure what you are getting where the LCD's are pretty accurate and you can see the difference between a 350:1 and 1000:1 unit. The LCD monitor I am typing this on has a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and I can tell the difference against the previous 500:1 unit. The simplest test is to turn down the brightness as far as it will go and the contrast up as far as it will go and see how black the black really looks. When you have a couple side by side you'll soon see what I mean.

Cheers
Russ

[cArSiK]

Originally Posted by b2tf

This reminds me.

I was very interested in getting a plasma screen TV a while ago, but i remember a salesman telling me they have a lifespan of about 5000 hours before they just turn to crap. 5000 isnt really that much when you're paying $3k or so for a TV, so i didnt buy one.

But is it true?

Short answer in my experiance. No.

My plasma was one of the original LG's (coming up to 6 years) with use of atleast 5 hours+ per day. Hasnt skipped a beat and colour is like the day I got it.

james

[RAREV8]

Originally Posted by Peuty

But if you have a few dots fail on the LCD, same thing....hello bin.

Horses for courses.

I have been in the industry for a little while now working for Bang&Olufsen and Yamaha.

LCD's cannot have dead pixels as a rule; they will fail when they overheat but will generally come back upon cooling.

Plasmas do not last for just 7 years- most will last as long as a CRT these days; plasmas have what is known as a half life which means that they will be half as bright after say, 50,000 hours.

However, you get what you pay for and the only way you make a choice between LCD or plasma will be based on size and cost.

Both can be up to 42" but double the price for LCD. These will be better in plasma form for moving images but the quality is very much dependant upon the imput. I.e, s h i t in = s h i t out!

DVI is an older connection replaced now by HDMI (hi definition media interface) which can carry both audio and video in uncompressed digital format.
If you have DVI, there is an adaptor to convert to HDMI.

Unless you are very lucky, not that many PC's have DVI on them and the cables cost a lot!

If you have an up-converting amplifier (surround sound receiver) you can run your PC in and monitor out if you dont have the correct connections on the TV/PC....it depends upon your particular setup and budget!

[RAREV8]

Originally Posted by JADED6

Wow. this thread was certainly dug up.

Whilst on the subject of Plasma screens. Can someone explain what the "contrast ratio" is.
Thought the higher number would be good (10,000 : 1) but the more expensive plasma screens say 8,000:1 or 5,000:1 and seeing as I have no idea what it does/is it's probably a good chance to ask someone who might.
What does it do for the screen? Is the difference noticable with it?

Ok, contrast ratio denotes how good the blacks are to create contrast- Don't get tied up with this too much- the simple way to tell how good a screen is is NOT by what it has on paper but to sit and look at it!!

Seems too obvious? Yes but true!

Unlike sound, which is subjective, picture quality is either good or not. 2 people with equal eyesight cannot give 2 correct differing opinions on the same monitor.

Withour giving away names, I recently saw a 42" plasma with an advertised 10000:1 contrast ratio for $1999. the sticker that this was printed on by the manufacturer was hiding 3000:1 printed on the box!!!

There are so many dirty tricks its not funny. This industry has become what the mechanics industry was known for.....misleading info.

Always ask a few opinions in different shops and see if their stories/facts tie up way before you discuss price.

[RAREV8]

Originally Posted by micksta

don't get one that just says "HD Ready" coz it can mean the high definition is CRAP.

it should say 720i or 1080p .. those reso's are crystal clear.

LCD's always get dead pixels which don't come alive again. i dunno if thats the same as plasma .. but yeah.

LCD's should be cheaper then plasma's.

i use a 19" LCD for my computer.. and its perfect for movies and games.

Sorry mate, you are very wrong! LCD's might be cheaper when comparing a 17" LCD to a 50 " plasma!

HD ready means little- some are, some are not. Some have panels that are capable but dont have the grey scaler fitted- there is a lot of bullИИИИ about HD.

It is a very old technology devloped by Toshiba in 1994 to rectify NTSC picture quality.

[82XD393.3v]

Plasma tvs are far cheaper than LCD tvs
Plasma have a screen so u will get reflection from light LCD don't reflect but don't have a glass screen covering it so if you have kids forget LCD as they are easy to damage
LCD suffer from blur or a shadow effect when watching fast paced tv like motor racing

LCD mate all the way. Better quality and IMO longer lasting life.

81cm LCD TV
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.st...uct/View/G3212

[JADED6]

^^
LCD does seem a bit over priced as far as the size goes compared to plasma.
I'd mostly just want something to upgrade the lounge TV.
Unsure how good the LG plasma with built in HD tuner (TUNA) is. (one with the tuna on it in the add)

[micksta]

Originally Posted by scottishxc

Sorry mate, you are very wrong! LCD's might be cheaper when comparing a 17" LCD to a 50 " plasma!

HD ready means little- some are, some are not. Some have panels that are capable but dont have the grey scaler fitted- there is a lot of bullИИИИ about HD.

It is a very old technology devloped by Toshiba in 1994 to rectify NTSC picture quality.

I'd go an LCD over plasma... anyways ..

do u even no what HD even is ?

its basicly a higher resolution so it gives sharper image quality.... thats all it is.
Us, the end user, don't care about recitying garbage. all we want to do is watch tv.

what what r u talking about LCD's not having dead pixels ?? My 19" LCD monitor has 2 dead pixels ..... if there not dead pixels then what r they ??

im not exactly illiterate mate.


stop babbiling and correcting... and help this dude get a new TV.

[RAREV8]

I dont think you are reading my posts-

I am in the industry and have been selling the most expensive domestic LCD's and plasmas available.

Presently, I am wholesaling AV/IT equipment which frankly puts me in a very good position to offer help.
If you read my post regarding HDTV, you would not have needed to repeat yourself.
You could well be correct regarding the dead pixels- what monitor do you have?

LCD's generally dont suffer anywhere near as many dead pixels and the Samsung based tv's (B&O, some Sonys, Samsungs) do not have this issue.

Samsung make a lot of the markets models but unfortunately, there has been a massive influx of cheap n nasty ones too.
I apologise for not being clear on this Micksta!

The answer that the original poster is looking for depends on a few things as mentioned and whilst I am not the most technically minded on the subject, I can offer good advice on it and anyone who wants help can PM me and I'll ring them

I cant type quickly enough!!!!

[micksta]

haha thats all good.

LCD's SHOULDN'T get dead pixels but they do unfortunately.

yes i agree that LCD tv's shouldn't get any at all for the price you pay for them.
in ur line of work u probly dont see them becoz of that just reason.
which i wouldn't doubt. becoz it is extremely hard to notice a dead pixel unless you know what to look for.

no one wants to send back a 40" tv .. and no one can be bothered fixing/replacing them.

so yeah we'll just say we're both right and be on our merry way :

[GTP 320]

Originally Posted by Firefox7

Already got a projector....I have used it for the pc a few times, especially good flight simming with it....My screen size 4 metres x 2 metres for games in 16:9. It has the best picture that i have seen in any projector....very clear and bright but the colours are outa this world.


Cheers.

What brand of Projector have you got,as i will be getting one for my theatre room when the house is finished ?
Cheers John

[Firefox7]

BenQ PB8260......awesome...just make sure you run component leads YPBPR ( rgb) and buy a new dvd player such as a marantz or yamaha that supports PAL progressive scan..a must.....make sure it's pal..not NTSE progressive. Progressive Scan is like a computer monitor, it will up the higher resolutions that cheapo dvd's won't. Look at the yamaha dvd player with progressive scan. Component leads differ from normal leads. Traditional leads are typical of yellow, red, & white..or in much older leads black. ...typical composite connections mix the red, green & blue signal into one cable being the yellow lead which is the main lead for visual picture..that you get from a dvd, xbox etc. The next step is s-video....better but not much....the next step is component video....component video splits all colours..one lead for red, one for blue, one for green, so it's enhances clarity by a factor of 40%. Keep this in mind..the money you spend will enhance the visual experience emmensley.


Cheers.

[GTP 320]

Thanks for your info,i will be getting an expert to install all the wiring and as for the DVD player i have a Loewe brand an excellent unit from Germany.
Cheers John