LCD and Plasma Bargains and Discussions thread

PostmanPot said:
Your wife will much prefer the plasma. Chicks watch a lot of DSTV SD. My advice is to arrange a test of the 40" LED-LCD and 43" plasma that your wife could go and view. The TVs must be taken out of store mode AKA Torch Mode (high brightness/contrast to fool people about picture quality under bright shop lighting).

My own 2c, I have 4 Series plasma and 5 Series LCD. Bought my 42" 1024x768 plasma for HD PVR (sport, SD, HD) and have never looked back. My 32" FHD LCD doesn't compare in the slightest and I notice the same negatives on friend's LCDs (who in turn admit my plasma gives much better PQ). I am very pedantic about resolution etc. and it isn't a problem for me when sitting 2.5m+. The HD picture is glorious, especially in my dimmer room, punchy colours full of detail from any angle, and deep consistent blacks.

Edit: Watching HD Game of Thrones last night with a friend on my LCD left me craving for better PQ. Dark scenes are bright because of the LCD backlight which in turn means lack of black consistency, leading to lower contrast and less detail within colours. Quite simply my plasma blows it out the water. And on top of it 4 Series 43" is cheaper than 5 Series 40" LCD. Resolution is the only downer and it doesn't bother me because I sit 2.5m+.
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Sorry, I'm derailing this thread slightly. Anyway, I'm thinking I agree with this about SD - on a subjective level. A good few years ago, when I bought my first flat screen, I bought a plasma as it was the only relevant technology at the time. Then came the time that I felt the need to upgrade. At that point I had been sucked in by the "LCD is best" wave of misinformation that salesman and the internet were spouting, and decided I was going to buy one. Until I went to Audio Vision and saw an LCD playing SD content. I was disappointed, to be somewhat understated. And one playing sport content..... Anyway, I changed my decision and bought a plasma after viewing it (in a darkened area). The point being is I am not an inherent fanboi of plasma, but made my decision based on cost, viewing habits and an "informed" decision in actually viewing both technologies

So, in a round-about way, what I'm saying is that if the majority of your viewing is not HD, then you must be wary of bright LCD screens showing HD content. Although I must admit I'm not sure anymore how superior plasma's are (if at all) versus LCD's when it comes to more entry level sets these days ito SD and sport content. Would be interesting to discuss this in another thread perhaps?

Now for the thread derail. Game of Thrones - I purchased the series on BD and have been watching it on my E8000. OMG. @Postmanpot - it's incredible! The detail is mind-boggling. Crisp. I wish there was a way to compare pictures so I could find out if I'm biased because of my limited access to LCD's and other such.

Hehe - sort of like a dick-swinging contest except it's 50" and bigger :)
 
Spunkywunky1 said:
Sorry, I'm derailing this thread slightly. Anyway, I'm thinking I agree with this about SD - on a subjective level. A good few years ago, when I bought my first flat screen, I bought a plasma as it was the only relevant technology at the time. Then came the time that I felt the need to upgrade. At that point I had been sucked in by the "LCD is best" wave of misinformation that salesman and the internet were spouting, and decided I was going to buy one. Until I went to Audio Vision and saw an LCD playing SD content. I was disappointed, to be somewhat understated. And one playing sport content..... Anyway, I changed my decision and bought a plasma after viewing it (in a darkened area). The point being is I am not an inherent fanboi of plasma, but made my decision based on cost, viewing habits and an "informed" decision in actually viewing both technologies

So, in a round-about way, what I'm saying is that if the majority of your viewing is not HD, then you must be wary of bright LCD screens showing HD content. Although I must admit I'm not sure anymore how superior plasma's are (if at all) versus LCD's when it comes to more entry level sets these days ito SD and sport content. Would be interesting to discuss this in another thread perhaps?

Now for the thread derail. Game of Thrones - I purchased the series on BD and have been watching it on my E8000. OMG. @Postmanpot - it's incredible! The detail is mind-boggling. Crisp. I wish there was a way to compare pictures so I could find out if I'm biased because of my limited access to LCD's and other such.

Hehe - sort of like a dick-swinging contest except it's 50" and bigger :)
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IMO as someone who is also not an inherent plasma fanboi the difference today is that the high end LCD stuff can match medium end plasma at PQ because they've been able to greatly improve on LCD tech, most recently with things like full array LED and/or micro dimming, which improves PQ with more consistent black levels comparable with plasma; consistent blacks increase overall contrast ratio, which is the main determiner of PQ.

The problem is that high end LCD costs a lot. And, 50"+ high end plasma is a whole load cheaper than 50"+ LCD.

People must indeed be wary of bright LCD screens (torch mode), the only reason they are bright is to make them look better under bright shop lighting. This certainly does not exclude bright LCDs showing HD content though as people get hoodwinked regardless. A bright display is not a accurate display, an accurate display involves reducing brightness which enhances detail within colours (Movie/Cinema mode). Plasma colours pop far more than LCD colours at these low brightness settings.

Punting bright LCD screens is akin to listening to music with excessive bass. But hey, they're welcome to think they're getting better PQ. The irony of course is that NONE of the online tests done with their LCDs are done with dynamic contrast/high brightness which they are pushing, they're all using calibrated settings a-la Movie/Cinema mode. This is why when someone tells me how brightness is important, I just tell them to go and set their TV to Movie/Cinema mode, and then we talk. If they have bright rooms, which are unfavourable for home theatre and not designed correctly and thought out, then they are welcome to punt LCD brightness, that's the only time one benefits IMO.
 
Yep. I've said it before, but I myself have been "suckered" by the vibrancy of an LCD panel. It seems amazing, until you actually look past it and look at the actual detail. In fact, this past weekend I was at Tafelburg Furnishers to get some cables and happened to see a set that was playing a movie and I was like, "OMG, look how good that picture is, it's so bright and clear". This was from about 7 meters away. Went closer and saw it was a Sammy LCD. Went a bit closer and then saw how "bad" the PQ was in terms of definition or "crispness".

I'm not sure if its new or not, but I see Plasmas are also trying to "fight" back with respect to store purchases in that when i set up my Samsung E8000 it had a "store mode" - which stated very clearly it was only to be used by retailers on their shopping floors :)

Anyway, on a side note @Postmanpot, earlier I was perusing "that" thread which was closed recently, and can only say I'm sorry I was not around to join in. I'm not saying you are faultless, but OMG, the hypocrisy of those accusing you of belittling/insulting others and LCD's. Anyway, a compliment to how you kept your head on an over-all basis, and stuck to the facts as best as possible. just try not to respond to snide remarks in kind - it just degenerates :)

And before anyone jumps in to accuse me of indeed being a plasma fanboi, I would just like to say that I fully expect this recent purchase of a plasma to be my last. My reasoning being that this one will do me just long enough until the current "known" future of flat-screens i.e. OLED, becomes mainstream enough so that it is viable and affordable.
 
In this morning's Die Burger newspaper Game is advertising the Samsung 40D550 FHD Lcd (not the gimped one) for R3899.00.

Great price.
 
Spunkywunky1 said:
Yep. I've said it before, but I myself have been "suckered" by the vibrancy of an LCD panel. It seems amazing, until you actually look past it and look at the actual detail. In fact, this past weekend I was at Tafelburg Furnishers to get some cables and happened to see a set that was playing a movie and I was like, "OMG, look how good that picture is, it's so bright and clear". This was from about 7 meters away. Went closer and saw it was a Sammy LCD. Went a bit closer and then saw how "bad" the PQ was in terms of definition or "crispness".

I'm not sure if its new or not, but I see Plasmas are also trying to "fight" back with respect to store purchases in that when i set up my Samsung E8000 it had a "store mode" - which stated very clearly it was only to be used by retailers on their shopping floors :)

Anyway, on a side note @Postmanpot, earlier I was perusing "that" thread which was closed recently, and can only say I'm sorry I was not around to join in. I'm not saying you are faultless, but OMG, the hypocrisy of those accusing you of belittling/insulting others and LCD's. Anyway, a compliment to how you kept your head on an over-all basis, and stuck to the facts as best as possible. just try not to respond to snide remarks in kind - it just degenerates :)

And before anyone jumps in to accuse me of indeed being a plasma fanboi, I would just like to say that I fully expect this recent purchase of a plasma to be my last. My reasoning being that this one will do me just long enough until the current "known" future of flat-screens i.e. OLED, becomes mainstream enough so that it is viable and affordable.
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I fully expect this new plasma to be my last as well. Still fighting with my salesman for a better price. He now wants 45K as the price has gone up and I should have bought it two weeks ago. I am not in hurry so will wait for a special of some sorts. The next "tv" after that will be a projector in a dedicated room but not too soon as I dont know enough about them yet.

I recently went to a dedicated AV shop and tested some tv's and sound systems (but thats for another thread :) ). The LCD's they had were really good but I still wont buy LCD / LED as they are not value for money IMHO. Side by side both technologies are really good enough for most of the general population so why someone would choose a smaller LCD over a bigger Plasma, I dont know? The Plasma PQ is fantastic, it is as bright as you want it to be, IR is really no longer an issue, good SD and HD viewing, no motion blur? Reflection on some sets is quite a drawback but other than that, Plasma is really undeserving of the bad wrap it gets on these forums IMO.
 
On a side note, saw the 55" Hisense passive 3D set (55T36 iirc) last week at hificorp. Bloody nice pic, and the 3d is really immersive. Game has it for 12k6, which puts it nicely between the new Sammy 50" e550 plasma for 10k, and the 59d550 for ~16k.

Any comments on 2D performance. Viewing angles looked good. This from a plasma fanboy.
 
igeorge said:
On a side note, saw the 55" Hisense passive 3D set (55T36 iirc) last week at hificorp. Bloody nice pic, and the 3d is really immersive. Game has it for 12k6, which puts it nicely between the new Sammy 50" e550 plasma for 10k, and the 59d550 for ~16k.

Any comments on 2D performance. Viewing angles looked good. This from a plasma fanboy.
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Well, ya know... First put it in a dim test room on movie mode next to a plasma. It seems LCD Torch Mode is enough to lure even the discerning plasma owner. :D :)
 
igeorge said:
On a side note, saw the 55" Hisense passive 3D set (55T36 iirc) last week at hificorp. Bloody nice pic, and the 3d is really immersive. Game has it for 12k6, which puts it nicely between the new Sammy 50" e550 plasma for 10k, and the 59d550 for ~16k.

Any comments on 2D performance. Viewing angles looked good. This from a plasma fanboy.
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Im quite keen on that set, any idea why its not on the hisense.co.za site? All their 3D tv's say coming soon...
 
iceman23 said:
I fully expect this new plasma to be my last as well. Still fighting with my salesman for a better price. He now wants 45K as the price has gone up and I should have bought it two weeks ago. I am not in hurry so will wait for a special of some sorts. The next "tv" after that will be a projector in a dedicated room but not too soon as I dont know enough about them yet.

I recently went to a dedicated AV shop and tested some tv's and sound systems (but thats for another thread :) ). The LCD's they had were really good but I still wont buy LCD / LED as they are not value for money IMHO. Side by side both technologies are really good enough for most of the general population so why someone would choose a smaller LCD over a bigger Plasma, I dont know? The Plasma PQ is fantastic, it is as bright as you want it to be, IR is really no longer an issue, good SD and HD viewing, no motion blur? Reflection on some sets is quite a drawback but other than that, Plasma is really undeserving of the bad wrap it gets on these forums IMO.
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What, R45k! Can't be at Hirchs. They were willing to give me a price of R38,999 and they were only to get their new stock about mid-June? - thats why I bought mine from Audio Vision - they had one in stock (after having had 4 a few days before!). Unless they have wised up to the demand for the E8000 and are now just playing the supply vs demand game. And yes, If I had a dedicated games room with no windows I would most likely have gone projector route as well. But seeing as I am a mere mortal with a normal house, I wasn't willing to do out my lounge like London in WWII and black out everything :).

And again, agree with the bang for buck rational for purchasing a plasma over LCD.
 
Mr_Bee said:
IMHO, if I had the cash to spend, I would do it on this:

http://www.techradar.com/news/television/lg-55-inch-oled-tv-pricing-revealed-1081832
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Seriously? Why? I could have blown the bank/credit card and purchased a 64" LCD of comparable PQ (and size) to the 64 E8000, but that would have been silly. Because for a far lesser outlay I got a top notch picture (with enough size to make me think there is no point going larger in my current lounge, without being counter-productive).

To put it another way, seeing as the E8000 is about $3300 overseas, and equates to R40000 here (ignoring the R45000 just mentioned), you are saying you would rather spend approximately R110 000 for a 55" screen than go plasma? Wow, is all I can say.
 
Spunkywunky1 said:
Seriously? Why? I could have blown the bank/credit card and purchased a 64" LCD of comparable PQ (and size) to the 64 E8000, but that would have been silly. Because for a far lesser outlay I got a top notch picture (with enough size to make me think there is no point going larger in my current lounge, without being counter-productive).

To put it another way, seeing as the E8000 is about $3300 overseas, and equates to R40000 here (ignoring the R45000 just mentioned), you are saying you would rather spend approximately R110 000 for a 55" screen than go plasma? Wow, is all I can say.
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It just shows how serious I am in not investing or taking the least risk of becoming instantly obsolete if I spend so much money, I'd rather spend double and get staying power from my investment.

I also stay in Durban, so I do not need a heater in Winter and Definitely not one in Summer either. :D
 
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Spunkywunky1 said:
What, R45k! Can't be at Hirchs. They were willing to give me a price of R38,999 and they were only to get their new stock about mid-June? - thats why I bought mine from Audio Vision - they had one in stock (after having had 4 a few days before!). Unless they have wised up to the demand for the E8000 and are now just playing the supply vs demand game. And yes, If I had a dedicated games room with no windows I would most likely have gone projector route as well. But seeing as I am a mere mortal with a normal house, I wasn't willing to do out my lounge like London in WWII and black out everything :).

And again, agree with the bang for buck rational for purchasing a plasma over LCD.
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Yep, Hirschs. Will wait till they have stock and go in.

@Postman, Strangely the Hifi corp in PMB has actually a nice tv display room. really dark so you can actually test in all environments. I am not sure if they are all like that but this one was well thought out. Just if anyone is interested.
 
For the record. What is the cheapest tv I can get that has the plex client and 3d, 40 inch or 47 inch will suffice and active vs passive 3d doesnt really phase me?
 
iceman23 said:
Yep, Hirschs. Will wait till they have stock and go in.

@Postman, Strangely the Hifi corp in PMB has actually a nice tv display room. really dark so you can actually test in all environments. I am not sure if they are all like that but this one was well thought out. Just if anyone is interested.
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I bet you they sell a lot of plasmas. :)
 
Mr_Bee said:
It just shows how serious I am in not investing or taking the least risk of becoming instantly obsolete if I spend so much money, I'd rather spend double and get staying power from my investment.

I also stay in Durban, so I do not need a heater in Winter and Definitely not one in Summer either. :D
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a tv is not an investment. far from it. that 110k oled will sell new for 40k in three years time and the one you bought will be worth 15k if even. not much of an investment if you ask me.

instantly obselete? i guess my two year old plasma and spunkys e8000 are just heaps of metal, glass and plastic mounted on a wall incapable of doing anything remotely useful lol
 
iceman23 said:
a tv is not an investment. far from it. that 110k oled will sell new for 40k in three years time and the one you bought will be worth 15k if even. not much of an investment if you ask me.

instantly obselete? i guess my two year old plasma and spunkys e8000 are just heaps of metal, glass and plastic mounted on a wall incapable of doing anything remotely useful lol
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As you wish - it is posted IMHO originally and that remains.
 
iceman23 said:
For the record. What is the cheapest tv I can get that has the plex client and 3d, 40 inch or 47 inch will suffice and active vs passive 3d doesnt really phase me?
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Samsung D6000 probably cheapest if you can find, LG LW5700 may also be cheap if can be found on clearance.
 
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PostmanPot said:
Well, ya know... First put it in a dim test room on movie mode next to a plasma. It seems LCD Torch Mode is enough to lure even the discerning plasma owner. :D :)
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Should we also throw a tantrum and throw all the toys out of our cots because you dare to belittle the LCD by calling it by rubbish statements like "Torch mode"? I refer you to the now closed thread when you attacked Mr_Bee for making comments that did not suit your visions? ;)
 
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