D3x....thanks! I actually had 42" in my mind
Just a question....why plasma I heard from some people that you need to repack the plasma thing every five years or so or are they just talking BS?
They're talking bs. It's safe to ignore most plasma myths:
1) Needs regassing
2) Low lifespan
3) Chows electricity
4) You will get image burn-in
5) LCD is better
2, 3, and 4 are things of the past. There is a
minor possibility of 4, but only really when a PC is used to do work on - hours and hours of static images - for which plasma is advised against. That said, there are several forumites that do use their plasmas to do work on, and none have image burn-in.
The reason 42/43" plasma is a good choice is because you get the best of both worlds when displaying both SD (squarer) and HD (widescreen) formats, as well as generally better motion handling (sport) and generally better blacks and colours when comparing plasma to LCD/LED-LCDs at a similar price point. Sure some LCDs/LED-LCDs are better, but almost always at a much higher price point. LCD's biggest selling point (at the entry level compared to 42" plasma) is that it has a higher resolution. Most SAfricans are quite dependent on SD TV though because only about 1% of broadcasting in SA is done in HD.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dr._Kerns_Powers,_SMPTE_derivation_of_16-9_aspect_ratio.svg
SD is your normal TV/DSTV/movie & series ripz (which are in a 4:3/square format), which when played on a widescreen PC/TV you would have noticed look a bit kak due to the stretching. That's because most widescreens are 16:9 format, making them a lot more rectangular. The reason SD is so good on 42" plasma is because, while appearing to be widescreen/rectangular/16:9, its physical resolution is in fact 4:3.
How, you might ask? Rectangular pixels, which maintain the 16:9 format. So, even though 42" plasma is 4:3 in physical resolution, it displays 16:9 widescreen/HD media beautifully.
Samsung PS43D450 43" plasma R4,500
Pros
Best for SD/TV
Best for motion/sport
Best for blacks, colours (you really notice the difference when lighting is darker/at night)
Cons
HD Ready, 1024x768 resolution won't appeal to those who need Full HD 1920x1080 (difference won't be noticeable from 2.5 - 3m back when displaying HD media though)
Doesn't fit
Samsung LA40D550 40" R4,999 (or LA32D550 32" which fits R4,000+)
Pros
Full HD, 1920x1080 if you have a lot of Blu-rays or work on the PC and need the resolution (although from 2.5 - 3m it'll be hard to tell any benefit in resolution)
Good for PC work, no risk of burn-in
Cons
Poorer SD/TV
Poorer motion/sport
Poorer colours/blacks
Best is to always go and see for yourself in a pro AV shop with dark room after asking us questions.
Careful to watch out for uninformed salesmen, "factory mode" AKA torch mode 100% brightness/contrast settings, and bright shop lighting which doesn't reflect what you have at home. But for sport and HD movies, 42" (or 50" 1366x768 R6,500 if budget allows) plasma is a winner. The only time I would go LCD is if I had a large Blu-ray (Full HD) collection, or used the screen as a PC monitor to do work on.
Boom.
