What's there to know about tvs?

Dr3xus said:
as far as I can tell it seems plasmas generally have better contrast ratios and response times but with the downside of burn-ins, bulkier (in terms of mass) and consumes more electricity. is that basically the summary? trying to get these things in check before I go out and look :)
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I just bought a new Samsung 51D450 plasma tv for R7299. The tv is thinner and lighter than the older 42C430 plasma. It is also more energy efficient and screen burn in is a thing of the past.
 
Dr3xus said:
as far as I can tell it seems plasmas generally have better contrast ratios and response times but with the downside of burn-ins, bulkier (in terms of mass) and consumes more electricity. is that basically the summary? trying to get these things in check before I go out and look :)
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Burn in is a thing of the past unless you really abuse the tv, by running permanent static images (i.e. Windows) over long periods. This is where LCD is better (although you'd be surprised as LCDs also have their own type of burn in too :p).

Ultimately the best thing to do is go to the shop with your media and test the TVs In your budget. Try go to a place that has an actual testing room. Then buy at a presumably cheaper mass mart store. Testing under bright shop lighting will give you an inaccurate idea of both techs. LCDs are brighter so better for bright rooms.

Plasma really shines under dim lighting. ;)
 
RoganDawes said:
Not having done the research myself at this point, so won't be giving you advice about screens, etc.

Just wanted to mention that none of the TV's on sale at the moment have DVB-T2 tuners, which is the new standard for digital terrestrial broadcast which is supposed to be implemented in the next year or so. Which means that you'll also have to buy a Set Top Box if you want to watch any terrestrial channels after 2013 or thereabouts.
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When will this be really relevant in SA though? 2015?
 
i see you guys say that if you watching blue rays LCD is better,what about if you watching something on a HD PVR? I have an LG Scarlet 42" and can notice the occasional ghosting
 
marco79 said:
I just bought a new Samsung 51D450 plasma tv for R7299. The tv is thinner and lighter than the older 42C430 plasma. It is also more energy efficient and screen burn in is a thing of the past.
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where'd you get the tv?
 
Mr Feesh said:
i see you guys say that if you watching blue rays LCD is better,what about if you watching something on a HD PVR? I have an LG Scarlet 42" and can notice the occasional ghosting
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They say that because they are comparing entry LCD, which is full HD/1080p, to entry plasma at the same price point, which will be HD Ready/720p. So basically if someone wants a full 1080p experience and their budget is R5,000, they might rather go LCD over plasma because the LCD is full HD/1080p... Regardless of the plasma having better motion/blacks/colours. Most people seldom use full HD/1080p, or sit further than the required viewing distance for the full 1080p experience, etc. so it's not important to them.

For those that need FHD, 50" full HD/1080p plasma at R10,000 puts a spin on things. ;)

HD PVR used to be 720p. It then worsened to 1080i (540p (vertical lines) interlaced). Multichoice have said that they will be going back to 720p for most channels, which is a bonus for sport lovers because 720p is much better at motion and vertical definition (hence worsened). 1080p > 720p > 1080i. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-JXfyvlPh0

Your LG is probably an entry level 50Hz LCD. For there to not be ghosting, you would need plasma or if you have the bucks mid range LCD with 100+Hz motion flow.
 
X-Gamer said:
My Cousin bought one of those Samsung 51" Plasma's. It's the one thats going for around R11k in the Samsung Concept stores. I know this is a good buy, because HE did his research!
Sorry I couldn't be of more useful info, but that TV would be a good benchmark starting point!
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Your cousin is a wise man. The new gen Plasma's are the way to go IMO. No longer do they suffer from burn-in (pixels are now shaken to when the TV senses they are too hot) and their picture quality is nice and rich.
The one you want is the Samsung PS51D550 (3d with full 1920x1080 HD).

Al
 
PostmanPot said:
Your LG is probably an entry level 50Hz LCD. For there to not be ghosting, you would need plasma or if you have the bucks mid range LCD with 100+Hz motion flow.
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I just got one of these:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/lg-forum/1208952-official-le5300-led-thread.html

It's 120mhz or whatever, but still there is motion blur (albeit small) on the screen. It's mostly visible when I game. I was expecting too much it seems and my wife in particular is annoyed somewhat with the motion blur.

I was wondering if it wasn't perhaps the pixel fade time that was too slow despite the refresh rate being high?

Anyway, I'm going to put the new one in the bedroom and perhaps get a lower end plasma for gaming / main tv - what do you all think? 1080 is not that big a deal to me since I've been on an average CRT for years, so anything with proper pixels is better. What does one get in the entry level plasma range that's worth your money? Like 32/40in or so? I really need better motion and I do sit back a bit, so tbh I dont see the point of 1080 personally.
 
moer said:
I just got one of these:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/lg-forum/1208952-official-le5300-led-thread.html

It's 120mhz or whatever, but still there is motion blur (albeit small) on the screen. It's mostly visible when I game. I was expecting too much it seems and my wife in particular is annoyed somewhat with the motion blur.

I was wondering if it wasn't perhaps the pixel fade time that was too slow despite the refresh rate being high?

Anyway, I'm going to put the new one in the bedroom and perhaps get a lower end plasma for gaming / main tv - what do you all think? 1080 is not that big a deal to me since I've been on an average CRT for years, so anything with proper pixels is better. What does one get in the entry level plasma range that's worth your money? Like 32/40in or so? I really need better motion and I do sit back a bit, so tbh I dont see the point of 1080 personally.
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Have you tried 'game mode'? This reduces input lag.

Are you sure 100Hz is enabled?

Your motion blur is either coming from the source (console?) or it's just the TV rearing its ugly end. Sounds surprising since it is 100Hz. LE5300 is entry level if I'm not mistaken. I'm not a console gamer so I can't be of much help.

Gaming is excellent on plasma though, lower input lag and faster response time, and you'll also benefit from plasma tech's better blacks and colours. For gaming and any content, SD or HD up to 720p, you can't go wrong with entry plasma. It does start at 42" so take the size into consideration. Also, plasma doesn't suit brightly lit rooms as the screens are more reflective, so do take that into account. Check out the Samsung PS43D450, or the older generation PS42C430.
 
PostmanPot said:
Have you tried 'game mode'? This reduces input lag.

Are you sure 100Hz is enabled?

Your motion blur is either coming from the source (console?) or it's just the TV rearing its ugly end. Sounds surprising since it is 100Hz. LE5300 is entry level if I'm not mistaken. I'm not a console gamer so I can't be of much help.

Gaming is excellent on plasma though, lower input lag and faster response time, and you'll also benefit from plasma tech's better blacks and colours. For gaming and any content, SD or HD up to 720p, you can't go wrong with entry plasma. It does start at 42" so take the size into consideration. Also, plasma doesn't suit brightly lit rooms as the screens are more reflective, so do take that into account. Check out the Samsung PS43D450, or the older generation PS42C430.
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Thanks Pot, I'll consider tweaking - there is a game mode but it doesn't seem to affect lag so much as the sound and colour etc. I haven't found the settings to fiddle with refresh rate, so perhaps they are buried in there somewhere, only got it yesterday. Hopefully it can be tweaked a little. The bigger model is the one I was after, but it wasn't available 32LE5500 or something so I took the 5300 for R500 less. It only cost R3900 so it wasn't too expensive. Thanks for the heads up on the Samsungs, I'm happy with them as a company. I'll look at those 42in models - perhaps they'll be better suited for what I need. Our lounge is perfect for plasma then cos it's not bright. Thanks again!

*EDIT* OMW, I just found it
http://www.catsdigital.co.za/samsun...m_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping+comparison
Nice price and grief... 0.001ms response time? There is just NO COMPARISON with LED then. I'm actually almost sorry I got the LED thing. That 120hz screen has a 2.4ms response time, according to Amazon:
the 32-inch LG 32LE5300 LED LCD HDTV is also great for watching sports and movies with fast action thanks to its 2.4ms (millisecond) response time.
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So much for 120hz - no point when the response time is 2400 times slower than a plasma! Gaming on the plasma has to be better!
 
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moer: What model is your screen, exactly. If you check the box you'll see a sticker with a product code, like: 32LE5300-UC.AUSDLH, should be below the big model name. The blur could be due to S-IPS panel. You need really good RTC (Response Time Control, sometimes also called Overdrive) to eliminate all motion blur on IPS panels. It could also be a VA panel, depending on the sceen. I see that apparently the 32" and 37" use a mix of VA and IPS panels (your long product code will help here, or you can use a magnifying glass/camera with a macro lense on the screen LCD matrix: rectangular = VA, Chevron '>' = S-IPS). If the TV has RTC and it is setup for S-IPS timing, it could lead to blur on VA panels, or vice versa, since the RTC needs to be just right for the particular panel's normal response time.
 
I hate the 120Mhz "look" which interpolates frames and makes things look unnaturally smooth. Doesn't cause blur though.
 
I don't own either but from what I've seen my eyes tell me to go plasma should I ever go down the new tv path.
 
Rudimental said:
moer: What model is your screen, exactly. If you check the box you'll see a sticker with a product code, like: 32LE5300-UC.AUSDLH, should be below the big model name. The blur could be due to S-IPS panel. You need really good RTC (Response Time Control, sometimes also called Overdrive) to eliminate all motion blur on IPS panels. It could also be a VA panel, depending on the sceen. I see that apparently the 32" and 37" use a mix of VA and IPS panels (your long product code will help here, or you can use a magnifying glass/camera with a macro lense on the screen LCD matrix: rectangular = VA, Chevron '>' = S-IPS). If the TV has RTC and it is setup for S-IPS timing, it could lead to blur on VA panels, or vice versa, since the RTC needs to be just right for the particular panel's normal response time.
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Wow... so there are models within that range! I'll take a look. Seriously thinking of asking them if they'll swap it for a more expensive plasma.
 
Synaesthesia said:
I hate the 120Mhz "look" which interpolates frames and makes things look unnaturally smooth. Doesn't cause blur though.
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Very unnatural indeed, do plasma's also suffer from this? Almost makes it seem like a home video recording.
 
Rudimental said:
moer: What model is your screen, exactly. If you check the box you'll see a sticker with a product code, like: 32LE5300-UC.AUSDLH, should be below the big model name. The blur could be due to S-IPS panel. You need really good RTC (Response Time Control, sometimes also called Overdrive) to eliminate all motion blur on IPS panels. It could also be a VA panel, depending on the sceen. I see that apparently the 32" and 37" use a mix of VA and IPS panels (your long product code will help here, or you can use a magnifying glass/camera with a macro lense on the screen LCD matrix: rectangular = VA, Chevron '>' = S-IPS). If the TV has RTC and it is setup for S-IPS timing, it could lead to blur on VA panels, or vice versa, since the RTC needs to be just right for the particular panel's normal response time.
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Mine is a VA evidently (or at least I'm guessing) 32LE5300-VA.xxxxxx. Now to figure out what you just said and see if it can be rectified!
 
moer said:
Mine is a VA evidently (or at least I'm guessing) 32LE5300-VA.xxxxxx. Now to figure out what you just said and see if it can be rectified!
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Just for the record, my Samsung LA32C550 has a VA (or PVA?) screen. I play Black Ops and Starcraft 2 without any motion lag.
 
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