I had heard all sorts of stories about early plasma tvs and had been put off. There's a great deal on and the salesman said that lcds were going to be phased out next year and that plasmas are great blah blah blah (he did also sell lcds).

Any opinions would be much appreciated.

Thinking of a 37"lcd or a 42"plasma

Someone misunderstood something. It's plasma that's going to be phased out, not LCD (not at this time anyway).

LCD's are gaining ground due to higher panel rez, and lower manufacturing costs as numbers ramp up..

Plasma has a questionable life span.. Especially the earlier gen panels..

In VERY over simplified terms, plasma should have a better greyscale / black level and LCD better colors.. Tho I have to say the new samsung panels at 5000 - 7000 to 1 contrast levels sure look good enough for my eyes..

Try to get a TV / Panel with Multiple HDMI inputs and lots of others (component / DVI) its amazing how fast a few things all start filling it up..

I personally wouldnt worry too much about 'true HD' 1080 panels for now.. Price point is a bit high and I find on a screen size like that its a minimal gain.. I run a 720p projection system on a BIG screen and there moving into 1920x1080 would make a nice jump.. down at the 40 inch range its a modest improvemnt IMO.. Plus we have a very limited supply for hidef right now, no broadcast etc..

LCD better value & longevity

Wiley Coyote

Plasma TV's are currently cheaper, the technologies are generally on par nowadays.

50" Samsung Plasma TV is 69,999 baht and a nice TV, 46" LCD TV is available at around 64,999 baht.

I have the Australian Computer Magazine (APC) sent to me in Thailand every month and this months edition has a 7 page comparison on the both.

Bottom Line:-

Plasmas and LCD have similar viewing angles

Plasmas are better for sport

Plasmas suffer burn in

Plasmas don’t last as long

Plasmas have darker blacks

LCD has higher resolution

Etc. etc. etc. goto:- www.apcmag.com/hdtv for more results

Edited September 25, 200718 yr by bdenner

The technology changes daily, so there aren't really any statements that are all-encompassing. But currently, there are some things that are still valid (as of today):

Plasma is generally better in:

1. Brightness. Each pixel generates its own light, similar to being a tiny fluorescent lamp.

2. Color. Again, because each pixel generates its own light.

3. Contrast. Again, yadda, yadda, yadda.

4. Viewing angle (especially vertical). Yet again.

5. Refresh rate. Plasmas are like TVs, so action can be updated faster. It still depends on the internal processing.

LCD is better in:

1. Resolution. Plasma panels usually don't exceed roughly 1 megapixel, while higher end LCDs have 2 megapixels.

2. Preventing burn-in. But for modern plasmas it's not that big a deal, and most burn in is not permanent.

3. Production. There are far more LCDs sold than plasmas.

4. Size. Actually, for *smaller* size, not bigger. As in you can get a 32" LCD, but not a plasma.

I bought a "true" 1080 panel more than a year ago. Even back then, it cost less than a normal 40" Sony panel costs right now. Right now, it only costs around 40k. Of course, it's no Sony.