CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

A friend who is known as the 'hanging judge' locally <grin> called me to ask what TV she should get to replace her aging 7 year old Samsung plasma.

She does not have HD, which is a big reason why I told her that her set isn't as sharp as what she sees in the stores, but she will most likely get HD for the new set I'm guessing. Her teenage kids videogame a fair bit.

Frankly, I'm not up to speed as to which technology is better for gaming, etc.

Whatcha recommend for her? Don't steer me wrong, I might have to appear in front of her one day.. Very Happy

Heading to Costco shortly to check out the offerings there..

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

I'd be asking for a legal waiver before advising this friend.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Plasma's are more prone to burn in, especially during their first 200 hours of use. Many new model's have burn in protection by shifting the image or some other form. LCD's can get image retention but it is usually not permanent. That would be the only gaming issue problem that I can think of.

But I'll deny everything I just said in court........................... Laughing

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Oh, and also 120Mhz is a good option for gaming....

This message will destroy itself in 10 seconds.....................9.....................................8..................................7

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

52LG60. Lg's 52 inc LCD panel. I've seen it. It's smokin' ...... for a digital.

Full HD 1080p Resolution
• 15,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• TruMotion 120Hz
• 4x HDMI™ V.1.3 with Deep Color
• Intelligent Sensor
• 24p Real Cinema
• AV Mode (Cinema, Sports, Game)
• Clear Voice
• LG SimpLink™ Connectivity
• Invisible Speaker System
• USB 2.0 (JPEG, MP3)
• ISFccc

Full HD 1080p Resolution
Displays HDTV programs in full 1920 x 1080p resolution for a more detailed picture.

TruMotion 120Hz
Advance 120Hz panel provides clear, smooth images, even during fast action scenes creating a stable structure for a crisper picture.

Intelligent Sensor
Unlike other sensors which can only sense brightness of ambient light, LG’s “Intelligent Sensor” uses 4,096 sensing steps to evaluate its surroundings. Using a sophisticated algorithm, the LG processes picture quality elements including brightness, contrast, color, sharpness and white balance. The result is a picture optimized for it’s surroundings, more pleasing to watch and which can also save up to 50% in power consumption.

24p Real Cinema
Hi-def movies run at exactly 24 frames per second speed that they were originally filmed in, making your home-cinema experience one step closer to a “Real Cinema” experience.

Clear Voice Technology
Automatically enhances and amplifies the sound of the human voice frequency range to provide high-quality dialogue when background noise swells.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject:

No, Wan... The 120hz is about the panel refresh - not the source material.

In the US, sources are either 30hz, 60hz (video) or 24hz (film). 120hz is the only panel update refresh frequency that will work for both 24hz and 30/60hz sources without inducing judder and/or smearing motion. It's simple, really. It's similar to why we run 60hz and 72hz on CRT projectors. We'd have to run 120hz to accommodate both, but then we'd have bandwidth problems. 1080p @ 120hz = LOTS of bandwidth.

For most people, for a general-use "living room" display, I think LCD is the better choice. If it was for watching movies mostly, and primarily after dark or in a reasonably light-controlled environment, there are some awesome plasmas. But, LCD is better for most people, I think.

SC

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5321

I agree SC. For living room use an LCD makes more sense. Great for all around TV viewing pleasure. I am looking at a Sharp now.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

I understand its the refresh rate of the panel, but I've not had opportunity to test my 2.33 year old LCD against one operating at 120/480 Hz to see if its a benefit, or just marketing.

I thought about getting one of those Vizio 50" 1080P plasmas from Costco for $1199.99 to see if the image was better in terms of motion, but I'm finding this Xmas season rather distasteful regarding the economy, my 401k, etc.^(1/0) and so on.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

I have no doubt that some manufacturers' implementations of the 120hz refresh are more marketing gimmick than anything else, but done right with fast LCD panels, motion is noticeable, obviously better on the 120hz displays. Go to a store and watch some side-by-side. With the right program material, the difference is really obvious.

If you're just comparing to a display at home, you might not even notice the difference until you had them side-by-side, at which point, you won't even want the old TV anymore.

With how cheap the damn things have gotten, I'm seriously considering moving the 37" Olevia I got for my wife 2 years ago to our bedroom and getting a 42 or 46" to replace it for the living room. I'm going to get the Christmas bills paid, and then see what happens to prices in January and February. I'm in no rush.

SC

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:27 pm Post subject:

Looks like April/May/June might be a good time to shop for deals on LCD TV's according this article:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2008/tc20081219_818641.htm

I'm in no hurry, so that might work out perfectly for me - for once.

SC

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Brooklyn · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 494 Location: Morgan Hill, CA

I got a westinghouse 42" 1080p lcd. I like it a lot, the best part is there is no glare from a glossy screen like a plasma. The black levels however are not optimal. The newer lcd's improved on that a good amount though. It is not 120hz, however I often plays games on it and I have no complaints. So a 120hz screen isn't necessary I don't think.

drice1234 · Joined: 07 Oct 2006 Posts: 1309 Location: Allen, Texas

It probably will not be an issue for most in home use but I have recently installed sets of (2) 42" lcd's of 3 different manufacturers for CCTV installations. All have experienced burn in (or image retention as the lcd folks like to call it). I have tried the screen wiping programs and powering the units down for a period of time but it did not take care of the issue. A couple of them started having the problems after only 2 weeks. These units are on 24/7 with a static "frame" around the CCTV images and the image of the frame is what is burning in. Everything that I had read made me believe that lcd's would not have this problem and thought the customer was blowing smoke the first time that he called to complain. I now have (6) 42" lcd's in the shop with this problem. If anyone has suggestions on how to clear this up it would be most helpful.
Dan

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5321

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273