Video Asylum

Posted by AbeCollins (A) on October 04, 2009 at 00:06:52

In Reply to: RE: Thinking of getting a Plasma TV posted by Ross on October 03, 2009 at 13:19:26

Burn-in was probably more of an issue with early Plasmas and even then, there was way too much paranoia about it vs actual burn-in! I have a five year old 42-inch plasma with no burn-in effect even with some occasional game playing and 4:3 viewing.

If I were choosing a new Plasma today, I would give serious consideration to Panasonic at any price point and size. They seem to consistently get excellent reviews.

To my eyes Plasmas still look better to me than even the finest LCD screens. Plasmas just appear more 3 dimensional and there is NO issue with off axis viewing. Even the better LCDs still show a noticeable shift in the image color as you move a few degrees off center regardless of what the specs say. It's especially noticeable with an image that isn't moving like a talking head newscaster. Watch his skin tone as you move left and right from center. You'll see what I mean.

Speaking of "an image that isn't moving", the higher 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rates advertised on LCD screens is to minimize motion blur, something that you don't have to worry about with Plasmas.

While it's certainly true that LCD sales have surpassed Plasma, it is my belief that LCD picture quality has not... but it's getting better. If I were in the market for a new flat screen, I'd buy a midrange or higher end plasma, use it for a few years or more - and by the time your ready for a new set, LCD may also be ready for prime time. ;-)