Video Asylum

Posted by The Real Dick Hertz (A) on December 17, 2009 at 17:19:00

In Reply to: RE: 42" 1080p or 50" 720p? That is the question. posted by RFitzgerald on December 17, 2009 at 09:18:09

Actually, I think you have it backward. The choice should be between a 42" 720p and a 50" 1080p. That's where you should be able to see a difference. Frankly, I doubt you could tell much between a 42" 720p or 1080p. But you should be able to see a difference with the larger display, provided you have an appropriate source. Can you audition the displays you're considering side-by-side?.

Basically, an LCD set is better in brighter rooms than a plasma. There's less energy consumption with an LCD. They also run cooler. However, they have a narrower viewing angle than plasmas. The older sets suffered from motion artifacts which have been pretty much eliminated with the new 240Hz displays. My personal preference is still for plasmas. The picture looks more natural to me. And, they're cheaper size-for-size than LCDs. I have a 42" and a 46" Panasonic and I really like them. The picture is comparable to my old Sony 36" hi-def CRT that I had professionally calibrated.