LCD TV... which to get?

[RyougaZell]

So finally I am buying an LCD Tv next week. I'll be going to McAllen with my brother-in-law to get myself one. Dunno what came over me... I've planned to buy one for over a year now... but I didn't want to buy it alongside other expensive things. Well, as Murphy's Law would state, that things don't go as planned, I ended buying a PS3 and a new computer last month (my computer's mother board finally kicked the bucket after 8 years of service) and now I am getting the TV... since I do need a 'monitor' for my new computer... (lcd monitor costed 500dlls? I prefer a TV... and since new cpu has hdmi...)

So... after that wall of text... what can you gotwooters recommend me?

For some time I thought of buying a Sharp Aquos, since it comes with a decodifier to open the Cablevision Tv Signal (a local cable provider), but I have heard they have started to block that...

What brands do you recommend? I am going for a 32" one.

Oh, and most importantly... taking into account I now own (or rather... in 1 week when it arrives...) a PS3 and a Computer with HDMI, 4gb of ram and Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 Video Card... what should I get? 720p? 1080p?

Thanks in advance guys.

[Buffalobiian]

That means onboard video right? Sure that'll be powerful enough? I can't help you with the LCD part, since I have zero experience.

[darkshadow]

The video doesn't really matter at all, i'm baffled you don't mention your cpu type at all

[Marik]

As far as brands go Samsung, Sony, and Sharp are the top 3. Since you're gonna be gaming on a LCD, response time is gonna be key. Fast response time = less lag and ghosting. Sony and Samsung don't make a 1080p as small as 32 inches, Sharp is pretty much your only choice. So I, recommend this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010WJCYW/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

True 1080p, 6ms response time, 3 HDMI inputs, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, & built in HD tuner.

[Animeniax]

Have you considered getting a projector instead?

[RyougaZell]

darkshadow:
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)

Marik:
Actually... I saw this samsung one...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8742186&type=product&id=1202648738906

Ani:
Noup

[Marik]

Ah, I see Samsung has been working on their series 5's. I'm so used to series 6 and 7. That TV is better than the Sharp and it's only $850 on newegg with no tax and free ship. So you'll save $150 over best buy.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889102221&Tpk=LN32A550

[RyougaZell]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I can't order online since I don't like on the states.

Im actually going to pay importation (sp?) for the TV as well. Paying them, plus travels costs, the TV still ends up cheaper than to buy it here in Monterrey.

[Assertn]

www.woot.com

Got about 5 hours left though.

[Foomanchew24]

Sony and Samsung make the best, samsung sells sony its lcd screens so only difference is the actual guts of the tv. I have a samsung but I paid for it. Vizio is a good cheap brand has a nice picture. Be aware for glare as well. Alot of samsung have glare if your in bright rooms, sony is the opposite.(look to see if screen is matte or has a gloss finish) Overall it all depends on how much you want to spend. As far as 720 or 1080 it only matters if you go over 50 inches as you won't be able to tell the difference otherwise. If you are getting less than 50 inch tv 720 is fine, over 50 in and 1080 is recommended. This only matters if the media you are watching is 1080 though.

[Marik]

Because of this thread, I ended up buying the 37 inch version of that Samsung series 5.

[Buffalobiian]

The video doesn't really matter at all, i'm baffled you don't mention your cpu type at all

Why not? Ryou's doing some gaming right? It should help out Vista's Aero interface as well?

I might be wrong about this one, but I've never seen on-board vid with DVI output.

[Ryllharu]

Never buy a TV or flatscreen monitor without going to a store and looking at it. Even if you buy one online, you have to go to a place where you can see how it displays. Some of the ones I've looked at have great reviews, but when I go to a store, they look washed out, or the color auto-adjustment gets so out of wack that it ends up looking like shit.

Flatscreens are personal preference. Buying one without looking at it in real life can be a huge mistake. Most magazines, websites, and other publications will tell you the same thing.

[RyougaZell]

Change of plans... -_-

My VISA expired two months ago and I didn't know... I can't enter the states for now... damn it -___-

Will have to re-new it before thinking of getting the TV... crap...

[itadakimasu]

lol : (

that sucks.

i was going to put my 2 cents in that 32 inch is pretty small. (for a TV) I would suggest minimum 42-50.

I know its not lcd but I got my dad a 50'' samsung slim-DLP for fathersday, gift inspired by how tiny his poor 32'' lcd looked compared to my 50'' and the in-laws 46'' samsung (wall mounted)

[David75]

I know its not lcd but I got my dad a 50'' samsung slim-DLP for fathersday, gift inspired by how tiny his poor 32'' lcd looked compared to my 50'' and the in-laws 46'' samsung (wall mounted)

32" is already a bit huge for a monitor. but then there's the cinema display by apple... but then the resolution/pitch is much better.

Regarding slim-dlp I still have mixed feelings about that. It never impressed me that much.

If you want a 50" display and have bucks, a Pioneer (or their elite brand I think) is a nice way. I've always been impressed by their products.

Back to topic:
I'd go with a 24" monitor with multiple inputs capable of 1:1 scale. The later is important for a PS3.
Then buy a good tuner capable of HD and a nice sound system with multiple input.

Why go 24"?
Well you probably have a small room since you want the screen to be both a TV and a monitor.
Since 32" with 1920*1080 isn't a nice monitor, you have to go down in size.
Hope you don't mind it.
The external tuner and sound system will create a simple TV sound+remote.

So you can use the monitor and sound for the PC, the same for TV.

Maybe you can try 26", but be sure you won't be annoyed by the somewhat large pixels even @ full rez

[itadakimasu]

the 2 major cons of DLP are :

1) can't wall mount it.

2) can suffer alot of glare if you put it in sunny room.


I have a 50'' sony dlp that i got on craigslist for $550, picture is great and we don't have the glare problem in our apartment. My dads though, is in a bright room and at certain angles there is glare.

[RyougaZell]

Nah, my room isn't small. The thing is I bought a CPU without monitor :D

and above 32" is pass my funds... specially since I still have to import it to Mexico

I'll be presenting my request for the visa renewal tonight... hopefully it won't take long...

[itadakimasu]

hehe... visa renewal : "reason for visit? " "i need to goto bestbuy!"
j/k. all in good fun, we're going through the motions w\ my wife right now.. she just got her work permit a week or 2 ago and got her SS (for work only) on friday.

if 32, i would say go w\ a samsung, i like the sleek piano black design.

[darkshadow]

I only go for LG screens myself, and i've recently replaced my 19" LG crt with a 22" LG flatpanel, only because its a monitor/tv hybrid, I would never just buy a LCD monitor,
Anyway my second choice always goes out to Samsung.
So with that videocard en processor ( laptop? ) i would go for a 720p tv, even though the cpu is strong enough to play 1080p content, it will seriously stuggle playing pc video games.
And with that size, the difference between 720p and 1080p is not much at all.

[RyougaZell]

Its a desktop. The Dell Studio to be precise. And I really do not plan on getting pc games, since I sometimes find myself with to many games between the consoles. But good suggestions anyway, thanks.

[RyougaZell]

I just bought a Philips 42" LCD FHD with 4 HDMI :cool:

Its my new monitor, and I've already connected the Wii and PS3 to it :cool:

[Buffalobiian]

I just bought a Philips 42" LCD FHD with 4 HDMI :cool:

Its my new monitor, and I've already connected the Wii and PS3 to it :cool:

Nice. How's the colour and response time working for you?

PS: Out of curiosity, what's its power rating?

[Marik]

Is it one of the new Philips with the 2ms response time?

[RyougaZell]

I'll just post the link to the one I bought that is selling at amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-42PFL5603D-27-42-Inch-1080p/dp/B00140P90G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224517086&sr=8-1

I got it for 13,000 pesos... which in Mexico is very cheap. Usually it goes for 20,000... but I had a discount coupon for 7,000 lol...


Color looks great. Response time is 5ms. Its working good for me though. Maybe cause its my first HDTV...

I would need to check the power rating though Buff

[Marik]

Nice, congrats on your purchase. Are you using HDMI with the PS3?

[RyougaZell]

Indeed. I just played for 10 minutes yesterday (it was already late) and it looked great. Will definitely play longer today... after seeing Gundam 00 S2 that is...

[Marik]

This is what I found for power on that model.

Power

Power Device: Power supply - internal
Voltage Required: AC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz )
Power Consumption Stand by / Sleep: 1 Watt
Power Consumption Operational: 240 Watt

Dimensions & weight details

Dimensions & Weight Details: Panel without stand - 41.3 in x 3.5 in x 25.4 in x 49.4 lbs
Dimensions & weight (shipping)

Width (Shipping): 45.3 in
Depth (Shipping): 13.1 in
Height (Shipping): 31.2 in

[The Heretic Azazel]

I just purchased a 42" Samsung plasma for $850. Had I waited until the holidays I probably would have gotten it cheaper than that, but I'm pleased with it. Since I don't game much I figured the 720p model would be just as good.

[Buffalobiian]

Looking good there Ryouga. Yeah, I was just asking about the power out of curiosity, since I've heard that LCDs use a monstrous amount of power. Doesn't look that bad though. Having a PC on full ball would chew around that much.

[Sandldan]

I'll just post the link to the one I bought that is selling at amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-42PFL5603D-27-42-Inch-1080p/dp/B00140P90G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224517086&sr=8-1

I got it for 13,000 pesos... which in Mexico is very cheap. Usually it goes for 20,000... but I had a discount coupon for 7,000 lol...


Color looks great. Response time is 5ms. Its working good for me though. Maybe cause its my first HDTV...

I would need to check the power rating though Buff

Hey that's the Tv i have been keeping an eye on, and will most likely buy it today. Will get it for around 700€ which is very cheap for a 42" Full HD tv here.

[David75]

I've read somewhere that prices should drop again next year due to mass production techniques that are well mastered now... and hard competition.
It's quite hard to imagine, but 5 years ago any 40"+ screen was the price of an arm and leg...
Also, I like the ZX1 by sony, but can't trust them when it comes to real life performances... also the price is a huge drawback.

We'll see at the begining of next year, I need a good fullHD mpeg4 tuner 42" screen, a media box with tuner and recording function, a new screen for my puter cause 17" with no HDCP is too old now... (a shame there's no high DPI screens...) and the xonar HDAV 1.3 is hot (with it's 8 RCAs...) but I guess I should wait for more competition there...

[DB_Hunter]

Guys I'm also looking to get a HD TV. I've had a look at the LCD vs Plasma debate, and I have to say the image burn issue of the plasma is quite off putting so I'm looking to get an LCD model. Alongside this I'm looking to get an XBox 360 or PS3 (yes I know I'm late but whatever)

Now I've read that LCD's have trouble showing deep blacks and blur when showing fast moving images, as the case could be in gaming. I've had a look around the models and I like what I see in the following

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001ET6R0I/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

It's specs are as follows:

Description/Details: TFT/LCD Television / Diagonal Screen Size (cm): 102 cm / Diagonal Screen Size (inches): 40 inch / Screen Ratio: 16:9 / Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 Pixels / Contrast Ratio (dynamic): 2,000,000:1 / Reaction Time: 4 ms / Viewing Angle: 178/178 ° / Brightness: 500 cd/m² / HD-Ready / Full HD / 24p-capable / 100Hz Mode / LED Backlight / Digital Tuner: DVB-T / Total Output Power: 2 x 10 Watt / Power Consumption (in use): 240 Watt / Power Consumption (standby): 1.0 Watt / Dimensions without Stand (WxHxD): 1040 x 638 x 85 mm / Dimensions with Stand (WxHxD): 1040 x 686 x 272 mm / Weight without Stand: 16.3 kg / Weight with Stand: 19.4 kg

I intend to wall mount this so forget the stand issue. My questions are, is this a good model for gaming? Is it known to do good blacks? Are there any alternatives?

[David75]

I've got a plasma bought in 2004 and no burn problem... I'm thinking of changint it since it doesn't have DVB-T and isn't 1920*1024 obviously (no HDMI, nor a DVI).
It costed me a leg then... but these were expensive.

For less than half of what I paid then, I can have a Full HD plasma of quite good quality from Panasonic, and with a bigger image too.

Also, I can't stand how cold and not lively a LCD image is, even for high-end ones.
I'm a pioneer lover, but my bank account doesn't agree...

[Animeniax]

I'm also looking at getting a plasma or an LCD around Christmas. I'm tending towards the plasma because of the contrast ratio which better differentiates between the darkest darks and lightest lights. With the low response times you usually don't have to worry about image blur. I've also read that with anything less than a 50" you don't need to worry about 1080p and going with 720p is fine (did I read that in this thread, I can't remember).

For Samsung LCD and plasma TVs I've read great things, except the audio quality is weak. If you run it through an external audio system then it wouldn't matter. I don't know about that particular model though. I'm probably going to buy a Samsung.

Here's a good review of the Samsung in your link:
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/samsung-le40a786-review-20080922131.htm Read the part about input lag with PC use being high.
Cons: Unusually high level of input lag may be an issue for gamers.

[David75]

Samsung is reputed in Europe for their slow RMAs...
Is their % of defects higher, I don't know though.
Had 2 RMAs in 5 years, 1 JVC (they don't do flat screens anymore) and Samsung.
JVC was 2 weeks,
Samsung over 3 months.

[DB_Hunter]

Hmm interesting. Obviously I would want to use this for gaming, but not to connect it to my PC. I intend to hook it up to a surround sound system as well, so that would solve the audio niggles.

I'm leaning towards this model because it features the backlit LED technology which helps give the deeper blacks. However the gaming issue is of significant concern.

Is it only Samsung so far that has LED backlit technology?

[David75]

Hmm interesting. Obviously I would want to use this for gaming, but not to connect it to my PC. I intend to hook it up to a surround sound system as well, so that would solve the audio niggles.

I'm leaning towards this model because it features the backlit LED technology which helps give the deeper blacks. However the gaming issue is of significant concern.

Is it only Samsung so far that has LED backlit technology?

The ZX1 by sony has LED backlight too, but way too expensive.
I guess that we have to wait for a while before the technology gets more mature before spending too much $$$ in it... unless price isn't a problem.

[darkshadow]

Lol asking if a LCD is good for black levels is like asking if a fiat punto would be useful on a racetrack ;P.
It doesn't matter what the specs are, plasma will always have much better colors then an LCD.
Also that contrast ratio of 2million to :1 is a super dynamic ratio. Dynamic pretty much means the darkest and lightest color it is able to show... over time, not at the same time.
with its specs, i guess it should perform fine for gaming.

[DB_Hunter]

That's what I thought, it seems to have a pretty good response time of 4ms. Yet the review to which Animeniax provided a link for says its pretty poor for gaming, which is kind of confusing.

darkshadow I would get a Plasma but they seem to give off more heat and have suspected image burn issues. Are these still common or something that existed only in the earlier days?

[Animeniax]

I'm not darkshadow but from everything I've read image burn hasn't been mentioned once in reviews of any of the newer model plasma or LCD tvs, even the sub-$1000US versions.

The response time of that Samsung is low at 4ms, but they stated the input lag occurred with PC inputs. Since a console is basically a PC, I'd imagine it would have the same problem, unless you connect through a HDMI or maybe a DVI cable. Maybe the issue only occurs with 15-pin VGA connections?

[DB_Hunter]

I am going to hook everything up with HDMI cables, but it would be risky to go on the assumption they didn't use the best cables possible when performing their tests.

So LCD's have issues of deep blacks and response times. What are Plasma's issues if image burn no longer exists?

Edit: Check out the table at the bottom of this (http://direct.tesco.com/buyersguide/lcd%20versus%20plasma%20tv.aspx) page.

[Xelbair]

Well - in most plasmas you can see pixel grid. its not problem if you put your TV far away from you - but if you put 37' TV 2.5-3 meters from you its awful. Thank God that I have got normal 37' Hitachi LCD, works great with PS3 and PC, also it got build in digital tuner and slot for expansion card(decoder or disc - or both at once)
VGA connection is bad idea - they are slower on more recent cards(they need extra processing to change signal to analog) and maximum resolution on tv using such connection is 720p - while HDMI might use some tuning with scaling(a bit wrong interpretation of coordinates) but its worth it for 1080p(it depends on TV, at 720 TV if you set up 720 output it might go out of border of TV but at 1080 it will be smaller than TV. it only happens with PC, not with consoles.).
Well I don't know if there are any Wii or Xbox360 problems with scaling but in ps3 there are none.
Also I think that 3 HDMI are enough, pity that I got only 2, another one would be awesome for HDTV satellite decoder, but component(not cat!) is fine too.

[EDIT]
If you not need new TV now just want to buy one for showing off - better save money and wait for OLED ones. They will be flatter, have better response time, better black and less power usage, but they will last only for 5-6 years, still that is long enough.

[darkshadow]

Dude what? an analog connection has more bandwidth dan a digital one and thus a vga connection can easily exceed 1080p, pffft I was running my old monitor at 2048x.
And the 360 is pretty much the best scaler out of the 3 consoles ( ps3 is a terrible scaler, no really) since it has a build in scaler chip, that will scale to pretty much any resolution.

Plus being a computer connection, VGA doesn't suffer the same limitations as component when it comes to upscaling dvd's ( component will go till 1080i, VGA till p), which is what the 360 is pretty damn excellent at btw.


And DB_Hunter, afaik, burn-in has become far less of a problem nowadays BUT it still exists.
some info i got about it:

How Many Plasma Users Experience Burn-In?
In fact, not many. Recent technologies make modern plasma displays much more resistant to permanent image retention. A research sponsored by Pioneer Electronics demonstrates that leaving a static image for 48 hours did cause a clearly visible image retention on all three of their test plasmas, but running a movie loop for 24 hours removed all signs of the after-image.

However, it is still possible to burn a plasma if it is used to display static images, such as black side bars, for extended periods of time without varying viewing material. Channel or computer game logos are also likely lo leave an after-image.



While your plasma is new:

Reduce contrast
Avoid content that does not fill entire screen (leaves black bars) for the first 1000 hours
Switch channels from time to time
If seeing any signs of image retention, run a screen saver on your plasma

Most damage is done to the brand-new plasmas by inexperienced users. Plasmas are most susceptible to burn-in during the first 100 hours, and much more burn-in resistant after 1000 hours of use.

Besides the burn in stuff, Plasma's are pretty excellent IMO, nice colors, nice viewing angles, though generally higher response times.

[Buffalobiian]

I'm not considering a TV, but this thread's been really interesting. One thing I would definitely consider if I'm buying one is power efficiency and consumption. From what I've read, small LCD are power savers. All your large screens, be it plasma or LCD, are very power hungry.

Any opinion on this?

[Animeniax]

If you're not using the large screen for the PC and you don't tend to run the TV all the time, then power shouldn't be a big issue. Maybe save electricity elsewhere, like cutting the lights in rooms you're not in, or turning down the AC to 75F.

If it's just for your room or dorm room then a 24" LCD would be great. For a living room or a one room setup like you'd find in Japanese apartments, then I'd go for at least a 32" or a projector.

[Xelbair]

Erm, you don't know diffirence between DVI and VGA?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface
HDMI is a DVI with sound pins.
VGA may have more bandwidth but modern cards need to use extra procesing power to convert digital signal to analog.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vga

[darkshadow]

You are trying to teach me something? lol. I'm not even going to waste my time debating with you.

[DB_Hunter]

On a seperate note I went in to an electronics shop today and was comparing all the sets, and to my the two best ones looked like Samsung and Sony. I was expecting Samsung to be good but Sony was a surprise, as I had heard it had lost market share due to poor televisions.

I am probs going to buy after Xmas anyway, when the prices come down. Will see still what I get in terms of the plasma vs lcd debate. Am looking to get a PS3 though (not only for games but for the blue ray capability) and also a surround sound system.

[David75]

On a seperate note I went in to an electronics shop today and was comparing all the sets, and to my the two best ones looked like Samsung and Sony. I was expecting Samsung to be good but Sony was a surprise, as I had heard it had lost market share due to poor televisions.

I am probs going to buy after Xmas anyway, when the prices come down. Will see still what I get in terms of the plasma vs lcd debate. Am looking to get a PS3 though (not only for games but for the blue ray capability) and also a surround sound system.

I hate shops were you have TV walls, more than often they cheat the settings in order to try and lure people towards the ones they want to sell the most...

[Animeniax]

I hate shops were you have TV walls, more than often they cheat the settings in order to try and lure people towards the ones they want to sell the most...
I've heard of this practice too. They'll purposefully mess up the settings on certain TVs so they look like crap, and fine-tune the models they want to sell so the image is crystal clear under certain conditions. They'll also play a clip with properties that best suit a particular model that otherwise performs poorly in 95% of applications.

[DB_Hunter]

Well I don't know about that, but it there were only two clips being played on about 30-35 sets. It is a possibility that happened, but then how do you judge? You can't trusts stats either because they could be fudged by the manufacturer.

Best way I htink is to go to shops to see the sets. If you are worried about some tricks being played, go to multiple shops to see the sets.

[Buffalobiian]

How can you tell? User reviews on the net are good. Tech reviews too, if you can find a good site that knows their stuff.

[DB_Hunter]

Do you have any suggestions?

[Animeniax]

How can you tell? User reviews on the net are good. Tech reviews too, if you can find a good site that knows their stuff.
Sometimes, but a lot of buying a TV is personal preference, so you have to see for yourself to judge best what you like. If the shop is playing tricks with the looping video, then it's harder to decide, but if you do like DB_Hunter says and go to multiple shops you might get a better idea, if they carry the same models.

[Buffalobiian]

Do you have any suggestions?

My favourite one would be http://www.televisioninfo.com/

Other hardware review sites look into HDTVs too, like http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/, but those don't generally go too deep in the technical analysis.

I'd suggest the first one hands down though. Other guys might know of some good ones.

As Ani(and others) have said, do a combination of both net and real-time inspecting to really check the product out.

[DB_Hunter]

Went to the store again today (same chain, but my local branch) and had a good chat with one of the guys there. For the size range I was talking about, which is about 40", it seems to be coming down to two sets - a Samsung LE40A756 (40") LCD or a Panasonic TH42PZ81B (42") Plasma. Apparantly Panasonic and Pioneer are the best in the Plasma business and though they both give the same quality Pioneer just costs about 50% more because of the brand name. Samsung lead the way in LCD.

Now the store guy was saying that he personally would recommend the Samsung (as he just bought it himself a couple of weeks ago) because it has richer colours than the Panasonic. Now that's a surprise to me considering the Samsung is an LCD, but the colour colours did look very good on it.

At any rate I'm going to wait for the sales after Christmas to buy. In the meanwhile I know have to get to grips with the XBox 360 Vs PS3 debate (I'm leaning towards PS3 for blue ray but XBox seems to have much better variety of games).

[Animeniax]

I'm also thinking about the X360 vs PS3 deal, for the same reasons. I already have a bunch of X360 games since my buddy lent me his spare X360, but it's not like I'll ever replay these games. However more games will continue to be available for the X360 than the PS3.

I'm thinking I'll go Plasma for the higher contrast ratio, but if i decide on anything smaller than 40", I'll go with the LCD. I might just opt for a projector, but I hate having to avoid the projection when walking around the room, and I don't plan on mounting it on the ceiling.

[RyougaZell]

My Tv...err... Monitor

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/RyougaZell/DSC00503.jpg

[David75]

I wonder what led backlight screen will do in the future...

My hope would be for a panel composed of led RGB dots of a tiny size...
That'd be great for contrast and speed, because a led handles fast changes very well... Alas you'd need a very quick electronic behind too...

Well Ryou, can you tell us a bit more about that screen and what you think of it now? so that we can compare one month from now when you're acustomed to it?

[RyougaZell]

Don't use Automatic Scale if you plan to use it as a Monitor or for gaming.
Ever.

At first I thought my video card was at fault, since when I had full screen videos it would expand the image vertically at random.

After investigating with no luck, upgrading drivers, the tv's firmware and more I was ready to give up.

When by pure luck I tried the unscaled view and the problem didn't present itself. I then tried Widescreen and the problem didn't appear either.

Automatic scale messes up on this tv.

Apart from that... response time on games and the computer has been excellent.

I've seen tv just 3 times since I bought it.

BTW... you can see my internet modem, computer, wii and ps3 besides the Tv. I get laughed because of the size of the cpu against the monitor XD

[Buffalobiian]

BTW... you can see my internet modem, computer, wii and ps3 besides the Tv. I get laughed because of the size of the cpu against the monitor XD

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/366/dsc00503tf7.jpg

That little thing's your computer:eek: :confused:

First time I've seen something like that..the size looks like it should be an external HDD enclosure...

Meh, awesome that you've found a TV you're happy with Zell.

[Marik]

Looks like a router to me.

[RyougaZell]

Dell Studio Hybrid
http://www1.la.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studio-hybrid?c=mx&cs=mxdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

http://i.dell.com/resize.aspx/desktop_studio_hybrid_295/295

[DB_Hunter]

OK I'm really confused now.

Up till now my understanding had been that Plasma's are better for gaming because they have faster response times and they generally show better blacks and colours. Now I've been to a couple of shops and they are saying for gaming LCD's are preferred over Plasma's... what gives?

Also, with regards to TV models, which one's would you guys reccomend out of the following:

Panasonic TH-42PZ81B (42" Plasma)

Sony KDL 40W4500 (40" LCD)

LG 42LG6100 (42" LCD)

Samsung LE40A756 (40" LCD)

Seems to be a battle between the Sony and the Panasonic, with the Sony delivering sharper pictures but the Panasonic hits back with better colouring.

[David75]

I'd go for Pana as Sony has a history of trying to steal from their customers by overpricing products that are far below the average, without clearly stating it of course.
They have and have had good products, but the risk is too high with them.

Same goes for samsung, having calibrated and specific screens for reviews, and then swapping panels as they wish with the exact same product code... of course, the swap is never for better quality, strange isn't it?
RMAs tend to be slow and painful process too...

Why do sellers advise for LCD's for gaming?
Well, plasmas burn-in still have problems with still images, although lighter... but I guess gaming could be very intensive.

As always in that dumb tech world, you have to make a compromise...

[DB_Hunter]

I had previously dismissed Sony even from being considered as I heard they were not too hot in the HD TV arena, but then again the KDL 40W4000 (predecessor to the model I mentioned above) received lots of awards apparantly.

The plus on Sony's side is also that if I buy a Sony surround sound 5.1 system I can integrate it with the TV remote. I could do the same for the Panasonic if I bought that but I havn't been able to locate a 5.1 Panasonic system.