LED TV's?
 

Does anybody here have any experience w/ LED TV's? Likes, Dislikes, how they run w/ blu-ray and video games? I'm thinking about getting one but I'm just not sure about it yet.

Read this:

LED TVs compared: Local dimming, edge-lit, and full array

http://reviews.cnet.com/2795-6482_7-399.html

CN: Get Full-array with local dimming or don't bother.

I am a Plasma fan myself.

I think the key point here is that they are still LCD TVS and the response time of the LCD is going to determine how good it is for any sort of fast action be it from Blu-Ray, Game system or PC attached.

The type of lighting described above has no impact on responsiveness to image changes, only lighting/brightness and contrast.

Most budget LCDs are going to be edge lit without dimming CCFL or LED and will look pretty damn good on <40" sets. Many >40" sets will also look good edge lit with CCFL or LED.

You are probably going to pay a whole lot more for a Full array or edge lit with local dimming. Only your eye can tell if it is worth it.

I don't think response time has any importance apart from gaming right? Regardless, most modern TV's have no issue with response time. I usually see either 2ms or 5ms on modern TN panels.

Anything moving fast from any source. Even DVDs can generate lag and the 2-4ms numbers they are now purporting may not be accurate. And if you are used to watching a Plasma and good old CRT that do not have this issue, it can be quite obvious and annoying.

You won't notice it watching most broadcast drama or comedies, but it can be very obvious on sports, action movies and gaming.

http://www.practical-home-theater-gu...onse-time.html

Oh that was really helpful cody, thanks. Yea I love my plasma. I just want a tv for my bedroom. I guess I'll just have to see what my price range is and then go check out the tv's and see what looks best for the price.

Aw okay. I didn't realize it was related to the blur effect inherent in most LCD TV's. I get it now. I found this article informitive on the subject: http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdt...onsetime.shtml

No problem. If you can wait, the week or two before the Superbowl is when TV prices are at their best. I'll post here if I see any awesome deals.

Well there's a 42" Panasonic plasma at costco for $449 that I'm looking at.. Just the smaller version of the TV in my living room. I'm going to check best buy then I'll see. If I can find a good price and a good tv I might just pick up some new speakers since my Boston Acoustics are a little outdated..

Lol any speaker advice?!

$449 for a 42" 1080p LCD is a pretty good deal, but 720p plasmas can be had for under $400.

Nobody wants a 720 plasma.

No kidding... even my wife's great grandmother is rocking a 42" 1080p LCD.

So after going an looking at tv's today. I might just get a 1080p LCD w/ 120Hz. I'm just trying to find one with the wifi integration in it. I guess it just depends on how much money I want to end up spending..

Seriously? :lol:

Our only tv is the 27" CRT I had in college. With an antenna.

Why do you want WiFi? It adds significantly to the price of a set with minimal functionality. Plug an old PC in if you want real web functionality.

I watch streamed, captured and Downloaded content on my lowly 50" 720p projection 3 X LCD from the attached P4 3.6Ghz PC all the time and it rocks. You need more HP to watch 1080p, but you get the idea.

And don't let the 1080p hype fool you, unless you are watching blu-ray, you are not watching 1080p.

ABC, ESPN, FOX, Speed and other sports networks are almost all 720p, while the other majors are 1080i. 720p upconverts OK to 1080 and 1080i downconverts to 720 OK, but they both look better on a native resolution display. If you are a sports guy a cheap 720p plasma may actually be a great option.

The wifi sounded intriguing at the time when I saw it. But, I just realized i only wanted it for the netflix streaming to the tv, which I have on my xbox anyway. As far as 1080p, I was planning on watching Blu-Ray, and Playing GT5 on the new TV. I'm not really into sports either. Just motorsports, and winter sports. I'm going to go down to costco today, since they seemed to have the best prices that I've seen so far. I'll update if I come home w/ anything.

Check Walmart too... They have some killer prices on lower end models.

Ok i'll stop by on my way into town.

Your PS3 is wireless and you can stream netflix. I have the sony bravia and it has all sorts of stupid little apps but I never use them.

WalMart frequently buys B (or lower) panel grades. I'd stick to Costco, or go to BestBuy and make them price match Amazon.com. They'll be unhappy about it, but they'll usually do it because Amazon is genuine retailer who warranties and buys A-grade panels, unlike all the other discount websites out there.

I didnt know bestbuy price matched.. Which is good for me now because I saw some at bestbuy last night, but they were ungodly expensive.

What are you saying? A Samsung Model XXXX at Walmart is not the same as a Samsung model XXXX at Costco or Best Buy, or that some of the brands Walmart carries use lower quality panels?

I might agree with the later in general, but there are some "name brands" that use crap as well as some real bargains that use good components.

Every brand name produces panels that don't meet the standard- those go at a cut price to the non-name discount sellers. Amazon, Best Buy, and most B&M chains don't buy anything but A-grade panels.

This is according t what the guy at BestBuy told me when we were buying two HD TVs and a PS3 a couple years ag. He price matched Amazon specifically because they are a full service retailer who doesn't sell lower grade panels. WalMart on the other hand, does, because 99% of WalMart customers won't know the difference anyway.

Kevin is correct.. I sold home theater for best buy in a previous lifetime.
The models will have different part numbers from the lower grade panel at costco to the higher grade at say best buy. You will also find out they have cut corners with inputs as well to keep costs Lower for say.. Wallmart.
Also.. Dynex.. Insignia.. Vizio.. Etc are actually made by one of there more expensive counterparts like lg and others

My small input based on owning a 42" 720p plasma and a 37" 1080p LCD. The plasma looks better with just about every source I've tried. Upconverted DVD, Charter HD channels, and video games all look better on the 720p plasma. I don't have Bluray though, that might look better on the 1080p.

I agree that there are grade A & B panels based on defective pixels(dead or frozen) and/or clouding or Mura, but a Samsung model 1234 at Walmart has the same panel that meets the same standards as a Samsung model 1234 at Best Buy, don't let anybody tell you anything else.

Depending on the manufacturer, even the grade A panels may have dead or frozen pixels, usually dead especially on 1080p displays.

If you really want to know, research a company's replacement policy on dead or frozen pixels. That will tell you what they are setting for a standard.

Most people cannot see a few dead pixels depending on location and only detect frozen ones against a black backgrounds.

Aaron is right about the other corner sutting on the cheaper sets. Non universal remotes and fewer inputs are common ways to cut costs even if the panel is the same. You can probably save $20-50 bucks easily as a manufacturer by using a cheaper 1 function remote and limiting your number and location of inputs.

All I am saying is look at the display you are buying. Grab the remote and fix the picture settings that the stores often F with on the cheaper sets to try and upsell you. There are some damn nice sets at Walmart, Costco, RC Wiley, etc. at well below Best Buy prices often on the identical sets.

Amazon is a great place to grab a TV since they have the best customer service, price matching, return policies ever. But you have to wait for a good deal to pop up. You can use www.camelcamelcamel.com for this, or make deal alerts on www.slickdeals.net or similar. Amazon doesn't charge tax or shipping (usually) and they often ship from Fernley so you get your order fast.

99% of the time, 99% of people aren't utilizing 1080P vs 720P. Unless you'll be using it as a computer monitor on a regular basis (not a good idea with plasmas due to potential burn-in) or sitting way too close while watching Blu-Ray, a decent 720P plasma will give almost everyone a MUCH better ROI.

Check this out:

http://satellitetvguru.net/wp-conten...ion_chart2.jpg


http://satellitetvguru.net/720p-vs-1080p/

I went to BB before my Samsung 50" 1080P plasma arrived from Dell. They had my TV right next to the 720P version and with 1080P content from like 8 feet away, you could only tell the difference with large font. The large font had barely noticeable jagged edges on the 720P set.

Honestly I'd rate a TV solely by trustworthy reviews of the exact model (articles on C-Net, Consumer Reports, AVS Forum, etc.) armed with the knowledge to determine what's important for your particular usage. The specs listed are often completely misleading so competent reviews become quite important.

And the newest features (120/240hz, LED backlighting, internet capable) are almost never worth the cost they add. A name brand solid 60hz 1080P 42" LCD should be between $425 and $500. A name brand solid 720P Plasma should be a touch less, or at least easier to find a deal on.

Good point. For example, Samsung makes a 40" 1080P 60hz LCD TV that is sometimes available for as low as $500 (Newegg on BF) because it only has one HDMI input. It would be perfect for somebody who plans to use a receiver with multiple HDMI inputs though.

Also be sure that the set you grab has the apropriate coating on the panel. Most plasmas and some LCD's are glossy and show reflections from, say, nearby windows. But these panels tend to have a better contrast ratio and look sharper so it's a give and take. There are tons of considerations which is why you need to be armed with a little knowledge and the ability to check professional reviews.

Walmart has great return policies too. Newegg has quite bad ones, believe it or not. You have to have 6 dead pixels to warrant a free replacement IIRC. Otherwise you pay return shipping and a 15% restocking fee. WTF.

I think the biggest thing is to not over think the decision. Its easy to see which tv is better if they are sitting next to each other. Once you get a TV in your home it will look great since there is nothing to directly compare it to. Also, who is to say that the TV's at the store are hooked up correctly? What Cody said about screen size and viewing distance is really the most important thing IMO. However, its almost 2011 and I don't think I would get anything 720p or plasma at this point. I do use mine as a computer screen though. So again, its all based on your needs and since this thread is about your stupid need to get a second TV for your bedroom that is 5 feet away from your living room, I really don't care what you do. :p

My 2 cents.. I have a 42 panasonic 600hz 1080p tv.. I paid 700 or so for a year ago.. To get close to the same picture out of an LCD I would have been looking at 120hz samsung panels and would have spent 400-500 more.. LCD took a step in the right direction with led backlighting because they can disable back lighting over black images to create a closer to true black look.. If you look at the tv wall at any store wait for a dark image.. You can pick out the plasma tv's from a distance because black is actually black instead of gray. The only time I would buy an LCD over a plasma is in a screen smaller than 42" or in a room wear glare off a glass panel would be to difficult to manage..

I'm no expert but I sold them for a couple years..
I also did not buy the warranty on the plasma.. But If I had gotten an LCD I would have.. The majority of our service issues were on LCD panels..

Apparently Plasmas are known to buzz ("bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz") especially when above 6,500 feet of elevation. Mine is dead silent though. It looks absolutely incredible when watching Blu-Ray via my PS3 or 1080p/720p rips via my laptop.

I hear that most people end up turning off the 120hz voodoo crap after they spent a bunch on a set just to get it. It causes a "soap opera" effect and looks "unnatural" because the TV is processing fake images and inserting them between the real ones. Every manufacturer has a different method of doing this so YMMV, but it's not going to take the blur away as if you had simply bought a plasma.

Plasmas are heavier, tend to have more glare, and shouldn't be used where images will be still for extreme amounts of time (pretty much just when using them as a monitor) but are superior in every other way, generally speaking.

Edit: They also use more electricity, but like just like the old Burn-in problem, the newer sets are way better...similar energy consumption to the CCFL backlit LCD's.

I do have to say that about 4 years ago I purchased a 50" Vizio plasma that was better than almost every other TV that I compared it to. My current TV which was a anniversary present from my wife, comes with 240hz and wireless internet. I used the wireless feature until I got a PS3 and could stream netflix there. We are getting to the point where all TVs are going to start having the internet features and higher hz whether you want it or not. At least with mine you can turn the function off.

Well, I ended up picking up a 42" Vizio edge lit LED 120hz from costco for $680. The picture was better on it than the Samsung next to it, and the Sharp on the other side of it, for $200 less. I'm going to have a friend come over and calibrate everything tomorrow. After watching a movie on it for like 20min, I knew I wanted that one. I'll let you guys know how it is later..

Also my Plasma doesnt buzz either. I've never heard any of our plasma's do that..

They only buzz when you pee on the screen.

Man, Im surprised mine hasn't buzzed yet then..

Yeah, I thought it would the last time I peed on it.

Cool. Visio makes some nice TV's. I'm sure yours is one of them. :)

It seems like every brand and model has some that end up buzzing right from the beginning. It sucks for the few that end up in that situation. If it's a good manufacturer, they'll send out a tech under warranty that will fix it in minutes though.

I was TV shopping when the 120hz stuff was just coming out, and I noticed that. Made it quite easy not to spend an extra $400 at the time for that feature.

Buy the most expensize TV you can and then brag about with no regard for features or quality.

just saying.

I'm with Tyson. I'm still rocking my 57" Sony XBR projection screen from 2001. It still has a great picture and weighs 375 lbs. It's not a wimpy 90 lbs weakling like these new TV's!