LCD or Plasma ??

[Scott K]

I am looking to get a new tv, and it will be mostly used for gaming. I am thinking around a 42". Would a LCD or a plasma be better? I don't want to spend a ton of money, but I want a good tv that will last. What would suit me the best?

[nofishfisherman]

If you want a 42" you'd most likely find more options in the LCD. Plasmas start at 42" for minimum size and there aren't as many options at 42". A quick look at a big box store online only lists 5 with only 1 available in the higher resolution of 1080. They were in the $699-899 range.

[Jakesbuds]

I have a Plasma right now and I play a Wii/360/PS3 on it and my buddy has a LCD and it's much clearer in my opinion. My next Set will definitely be a LCD. If I could afford one I would buy and LED TV.

I'm a big Samsung fan though, but most will say the 3 "S's" are the way too go.

Samsung, Sharp, Sony,

I would say LCD for gaming

[Whoaru99]

Lots of gaming is probably one of the few cases where I'd agree LCD may be a better choice than plasma.

Motion blur used to be a concern with LCD, but I think the newer models probably are better if you're buying one of the bigger brand names.

[HarleyK50]

Another thing to consider is the room it will be located in. If the room has alot of windows or light reflection you will definately want LCD.

Also spend the money on your connection equipment you definately get what you pay for when it comes down to connections.

IMHO LG offers the best LCD's right now. I would shop around and see what looks best to your eyes. Also remember the lighting in a big box store will be dramatically different than in your home.

One last thing to consider is the distance you will be vewing it from, a 42" t.v. is meant to be viewd from a distance of at least 15', if you do not have that much space you might want to look at a 37". You will be much happier with the picture.

If you have more questions fire away, it is best to get as much info beforehand rather than spending a ton of money and not being satisfied.

Hope this helps.

Happy shopping.

[Sandmannd]

Go with LCD. I got a 42" last Black Friday for $600 and it's been great. We play Wii and Xbox on it and it's got incredible picture. The HDTV and Movies are awesome on it as well.

[GBPackerNut]

Plasma has a tendancy to burn in with static images...

I would lean towards lcd or led technology. I absolutely love the new Samsung's

[pascooter94]

love my 42" lcd tv philips,

[Scott K]

I would like to go led, but for a gaming tv, I don't want to spend that kinda money. I am replacing an old 55 inch projection tv, so the size shouldn't be a problem. The tv will be used for an xbox 360 and a wii as well.

[hanson]

I bought a Sony Bravia 42" 1080p LCD not all that long ago and have been very happy. Just noticed in the Sunday paper that the 46" Bravias are getting very close in price to what my 42" cost. FWIW... a 42" is a BIG tv IMO!

[RuKiddingMe]

I would go LCD in a heartbeat, the LCD TV's consume less power (wattage) and will run cooler keeping you game room at a cooler temp.

On the connections issue, for anything digital, be it HDMI or anything like that, if it is sending a digital signal do not waste your money on monster cables or anything like that. A 5 dollar HDMI cable is no different then a $150.00 HDMI cable A digital signal is a digital signal and either it's going to get to where it is going or not and the so called higher cable are a waste. For analog signals get the better cables.

Popular mechanics magazine did the tests on this.

RU

[Scott K]

Thanks guys, LCD it will be, now just to pick a brand, and who to buy from!

[RuKiddingMe]

Check out New Egg dot com, killer prices, customer service that rocks and generally pretty reasonable shipping sometimes free.

RU

[Scott K]

I was just looking there this am, I did find a couple great deals.

[Jim Almquist]

Another good site is Onecall and they have free shipping on most sets.

[harvey lee]

Scott

I purchased a 42" Toshiba 1080 LCD 1 year ago. I have been more than happy with it. I purchased it at Sears and also purchased the service agreement. I normally don't purchase the service agreements but for what I paid for the TV, the extra was not that much and they also include an annual cleaning of the unit. They will do any repairs and cleaning at my houdse and that I liked alot instead of hauling it in to the store or repair center.

They were very competive in regards to price at the Eden prairie store location

[Scott K]

Thanks Tom! I never even thought to look at Sears. I do like the Toshiba's, as the one I am replacing was one, and I have had it since 99 and it still works, but it needs a good alignment (projection), it is blurry after I moved it.

[harvey lee]

The people at the Eden Prairie Sears store are very helpful.

[bucketmouth64]

Thanks guys, LCD it will be, now just to pick a brand, and who to buy from!

I did a lot of research and looking at different brands last year before settling on a 46" sony bravia. IMO, the best lcd pictures are sony, samsung, toshiba. When you go shopping look at the tv from different angles and you will see the differences. Also, look at the whites in the pictures, they do vary. Some look dull off white vs. a vivid white. Also, I would suggest getting the 120 hz or higher to reduce tiling when gaming or watching action movies. Check out mfr. websites like sony and see if they are running specials that might be lower in price. You could do a price match with stores that offer this.

[mamohr686]

I agree with bucketmouth, 120hz and 1080P is key with a LCD. I purchased a toshiba regza last year and I really like it. The sound quaility isn't as good compared to my samsung but the picture is much better. I think it has to do with the super narrow bezel design. It won't be an issue if you have it hooked up to any kind of sound system. Toshiba is my first choice for good priced TV. Most pannys have a good track record for durability, and have a great picture and sound quaily. They seem to be rated at the top of every electronics magazine, but it also much harder to find a deal on them. I know a few people that have had dead pixels on sonys so I hesitated on them at the time. I got mine at buydig and saved huge money. I tried to get a local dealer to match the price but they said it was priced exactly at their cost (and with free shipping). If you can wait a few more months until mid-late november, you can expect to save at least another few hundred.

[Sandmannd]

New Egg is a great online store for sure.

[harvey lee]

The only issue I have with an online store for electronics is if you have an issue, you can take it to a repair center but it seems they will address your issues faster if you purchased the unit from them.

For an example, when I purchsed my new TV a year ago, I went with sears as they would come out to my house to fix it. Will they do that for an online sale?

Thas simply what I have noticed over the years.

[LMITOUT]

Another thing to watch out for if ordering online is to be sure they are an "Authorized Retailer" for that brand or any factory warranty may be void upon purchase.

[harvey lee]

Thanks LMITOUT, I forgot to mention that.

[croixflats]

Not to say anything bad about Sony quality. Keep in mind sony products for a while were experiencing a long turn around time for repairs.

I dont like service contracts either but for a TV its worth the investment in my opinion. I dont trust this new stuff yet and I have seen all makes fry just past the warranty.

[mamohr686]

The only issue I have with an online store for electronics is if you have an issue, you can take it to a repair center but it seems they will address your issues faster if you purchased the unit from them.

For an example, when I purchsed my new TV a year ago, I went with sears as they would come out to my house to fix it. Will they do that for an online sale?

Thas simply what I have noticed over the years.

I was concerned about the same thing when I bought my Toshiba, so called Toshiba customer service to find out their policy. They told me that once I registered the TV, I could bring it any factory authorized repair dealer for warranty work. The only advantage to buying from a big box store and purchasing a service plan is in-home replacement and repair. So you would basically have no downtime or travel/shipping expenses. I figure for the $500 I saved, the risk would be worth sticking to the manufacturers warranty. I think you'll find the same thing with any new TV. You can register a new tv online, and electronic retailers do not register the TV for you. The manufacturer doesn't know where it was purchased, only where it was sent to (usually a distribution center etc). The only time you won't have a warranty with an online TV purchase is if it was already registered or a refurbished TV.

If your going to buy a TV from a local retailer, at least get a few online prices for the same model you want to purchase. Including an authorized dealer such as crutchfield, so you can at least negotiate a decent price if they have a price mathcing policy. I tried to buy local, but they wouldn't even come close.