GG - Today's Daily Sun (6/15) page D8 had an article about a plasma HDTV. Seemed like something to check out.

Z

Personally, I favor LED (Light Emitting Diode) HDTVs over the other choices. They use far less power, create far less heat, and appear to last a lot longer than Plasma or regular LCD (Liquid Crystal Diode). Technically, an LED HDTV is an LCD HDTV. In TV speak an LED HDTV is an LCD HDTV that uses LED to provide 'back lighting'. TVs labeled as LCD use fluorescent CFL to provide 'back lighting'. Both LED and LCD HDTVs use LCD front panels.

They have improved the technologies to the point that the picture quality in LED HDTVs is every bit as good (or, in some cases, better) than Plasma TVs. As the other Bill pointed out Plasmas still give better 'side viewing than LED, but, since this is for me and my wife, I expect that we will be in front of the TV most of the time.:smiley:

I found the LED HDTV picture to be sharper and clearer than the plasma equivalent.

LED will cost more than the equivalent plasma by about 20-30%, but, for me the difference will be offset by energy savings over the life of the TV and I like the picture better.

We have a Samsung 55" LED in the living room right now, but, when we move to TV this November on a permanent basis I plan to get a 65", most likely the Samsung 65" Class (64.5" Diag.) LED 8000 Series Smart TV because (among other things) it is the biggest HDTV I can find that will fit into the 60" wide opening in my TV bookcase/console. The 55" will migrate to the 'Man Cave' I'm building in the 3rd bedroom/study -- Iris). I love the built in wireless Internet access to Hulu, etc, and Skype video calling capability (you do have to buy a compatible video camera at about $129) of the TV. It's pricey (roughly $3k atm), but, given the feature set and the amount of time I will probably use the thing it should be worth it to me.

Buy the largest set you can! I read that the main reason people have buyer's remorse when they purchase a new tv is because they didn't buy a bigger set. We started out with a 40" Sony LCD in our courtyard villa livingroom and within 2 years "graduated" to a 55" Samsung LED. The picture is absolutely stunning in HD. We sit about 10 feet from it. We hooked up a wireless Sony surround system and when we "crank it" it is almost as good as the movies! The Florida room is home to a Samsung 32" LCD and we bought a 24" Dynex LCD for the kitchen. Using the Comcast adapter and an A/B switch we bought at Wal-mart we are able to get quite a few channels on that tv in HD. I only really watch the news from Orlando and I can get all of those channels in HD. (no HD box, just the set-up I described above)

LED sets run cooler than LCDs.

It WILL be worth it, Bill, trust me! We paid over $2600 2 1/2 years ago for our Samsung 55" LED tv. It was one of the best purchases we have ever made. The picture is stunning and so enjoyable to watch. I'm tellin' ya, people, go big!!

size & money
 

The Title says it all! The size of the TV is important to u as the viewer. Weigh all your options and be sure not to get a TV that in size overwhelms the dimensions of the room. It usually comes down to...what do u wanna spend?) If you are just watching standard tv shows or programs, then a flat screen or plasma tv is not what you"re looking for. It doesn"t last more than really 5 years and the options dont make sense. for moviews, a High def, surround sound, LED,Or LCD screen is the best for you. Good Luck in Your quest and I reccommend Best Buy. They are the Hi tech experts. :cryin2:

Huh? What does that leave?

What was your general takeaway from the article? I couldn"t find it online. Thanks...

Hi Gracie
 

I just this week received my new TV. According to Product reviews and prices, software downloads, and tech news - CNET, this is among the best TVs on the market. It is new for 2012. You can stop over to see the picture. PM me. The price is fantastic for a top-of-the-line TV. I really love it.
Click here to read the review;

Panasonic TC-P55ST50 Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

I liked the integrated WiFi and what he said was an ease in tweaking the picture quality.

It has been several years since I bought a new TV but if I was going to get a new one it would have the WiFi feature as part of the TV.

When I shop for a new electronic device I read everything that I can about all of the different models and brands to see what the new features are and then I make an itemized list and go shopping.

The unfortunate thing is that when you get to these stores it is hard to find a salesperson that can answer all of your questions so you should go in well prepared.

:agree:

I worked in the electronics industry for many years so I found it amusing to ask a question to a salesperson when I already knew the answer and I could tell their answer was a guess.

So important to do research and not rely on a salesperson but I would hard pressed to buy from someone who didn't know their product.

GG: I guess I am late on this thread but if you have not purchased a TV yet I would recommend as a brand Samsung. I would also recommend that you explore what makes an excellent model excellent.

I had purchased a 52" Samsung 750 a few years back. I spent better than 6 months before I purchased it and at thecost I wanted. In that time Samsung later models arrived on the scene. What I learned is that because of the bad economy all flat screen mfgs were duming down the innards to become price competitive. So I purchased the 750 which had the highest ratings in all categories, had a hard drive, etc.

About a year ago we began to convert our front bedroom which served as my wife's office. She retired 2/1/12 to a man cave for me. Adding a hie away bed (Murphy with built in desk and had them build a custom TV stand. On that TV stand sets a 46" Samsung 6000 with all the latest technology. Again in researching found the newer 6000 were not as good.

People continually comment regarding the clear picture i receive vis a vis there TV.

I am certain other brands can be as good. The important thing to remeber is a rose by any other name is a rose doesn't work with flat panels TV's so research to the minuate detail can pay off in dividends

Disclosure Caution: This poster is not remotely considered to be an expert. You may not want to try his suggestions at home.

I've had a plasma tv for years, it is viewable from all angles and is crystal clear. And as Bill stated earlier refresh rate is important to clarity, especially for motion...plasma sets refresh rate s are around 600mhz as opposed to the 120 or 240 refresh rate of LED/LCD TVs. So Gracie, just to throw something out there....what about 3D?

darn, I must be ambidextrous....I can do all those things and watch TV to stay in touch with the world.