TV Upgrade Questions

[Jasen Palmer]

I am going to get a new TV. Should I invest an HD or HD ready? Is there a major difference between LCD and Plasma? My friend just got a Sharp Aquos that has an impressive picture quality. Also is there any advantage to "Ambilight" or similar features? The max screen size I need is about 42".

[terryfoster]

Sounds like you are really at the beginning steps of learning about HDTV sets. Personally I would recommend the flexibility of a HDTV with a built in tuner, but if you plan on using cable TV or satellite and your cable/satellite service always running, then a HD ready set should be fine. Really, newer equipment on the market commonly have built in tuners and ones that don't are generally older models.

Here are a few FAQ documents you might want to check out:
*Which HDTV Should I Buy?
*Types of HDTVs, Their Advantages & Disadvantages
*If Only I'd Have Known...
*Upscalling vs. "Classic" DVD players

[Stormspace]

One thing to keep in mind is that having a tuner in your HDTV will make it more expensive and it's practically worthless if it doesn't also have Cable Card support. If I were you I wouldn't get one unless I could have both of those options, otherwise an HD Monitor is probably sufficeint since you have your tivo to receive and switch channels for you. For the future there is also the series 3 which will support Cable Card as well.

I'd recommend either Plasma or DLP, with Plasma being the preferred. Also remember that all those projection sets may require a new bulb every other year. YMMV. These bulbs run from 100-400 dollars each.

Cnet has a really good rundown on HD sets I'd strongly recommend that you look at.

[TiVo Troll]

Originally Posted by Jasen Palmer

I am going to get a new TV. Should I invest an HD or HD ready? Is there a major difference between LCD and Plasma? My friend just got a Sharp Aquos that has an impressive picture quality. Also is there any advantage to "Ambilight" or similar features? The max screen size I need is about 42".

If you have the money go for HD.

The best way to evaluate a TV is to actually look at the picture. Most electronic store showrooms aren't really the best places to evaluate a TV but often there's no other choice.

Descriptions of Ambilight kind of remind me of Sylvania's Halolight from the 1950's. I doubt it's really necessary but I haven't actually seen it.

LCD is supposed to be brighter than plasma but plasma is supposed to present a more detailed picture. When I look at them in TV showrooms I can't instantly tell one from the other. Generally speaking LCD is more expensive for a given screen size. 42" 16 x 9 (aspect ratio) hi-def TV's are available using either technology. LCD direct view sets employ a built-in backlight which is supposed to last for 60,000 viewing hours.

If an LCD display begins to fail such failure becomes apparent by individual screen pixels dropping out of the picture. Depending on how many and where they are on the display this could be a minor issue or a major annoyance. Apparently different manufacturers have different policies when covering LCD displays under warranty.

Plasma sets gradually lose brightness as they age, much as CRT displays do. They also are subject to screen "burn-in" (from static displays) as CRT's are, although burn-in has supposedly been minimized as a problem. (LCD sets aren't subject to burn-in.) Practically speaking plasma displays are reputedly good for around 60,000 hours.

Prices have been falling for all HD sets lately. Here's a review for a relatively new LCD set which is a monitor only (no tuners) which features 1080p resolution (the highest possible) for as low as $2300. It's also avaliable for under $1600. in the 37" size.

Have fun checking them out!

[amjustice]

I highly reccomend the Sony Bravia 40' LCD, I picked one up a few months ago and have not regreted it for a minute. It is a much nicer and cheaper then the Sharp sets since you are not paying for 1080P which IMHO is not nessicary at this time.

[yunlin12]

I have the 42" Westinghouse myself, it's a good set, LOTS of user feedback here. AVS forum is a good place to check out plasma and LCD reviews.

I was mostly worried about burn-in from the static images in Tivo and cable menus, as well as XBox 360. A couple of times my remote interference accidentally turned the TV on after I went to bed, and left it on all night, if I had any static image running to a plasma screen I would be really worried about burn-in. I also can't trust 100% other people who use this TV to know how best to prevent burn-in either. After that, the low glare from LCD is another selling factor. Plasma is like CRT, having a glass front, and shows a lot of glare. LCD on the other hand has almost no glare. I used to put up a screen during the day to block off light from windows when I had a CRT, no worries now.

Unless you live close to the station and can easily pick up HD over the air, I would say having a built-in tuner is not a big need. You'll be using a cable or sat set-top-box, and send the video to TV using some kind of video cable anyway.