What big screen TV do you think is best?

[MadtownPacker]

There is question for all you rich gringos who own big screen TVs that I can only hope of stealing.

What type of big screen television do you have or would you pick - LCD, Plasma, DLP, LCD projection? WHat brand? What has the best picture quality? Looks good on dark movie scenes or in a well lit room?

Drop some links or models # and your thoughts.

BTW - Wist, your opinions on which ones suck will be nice too!

[Partial]

DLP.

Mitsu makes a great tv.

So does Panasonic but they are very overpriced.

DLP is most bang for your buck but isn't wall mountable. Plasma is best picture but they burn out.

[MadtownPacker]

I don't plan on wall mounting it so size isn't a factor.

How long Plasmas last? I heard you can recharge them?

[Partial]

I don't plan on wall mounting it so size isn't a factor.

How long Plasmas last? I heard you can recharge them?

Not to my knowledge on the recharging. Their longevity has also improved a lot. Really all the TVs have improved enough that you don't need to worry about the downfalls.

With DLP, some people used to see Rainbows. This hasn't been a problem since the 2nd generation. HD2+ is a very, very good chip and I think they've improved since then even. I had a Mitsubishi 62525 and I loved it. It had a glorious picture and Mitsu TVs are fully upgradable which is nice.

LCD is nice but was originally plagued with poor levels of black, and some slight ghosting on fast moving images. I find these both to be non-issues now.

Plasma looks awesome, is by far the brightest(burns your eyes in a dark room bright). Their picture degrades over time just like everything else. Difference is you can purchase a new 200 dollar bulb to make the LCD and DLP look good as new. I don't believe that to be the case with a Plasma.

If you have a dark enough room, Front Projection gives you a lot of options. It is expensive to get a nice, bright set-up(projectors need to be very bright), but you can get by far the biggest, nicest picture that way.

[GrnBay007]

I'll pass commenting on TV's.

Good luck with that though.

[Zool]

For the price, the Visio and Westinghouse LCD's are great. The black levels are greatly improved over the last 2 years.

I'm a big fan of the wall mounted TV but I'm very unimpressed with the glare on plasma lenses.

[retailguy]

I bought my girls a 32" Vizio LCD for their playstation. It's a very nice TV for not a lot of money, about $550.

[BallHawk]

I have a 27" LCD Toshiba and I'm very impressed with the quality. LCD, for the price and the quality, is far better then plasma. As Partial mentioned, you cannot replace the bulb in a plasma if it burns-out. If you're a gamer, LCD is a much better choice. If you're going to be playing video games for extended periods of time, then LCD is the way to go.

As some have mentioned, Vizio is great bang for your buck. We actually may get a big one for our family room.

[LL2]

I'll disagree with Partial on the DLP's and say the Samsung DLP's are best (I have a 56" ). To really decide on what type is best, DLP, LCD, or Plasma, you have to start with where are you going to put it. Are you going to put it in your living room that has a lot of windows? If yes, stay away from a Plasma as the reflecting glare with annoy you. If price is a concern then for the money go with a DLP, but if you have money to burn then go with an LCD like the Sony Bravia 1080p. I will agree for the price the Vizio and Westy are great for the price, but I would add the Olevia for a great HD for the price too. It's a tough decision to make. Took me two months to decide on the Samsung DLP 1080p. Whatever you do do not get less than a 1080i. You'll regret it down the road.

[Merlin]

I currently own a 50" Toshiba projection. I have had it for 8 years and for it's time, it is/was a great TV. I have been researching plasmas because they have by far the best picture quality in the larger sizes. LCD is the best for smaller screens IMO. I own a 20" Polaroid LCD and I love it. DLP I don't think for larger TV's is better then plasma.

Most plasmas used to have Panasonic panels in them but they couldn't keep up with the demand so now most newer plasmas will have the LG panel in them. LG has the best overall warranty on the TV itself at two years and their panels (in their TV's) are rated for something like 60,000 hours +.

I know I am currently looking at the LG 50PC5D, 50PX2DC, 50PM1M & MU-60PZ95V Models. The one I was looking for before was discontinued so now I have to do all the research again! LG seems to come very highly rated not only from reviews online but from people I know. The other logic behind it is that if most plasmas are using LG panels, then something positive has to be said for their manufacturing and quality of their panels.

[GoPackGo]

I have a 42" Sony Grand Wega LCD projection.
The picture is amazing. The Price tag is like $1100 now I think. I paid $1500 two years ago.

[Merlin]

I think that's the model my parents got. Although they keep bugging me because it doesn't have a card in it.

[Scott Campbell]

I don't plan on wall mounting it so size isn't a factor.

How long Plasmas last? I heard you can recharge them?

Not to my knowledge on the recharging. Their longevity has also improved a lot. Really all the TVs have improved enough that you don't need to worry about the downfalls.

With DLP, some people used to see Rainbows. This hasn't been a problem since the 2nd generation. HD2+ is a very, very good chip and I think they've improved since then even. I had a Mitsubishi 62525 and I loved it. It had a glorious picture and Mitsu TVs are fully upgradable which is nice.

LCD is nice but was originally plagued with poor levels of black, and some slight ghosting on fast moving images. I find these both to be non-issues now.

Plasma looks awesome, is by far the brightest(burns your eyes in a dark room bright). Their picture degrades over time just like everything else. Difference is you can purchase a new 200 dollar bulb to make the LCD and DLP look good as new. I don't believe that to be the case with a Plasma.

If you have a dark enough room, Front Projection gives you a lot of options. It is expensive to get a nice, bright set-up(projectors need to be very bright), but you can get by far the biggest, nicest picture that way.

1) You can not replace LCD bulbs - they have none.
2) LCD black levels are still inferior to Plasma. IMO, LCD picture quality is still inferior to Plasma and the gap is beginning to widen. But there are other variables to consider. It's not a simple question.
3) LCD > Plasma in a brightly lit rooms with lots of windows where glare is a problem.
4) LCD works very well if your display is primarily used as computer or for HTPC use. I have a 37" that is used 75% computer, 25% for tv and movie viewing, and I'm very happy with it.
5) Agree with your liking of projectors, but they aren't nearly as expensive anymore. It requires a basement like level of darkness though.
6) You should get 7-10 years of normal viewing out of todays Plasma's. 10-15 years out of LCD. You'll likely replace DLP bulbs every couple of years.

[MadtownPacker]

I have a 42" Sony Grand Wega LCD projection.
The picture is amazing. The Price tag is like $1100 now I think. I paid $1500 two years ago.

This is actually the brand/model I am eyeballing. ALways been a big Sony fan from the Trinitron days.

LINK

I will likely not get a 1080P model because I dont have anything that will really need it. Figure in 2 years when all the stations go HD I will buy one at a much cheaper price.

[MJZiggy]

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/hdtv/index.html