11/23   What are the pros and cons of LCD vs. plasma TV?
        \_ Both kind of suck, but here's what I learned when I was looking
           into this a few months ago (tech changes fast, so grain of salt,
           please):
           LCD: +about 1.3x the lifespan of plasma before 1/2 luminosity is
                  reached
           LCD: +about 1.5x-2x the lifespan of plasma before 1/2 luminosity is
                  reached (IIRC 3-4 years of 8-10hrs/day -- so probably
                  about 2-4x that for normal people).
                +slightly less delicate than plasma
                +very thin and very light
                -typically not available in very large screen sizes (less
                  true now but if you're looking for a screen > 42", simple
                  LCD probably isn't the way to go)
                -inferior black levels
                -narrow (comparatively) viewing angles -- I find this is a
                  deceptive measure.  Even on screens with a supposedly
                  wide viewing angle, I've found that they lose contrast
                  very quickly when you move off the normal.
           Plasma:
                +slightly better viewing angle than lcd (but still pretty
                  unimpressive for low-medium end sets)
                +typically brighter with higher contrast than LCD
                +cheaper than LCD
                +very thin and very light
                -much shorter lifespan before 1/2 luminosity is reached
                -much shorter lifespan before 1/2 luminosity is reached (as
                  above, but 2-3 years@8-10/day)
                -very delicate
                -inferior black levels
           Honestly, I'd avoid either of these technologies if at all
           possible.  Some the rear projection technologies are actually
           very good with superior black levels, brightness and contrast --
           without the (potentially) very limited lifespan of either plasma
           or lcd.  You might want to check out sony's sxrd sets for higher
           end tv's, or see if hybrid technologies like 3lcd might work for
           you.  I was checking out sets this past week, and some of the
           rear projections sets looked really nice.  Hope this helps.
           Feel free to email me if you talk more -- but I think the best
           advice I can give is to actually go and look at the sets and
           decide which look good to your eye; then decide if you're
           willing to buy a new set in less than 5-10 years if you go with
           a degrading technology.              -mice
           rear projection sets from mitsubishi looked really nice.  Hope
           this helps.  Feel free to email me if you want to talk more --
           but I think the best advice I can give is to actually go and
           look at the sets and decide which look good to your eye; then
           decide if you're willing to buy a new set in less than 5-10
           years if you go with a degrading technology.              -mice
           \_ Thank man, you rock. So between now and January, when is the
              best time to get a bargain? Now? Before X-mas? Or after
              New Year (less inventory? more?)
              \_ I'm not that savvy about retail, to be honest, but I'd guess
                 that just after christmas is the best time to get a good
                 deal.  Check out:  http://avsforum.com  -- there's alot of
                 good information to be had there, but be careful taking too
                 much at face value; I've found that people there can easily be
                 blinded by the fact that they just spent $3000 on a tv set,
                 and will become religious about their purchase before
                 admitting any flaws with it.  YMMV.    -mice
                 \_ As with all electronics the best time to buy is as late
                    as possible. Next year prices will drop 20%, and the
                    year after that, another 20%. If you can wait till
                    2009, TVs will be much brighter/crisper/last longer
                    and cheaper than today.
                    \_ True, but the other fella was asking about "between now
                       and January" so I was taking a shot in the dark.
                       Hopefully, between the avsforum link and the hdtv link
                       the guy below gave, there should be enough accurate
                       information to steer the OP well.      -mice
           \_ Good plasmas have better blacks than LCD; check Panasonic.
              Also I didn't notice any plasma viewing angle problem. I thought
              plasmas were better here than some rear projections I saw. And
              for lifespan, they claim now to last about as long as a normal
              CRT would. I'm still on the fence for HDTVs myself though, gonna
              wait until probably January.
              I would avoid CRT-based rear projection TVs because most cannot
              natively display 720p (typically 480p or 1080i), plus they're
              usually not that bright. The SXRD stuff is good but it isn't
              perfect either.
              Check out "HDTV World":
              http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5102926-1.html?tag=eye
              \_ Great link!  Thanks for the info!  The sxrd seemed to offer
                 the best bang for my dollar -- I've a buddy at sony that
                 can probably get me a 30% discount on the 60".  Were it not
                 for that fact, I'd probably lean away from sony entirely.
                 Some of the plasmas I saw when I was looking around had
                 some pretty irritating viewing angle issues, but that was
                 most definitely not true of the higher end (ie newer) models.
                 I'll look at panasonic though; thanks for the tip!   -mice
                 \_ Actually, after looking at the hdtv link, sony seems to
                    have come out rather well, ratingswise.         -mice
                    \_ Yeah, it actually seems to be their top rated HDTV.
                       But they describe a couple flaws. It might be the best
                       thing now though. I am mainly interested in 720p
                       performance. I'm kind of confused about how 1080p
                       sets deal with that, like is it worse than just getting
                       a native 720p set?
              \_ What about a screen and a projector? How does that
                 compare to LCD and plasma?
                 \_ projectors work better in dark rooms.  also remember you
                    have to replace bulbs on the projector.
                    \_ There is a great range in bulb prices and how long
                       they last.