LED or Plasma TV?

[eyedea]

Just renovated my basement and want to buy a monster TV. I've been reading a lot and it seems the picture quality on a Plasma has better blacks and truer whites, also they have a 600hz refresh rate.

On the other side of the coin LED TV's, back lit or side lit. I read some LED TV's have dimming technology, so each LED will dim individually. I really don't care about the smart TV, just picture quality.

[MBGreen]

If there isn't a lot of natural light in your basement, i'd go with Plasma.

[Tommy]

Is this still even a debate? I had no idea they were still manufacturing plasmas. Get an LED dude.

[eyedea]

Is this still even a debate? I had no idea they were still manufacturing plasmas. Get an LED dude.

Plama picture quality is better, and yea Samsung still makes them. I got one Samsung LED TV I bought a couple of years ago.

If there isn't a lot of natural light in your basement, i'd go with Plasma.

Only one window and it' like 16 feet away from where the TV will be.

[Miamipuck]

By LED do you mean LED/LCD technology or true LED. If that's the case LCD is a better technology than the LED.

It's bascially a list of pro's and cons and then deciding which is for you:

Plasma

    Pros: excellent contrast and black levels; effortless motion; uniform illumination over the entire screen area, good picture depth; often priced lower than LED-LCD models with similar screen size and features
    Cons: limited screen sizes: 42"-65"; some models not as bright as most LED-LCD TVs; not as energy-efficient as LED-LCDs and typically generate more heat; a plasma panel is usually a bit heavier and thicker than an LED-LCD panel

LED-LCD

    Pros: models with advanced local dimming backlights can have black levels rivaling plasma; LED-LCD panels are thin and lightweight — especially models with edge-lit backlights; this is the most energy-efficient display technology
    Cons: picture may look a bit flat and less "filmlike" than plasmas; when viewed off-axis the picture may lose some contrast and color


 Which flat-panel TV type is right for you?

Plasma's deep black levels, smooth motion, and vibrant colors produce picture quality than many people describe as "movie-like."
A plasma TV might be for you if:

    You like rich, warm colors and deep black levels.
    You do most of your viewing with low or modest room lighting.
    You or others will be sitting off-axis when watching TV or movies.
    You want the smoothest, most natural motion with fast on-screen action, like sports or video games.

Some LED-LCD models have an ultra-thin bezel which gives the screen an attractive virtually edgeless look.
An LED-LCD TV might be for you if:

    You want an ultra-thin TV — LCD TVs, especially LED-backlit models, tend to be thinner than plasmas.
    You do a lot of daytime viewing in a room with windows lacking blinds, curtains or drapes. An LED-LCD's bright picture will still look crisp and colorful in bright light; some LCD screens also resist glare.
    Low power consumption is a priority — LCD TVs are more energy efficient than plasma models with the same screen size.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

If Pioneer or even Panasonic still made plasma, I'd tell you to go that way.  My Pioneer is 6 years old and no TV made since then even comes close.  Panasonic and Pioneer used the same glass in the end, so Panasonic was a good choice.  However, the Samsung plasmas aren't better than competing models in other formats.  LCD will never look as naturally good as plasma, but it's gotten a lot closer.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

Is this still even a debate? I had no idea they were still manufacturing plasmas. Get an LED dude.

Most companies quit making plasmas because people are idiots who go to the big box stores and say "give me the bright skinny one!" instead of wanting quality.  People come over, see my plasma in action, and say "holy freak".  There's no comparison.

[dcm1602]

Personally if I was buying a new TV I'd grab a 4k hd, which I don't believe come in plasma

They occasionally have some decent deals on em  gonna get a new TV might as well future proof it

Though if not going that route, I'd probably get a plasma honestly

They look so damn pretty

But if you go 4k absolutely have to do your homework

[Ignatius J Reilly]

Personally if I was buying a new TV I'd grab a 4k hd, which I don't believe come in plasma

They occasionally have some decent deals on em  gonna get a new TV might as well future proof it

Though if not going that route, I'd probably get a plasma honestly

They look so damn pretty

But if you go 4k absolutely have to do your homework

If you can afford a great one, that's a good way to go.  Prices will continue to drop, though, and I'm sure upscaling will improve as well on future models.

[dcm1602]

If you can afford a great one, that's a good way to go.  Prices will continue to drop, though, and I'm sure upscaling will improve as well on future models.

I'm personally waiting till black Friday, there's been some great deals on them lately. But the older generation (current one) only has like hdmi 1.4 when the new ones (coming out in the near future) are hdmi 2.0

So I've been holding out for a 2.0 one

[Tommy]

Do you guys remember the first few weeks after switching to HD? Movies looked weird at first, almost too fluid and real. Took some getting used to. Now its just the new normal. Sure it can look better, but not like that first leap into 1080.

[SixFeetDeep]

In my living room we have a 60 inch plasma (Samsung) next to a 60 inch LED (Visio).

The plasma is best watched at night or in a room with little to no natural light.  I find the plasma displays movies and sports the best. 

The LED is good in all light settings and has comparable quality to the plasma. I think video games look great on the LED.

I think the brand of TV you get and how much you pay are more important than LED vs Plasma. Then again I am not that picky.

[Badger]

Do you guys remember the first few weeks after switching to HD? Movies looked weird at first, almost too fluid and real. Took some getting used to. Now its just the new normal. Sure it can look better, but not like that first leap into 1080.

That's because people fucked up certain settings.

http://www.cnet.com/news/the-soap-opera-effect-when-your-tv-tries-to-be-smarter-than-you/

Hopefully nobody is still watching things that way.

[Johnny English]

In my living room we have a 60 inch plasma (Samsung) next to a 60 inch LED (Visio).

Then again I am not that picky.

Also clearly not married.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

That's because people fucked up certain settings.

http://www.cnet.com/news/the-soap-opera-effect-when-your-tv-tries-to-be-smarter-than-you/

Hopefully nobody is still watching things that way.

You'd be surprised.  I see that excrement turned on waaaaay too often.  It's stupid.  I've been at the homes of people who even work in film and have had to say "Uh, you realize it doesn't have to look like that, right?"  I turn off auto-motion plus and it's mindblowing.  Some have, as Tommy said, just gotten used to it.

I'm not sure when it even became a thing.  I had my first HDTV back in 2002 and there were certainly no settings like that.  It was also CRT, though, which may have played a role.