So I'm looking to upgrade my tv because I can barely see if from across the room. Speaking of the room, I don't have a ton of space. The entertainment stand/thingy can only hold a tv that is 32" wide. I would also like to hear what everyone thinks as far as LCD's, DLP's, and Plasma. Obviously I want to go HD because I hear that all cable & satellite will be HD in the future. Suggestions?? Thanks in advance.
For the Tech. 720p vs 1080p. Unless you sit very close to the TV or have a very large set, it is generally not worth the money to get the 1080p sets. The human eye just cant tell the difference after a certain distance.
Plasma. My personal tech of choice(I have a 50 inch Panasonic). All plasma are flat panel displays, meaning very thin, my 50 inch is only about 4-5 inches thick. Plasma has the best viewing angles. No where looking at the TV do you get the colors fading out. They tend to have the best colors as well, the deeper blacks the tv makes enhance all the rest. Plasmas can get 'image retention' which is a temporary ghost image if you have a static image in place for a long period of time, but it will go away with a few min of watching another channel. "burn in"(permenent ghost images) doesnt really exist in this day and age. The Only way you will get burn in is if you abuse the set by having a static image on the TV nearly all the time. If you have a bright room that you can not control the light, you will have some glare issues, and may want to look at one of the Panasonic or Samsung sets that use an anti glare coating. Plasma TVs come in 42 inch and larger. You may find a 37 now and then, but they are very rare. For flat panel sets 42 inches and over Plasma is the more cost effective tech.
LCD. The most comon set, as they are the ONLY type that come in screen sizes under 42 inches. They are a Flat panel, so again very thin. They tend to have narrower viewing angles, meaning that if you set anywhere other than right in front of the set you will get colors fading the farther you stretch the angle. Due to how the tech works, the majority of the TVs do not do deep blacks very well, makign them more of a dark gray at times. Some of the lesser quality ones will experiance an image blur with fast moving ojects, usually a back edge blur, making some models bad for sports. They have no risk of burn in, and are really the only option if you plan on using it as a massive comp monitor.
DLP is a tech that uses a wheel of mirrors spining and reflecting light to make the image. They are thicker than LCD or Plasma sets, closer to the depth of a old fashion CRT sets. DLP doesnt have quite as bright image that the flat panels have due to the nature of projection. They are the best 'bang for the buck' as far as size to price. If you game alot, you will need to check on some models, as DLPs have a reputation for being the most lag prone with game consoles. Soemthing else, some people can see 'rainbows' with DLP sets. The 'rainbow' can apear to some when the screen has large areas od white on it, some people can see a color rainbow within the white. You will want to look at DLPs at a stre and see if you see anything, as they can be distracting. DLP will need bulb replacements now and then, though a bulb should last several years, they are a couple hundred bucks to replace. You wont find a DLP under 42 inches.
