[AA702]

Ive got an Olevia from Fry's and its a 32 inch model. I bought it one sale for $500. Pretty good picutre and no trouble so far. Its an LCD and not a plasma. I also have a 60 inch DLP is is outstanding, but not cheap at the time.

[movingon2vegas]

The brand really doesn't matter to me, I just want a low price. I will be using it for television and possibly gaming because I plan on getting my daughter (really both of us) a Wii for Christmas this year.

[uncle_el]

Originally Posted by movingon2vegas

The brand really doesn't matter to me, I just want a low price. I will be using it for television and possibly gaming because I plan on getting my daughter (really both of us) a Wii for Christmas this year.

some food for thought when you go to the store:

if the size of the tv you want to get is less than 42 inches, you don't need to worry about 1080i/1080p/720p/480. that's screen resolution, but really doesn't make too much of a difference on small screens.

also, while hdmi is the best way to connect peripherals (dvr, blu ray, dvd, x box 360, etc.) to the tv, the wii does not have hdmi capability (it uses component cables). personally, i'd still look for a tv with hdmi inputs for future use, so that if you want to connect these sorts of things you'll be able to use the best type of connection (again, hdmi).

[aqualung8705]

Which is better in a big screen, plasma, or LCD? I have a DLP, on which the bulb went kaput last summer. If I do get a new big screen, it'll be in the loft, which has windows facing the west and the south. Although we do have blinds, we still get a fair amount of light coming in the room.

[sam_i_am]

Originally Posted by aqualung8705

Which is better in a big screen, plasma, or LCD? I have a DLP, on which the bulb went kaput last summer. If I do get a new big screen, it'll be in the loft, which has windows facing the west and the south. Although we do have blinds, we still get a fair amount of light coming in the room.

Well, I am a personal fan of LCD's since I have one in a bright room and I really appreciate the matte screen.

However, the ironic part is that since last year, it's been a bit of a trend to put glossy screens on LCD tv's, especially Samsung. (Not all Samsung models.) And the opposite has been happening with plasmas; Panasonic has been adding non-reflective coatings to the glass on their screens.

Pricewise, you'll pay a lot more for an LCD if you go beyond 52". Otherwise, in the 40"-46" range, there's not a tremendous difference pricewise between the 2 technologies.


Personally, if you like your DLP, I would wait a few more years and then upgrade to an LCD with LED backlighting. Currently, the vast majority of LCD's are all CCFL-backlit. This is the major weakness of LCD's in my book, producing relatively poor black levels. With LED backlighting (and local dimming) and can have true black levels with 1,000,000-1 contrast ratio.


There are also plans to develop OLED technology, but that is still years away.


Also, I'd like to second the advice of getting a Vizio from Costco as a good budget buy.
Costco - Vizio 32" LCD HDTV Tuner: Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM

[uncle_el]

Originally Posted by aqualung8705

Which is better in a big screen, plasma, or LCD? I have a DLP, on which the bulb went kaput last summer. If I do get a new big screen, it'll be in the loft, which has windows facing the west and the south. Although we do have blinds, we still get a fair amount of light coming in the room.

if light coming into the room is a concern (daytime viewing), people seem to favor lcd over plasma, because lcd screens are typically plastic (don't reflect a lot of light) and plasma screens are typically glass (do reflect a lot of light).

here's a good comparison chart from cnet:
Plasma vs. LCD

an lcd slanted site:
LCD TV vs Plasma TV Which is Best? from LCD TV Buying Guide

[aqualung8705]

For now, I'll probably just change the DLP's bulb. I think that it's around $150 for a DIY kit, but it's a pain in the arse to do it every two years. We bought it, since it was cheaper than plasma or LCD.

[airics]

hey aqua, i have both, if there is alot of light, probably go with the lcd however be careful... you can view plasmas from more angles, the blacks and the whites are deeper, and sports look much better.. (there is no distortion).. having both i definitely prefer the plasma.. check out the 42" samsungs at sams club (around a grand).. fantastic...

[AA702]

The coolest LCD technology is the OLED, it is super bright and very thin.

Sony XEL-1 11" OLED Flat Panel TV in LCD Televisions at JR.com

[uncle_el]

Originally Posted by AA702

The coolest LCD technology is the OLED, it is super bright and very thin.

Sony XEL-1 11" OLED Flat Panel TV in LCD Televisions at JR.com

its also $2500 for 11 inches!