Chat with Dell for Super Deals
Home audio & video: Flat panel vs. Rear projection LCD
Flat panel vs. Rear projection LCD
by Martin_JM - 4/12/07 10:32 AMI am purchasing a 46-inch Samsung LCD television within the next week. Originally, it was going to hang above the fireplace of our new home, but now we have decided to use an entertainment center that is made for plasma/lcd televisions.
So now I do not have to commit to a flat panel LCD. All of my research has been based upon purchasing a flat panel. Is there any difference (good or bad) between purchasing a flat panel versus a rear projection? I think the rear projections are only like 10 inches deep, so it is still way better than my SD Sony Vega I currently have.
I am probably sticking with the 46 inch size, so I am not sure I will go larger and I think I am going to stick with LCD as opposed to a DLP.
Any help?
GOOD MORNING MARTIN
by stewart norrie - 4/12/07 11:20 AM In reply to: Flat panel vs. Rear projection LCD by Martin_JMMy opinion only but entertainment centers dont cut it because there is only enough room for a small screen size t.v and for hi-def viewing 46" is very tiny . you will have to squint your eyes to see fine detail. I have a 72" d.l.p. and that is like being in a movie theater at 9ft. perfect . Rembember the t.v. is only part of the picture You must have hi-def cable service add add the hi-def package well worth the small extra fee. then a good 5.1. audio system is a must you will go nuts listening to those cheap t.v. speakers. Bone up a little before you spend all that money if you understand all the electronics you will have a system that will perform as good as a system costing twice as much and thats money in your pocket cnet is a good place to start stewe
I think I have that covered
by Martin_JM - 4/12/07 11:53 AM In reply to: GOOD MORNING MARTIN by stewart norrieThe entertainment center is one set-up for plasma style televisions up to 50 inches. We will not be going larger than that as it is our main family room and neither the wife nor I want the tv to dominate that much (might scare the one-year old). We will have the high-def cable box and I am also getting a 5.1 channel system for the room.
But the question remains, LCD flat panel or rear projection? Outside of price and the ability to wall-mount (which we will not be doing) is there a real difference?
Lots of difference
by HTHMAN - 4/12/07 12:01 PM In reply to: I think I have that covered by Martin_JMPicture quality is good on both as long as you are right in front of the set in a dark room.
Flat panel has a much wider viewing angle, will be easier to watch in the daylight as it will not wash out like any RP set does, the RP sets have a projector bulb that will have to be replaced every 2-6000 hours at a cost of 2-300 dollars, LCD flat panels are rated at 50-60,000 hours. What you save initially on a RP set will soon be used up in bulb replacement costs.
Ligh considerations
by Martin_JM - 4/12/07 12:07 PM In reply to: Lots of difference by HTHMANIf the room has lots two big windows and is open to a dining room with more windows should that rule out a rear projection?
LCD does not have a better viewing angle
by allargon - 4/12/07 1:29 PM In reply to: Lots of difference by HTHMANSome DLP's have better viewing angles than some LCD's. It depends on the models. Plasma's (and of course CRT's) have better viewing angles.
You have to compare models side by side in the store with the same content. Moreover, you have to hope they are optimized. Otherwise a subjectively superior display may look worse than a subjectively inferior one.
Bulb costs? Sorry, I don't see where spending several THOUSAND up front for a 1080 LCD/Plasma saves more money than spending several hundred a few years later for a new bulb for a DLP.
I don't see the benefit in an LCD if you're not going to wall mount or just don't have the space unless you have extremely expensive electricity. LCD's don't save on weight. They don't really deliver that superior image quality. (Plasma's and CRT's do but kill you on power consumption.) LCD's are good for computer displays. However, DLP's aren't too shabby, either.
I can understand favoring LCD's or plasma's in a small NYC/Boston/San Fran apartment/condo. However, most people with even a modest sized 1400 sq. ft. house can support a 52" 1080P DLP at $1500 vs. $2500 for a 52" 1080P LCD.
Oh... I forgot cost as display size increases. A 70" DLP is $4K. A 70" LCD... well...
(FTR, I have both a 32" LCD and a 52" DLP in my home.)
Look again
by HTHMAN - 4/12/07 2:46 PM In reply to: LCD does not have a better viewing angle by allargonAgreed, a REAR PROJECTION LCD is no better than a DLP for viewing angle. I have a 47" Flat Panel LCD and a 50" Plasma. The viewing angle of the LCD is nearly as good as the plasma when viewed off to the side. I can easily view either at a 60 degree or more off center angle. Don't think anyone wants to look at a 6 inch wide screen, but you can view it. Every rear projection set I have looked at dims noticibly one you get more than about 20 degrees off center. Once you get to anywhere near 45 degrees, they are not watchable. In addition, there is no comparison in a bright room. I bought the LCD to replace a RP TV that was just unwatchable in a bright room during the day. Ask around on the bulbs, a lot of people are replacing them every 6 months. If you only watch TV for 3 or 4 hours a day, your bulb might last for 2 or 3 years. If it is your main TV and you have a family, it could be on for 12-14 hours a day. A 4000 hour bulb will last 285 days. That extra money for an LCD panel or a plasma pays for itself pretty quickly. Now, once they start using LED bulbs(and raise prices), that problem will go away, but the viewing angle and brightness can not be fixed on a RP set. Did you ever notice that in a Best Buy or Ultimate Electronics that the RP sets are stuck back in a dark part of the store and the LCD and Plasma panels are out front in the well lighted areas. Pull those DLPs out there and they will never sell one.
So, LCD flat panel or dlp
by Martin_JM - 4/12/07 5:59 PM In reply to: Look again by HTHMANWhat is the advantage of DLP outside of lower cost over a LCD flat panel? You can get a 1080P 56" DLP Samsung with a 10,000 contrast ratio for $1,899. Why would you not buy this if you are not going to wall mount? It will be in a bright room, and I do not know if that will negatively impact the DLP tv or not.
"it will be in a bright room"
by HTHMAN - 4/12/07 6:48 PM In reply to: So, LCD flat panel or dlp by Martin_JMI replaced my Rear Projection TV in a bright reflective room with an LCD panel because:
1. the picture washed out in the daytime-the LCD is much brighter
2. the windows reflected on the screen-the LCD is a non reflective screen.
You say you have a bright room. Yes this will affect it. Even the LCD in very bright light will look a little washed out and the blacks look more gray, but at least you can watch it. What good is a TV if you can't see the picture? Maybe you could crank up the brightness on that DLP and replace that bulb every 3 months.
As far as contrast ratio.. One of the first things you will do when you properly calibrate your new TV will be to cut back the contrast. 1,000 to 1 or 10,000 to 1, it doesn't matter, you will have to cut it back. I had to turn the plama and the LCD both back. Sure, the plasma had a higher contrast ratio, but you can't use it, and even the LCD was too high. I read on one of the video sites that in reality, you are using about an 800:1 contrast.
See if you can get someone in the store to move one of those RP sets out with the plasmas and the LCDs in the daylight. Then make your decision under the same viewing conditions. If you shop where they have a good return policy, like Costco, buy one of each. Set them up in your room side by side, calibrate them and watch them for a few days. Then take the one back that looks the worst.
If you only have a bright room, and not a bunch of windows reflecting in it, get a plasma. The picture is a little more natural and the price/inch is a lot less. As far as sharpness, my LCD is 1080p and the Plasma is 720p. At distances over 6 feet, they look equally sharp. Don't get hung up on 1080p yet, there is no broadcast media in that format and will not be for a long long time. Look instead to how well the set scales the existing source to the screen. There is still a lot of SD out there and some sets display it terribly. Standard DVDs are 480p. Broadcast HD is either 1080i or 720p. All of these sources need to be scaled to your display. Look for the one that does them all best.
Questions for that plasma and glare
by Martin_JM - 4/12/07 7:04 PM In reply to: "it will be in a bright room" by HTHMANThe room is bright, but there are no windows shining directly on the television, and if the sun came in through a window and hit it we could close the blinds on the window. So, with that said through my research I have thought that an LCD was a natural choice, also because I am concerned over the "burn in" issue because I do play some video games (primarily the college football games.
Thanks for the all the information.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
