I'm finally going to purchase an HDTV set soon, but as I'm looking at DLP & Plasma screens....?

Question

...at the store, am I just crazy or do the pictures look grainy. And I double-checked, I was watching an HD signal. To me a tube screen looks better than a projection. I saw an HDTV tube, the picture was AMAZING! But the thing is too big and heavy and it's only 34" widescreen. However it's a few hundred cheaper.

Also, I would have to replace the bulb on a projection TV. What about plasma? I heard long time ago that the color fades away over time on a plasma and there is nothing you can do about it.

Answer 1

I bought a samsung, not a thin screen, because I did not need it. saved several hundred too. I've heard from a cable company guy he goes on lots of calls for people with plasma TVs that fail after a year or two, and people assume it's the signal. there is quite a difference that i see. the wide screen helps too.

Answer 2

I'm a tv repairman and a installer. The things you have to think about; is the second you take a plasma or lcd out of the box, that's the best it'll ever look. I've been to quite a few trainings, and every one of the techs says the average life of a plasma is about two years. So far, I've found this to be true. On another note, a dlp or projo lcd is going to fade, and when they do, you simply change out the bulp. I would get a dlp any day of the week. As for the crt (tube), it's kind of the same issue as the plasma's. The longevity of life for a crt isn't there anymore. Sony has a great looking lcd, but has the worst repair record. In the same note, If you open up any lcd, you're going to see that they have at LEAST one samsung part in it. Most being the panels themselves. So, the long and the short of it is; get a dlp for longevity. For status, get a plasma.

Answer 3

Edit: misread your question. Comment: no CRT can display the full resolution of HDTV, either 720p or 1080i, even though these accept 1080i HDTV as inputs. The shadow-mask structure limits the resolution to about 600 lines (which is still better than standard definition). However, since their screen sizes are small, and people tend not to sit too close to the screens, full HDTV resolution is not essential. Tube sets are the cheapest way to get into HDTV, and the pictures are good. A DLP or plasma or LCD are fixed-pixel, and if they appear "grainy" you are probably too close to the screen and you can see the pixels. If you look into one of the new DLP sets that offer 1080p (Mitsubishi, HP), you will not be able to see the pixels.

Also, earlier plasmas had a reputation for limited life. The new sets are reported to be able to last 10-15 years with good brightness (but with some fading).

Answer 4

I have been an installer for 20 years now and in my option I would go LCD. Plasma have worked out there problems but only go to Panasonic or Toshiba. Sony and Sharp are ruling in LCD. The LCD, in time will pay for itself, with the energy saved. They consume half the power off anything their size.Sony took Sharps LCD and made it better.