So... which giant TV should I buy?

Javery

Javery

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I'm in the market for a 70" TV. I'm leaning towards an LED TV but I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on this stuff. It is tough to wade through all of the crap online.

THIS is the one I'm thinking about. Sharp 70-Inch LE757 Class Aquos® Quattron 1080p 240Hz LED 3D HDTV. Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
I have the 60" model, been a great tv. I have had for over a year now and the only downside I have is when using 3d it has a ghosting image that is noticeable and the speakers are somewhat lacking.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']cnet or amazon review it. You are wasting money on 3d.[/QUOTE]

You must not have looked into buying a TV in the past few years. Almost all high end TV's come with 3D standard.
 
For that price this is said to be the best television on the market. It's 60" and not 70" but I'd probably take the best out there a tiny bit smaller.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BCPGZOM/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?redirect=true&tag=panandscathed-20
 
[quote name='bear489']...the speakers are somewhat lacking.[/QUOTE]

If you're gonna go 60" for a TV, don't gimp your setup by using the TVs built in speakers! Get a nice 5.1 receiver. :)
 
The Quattrons are about as good an option as any for very large LED TVs. I'd recommend plasma for the 60+ in sizes though. When it comes to picture they usually perform better and are higher rated than their LED-LCD counterparts. Though you may have to settle for a 65 inch screen size.

If sticking with LCD, you may consider saving about $500-800 by going with a 120hz model. Sound like old tech I know but unless you are using it for hardcore gaming a lot then 240hz offers no real solid performance boost over 120hz (this includes 1080p TV & movies). 240hz has been on the market since like 2010 (maybe even '09) and for the vast majority of people it has never been worth it for the extra money it costs IMO.
 
I watch a lot of sports so refresh rate is important. I have a Panasonic 42" 1080i plasma that I have been extremely happy with (I bought it 9 years ago!). We have a little more wall space now which is why I want a bigger TV. I could easily fit an 80" in there but that's probably overkill which is why I settled on 70" - I think the 60" would look a little small but I don't know - I guess I'll mask it out with some painter's tape or something. I thought LED was the new hotness but maybe not - I really need to read up on all this stuff.

EDIT: Also, my kids have been asking for 3D and all of the animated blu-rays we have are in 3D so I told them I'd spring for it. I don't think I care either way.
 
What downside is there to plasma, if any? How about use for video games? Which is better? I could be in the market for a larger TV (not 70", but I could see getting a 50" set) sometime in the next year or so.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']What downside is there to plasma, if any? How about use for video games? Which is better? I could be in the market for a larger TV (not 70", but I could see getting a 50" set) sometime in the next year or so.[/QUOTE]

Plasmas have two main downsides: weight and energy. My 50" weighs like 65 pounds. And they also go through 2 to 3 times more energy. But I personally feel as if they offer a better picture. Plus, their refresh rate is amazing (600Hz usually). When this one craps out (or I upgrade), I'll definitely be grabbing another plasma.
 
I think plasmas definitely offer the best picture (bright colors, deep blacks, less glare, larger viewing angles, etc). But they also DEFNITELY consume a crap ton of energy. What some people may not think about with this is energy = heat. I'm sure the tech has gotten better since I got my 50" plasma in 2006, but back when my wife and I lived in a smaller apartment with baseboard heating, we actually went through a winter where we never had to use heat in the living room because just having the TV on was enough to keep things toasty in there, lol. Granted, this was in North Carolina, so it wasn't exactly frigid outside.

But I would imagine even the newer models still get hotter than LCD or LED. And yeah, plasmas weigh more...but that's not really a huge issue if you don't plan on moving it very often. Plasmas also tend to be more fragile due to the components inside (though mine has been moved in a truck four times since we've had it, and has survived just fine...yay Toshiba!). So, almost like with anything in life, there's a bit of a give and take. If you want the benefits of lower energy consumption and lighter weight, you'll be sacrificing a bit of picture quality. I can say though, if I was assessing the "negatives" with my plasma, none of it would have to do with its performance.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']What downside is there to plasma, if any? How about use for video games? Which is better? I could be in the market for a larger TV (not 70", but I could see getting a 50" set) sometime in the next year or so.[/QUOTE]

I've tried plasmas twice-a Visio back around 2007 and a Panasonic 55" UT50 this January. I ended up returning them both for the same reasons--buzzing in bright scenes and image retention.

Both times I did 100 hours of solid color slides to break them in and calibrate with a disk etc and the used them for two to three weeks to give them a fair shake. Pixel orbiter was on to limit image retention as well on the Panny

The picture was top notch, but the buzzing and image retention drove me nuts. Plasmas tend to buzz on bright scenes--but it's a big YMMV on whether you hear it and/or get annoyed by it. My ears seem particularly tuned into hearing that frequency of buzzing and electronic buzzing noises drive me nuts.

As for the image retention, my viewing involves a lot of static images from hours of ESPN, hours of games with HUDs etc. While permanent burn in isn't much of a risk anymore, IR is still an issue and I was always having the ESPN logo, Borderlands 2 HUD etc visible on bright scenes in shows and movies for several hours after long sessions. It did go away, but still drove me nuts. That said, I heard it becomes less of a problem after you have a lot of hours on the panel, like a 1,000 or more, and I only had a few hundred hours on mine so I can't speak to that.

I ended up going with a Panasonic 3D led set (55" ET5 series). The picture isn't as good as the plasma on dark scenes (can't beat plasma black levels) and it has a bit more motion blur than the plasma, but is still a pretty stunning picture. I'm also not a videophile at all really, so I'll take lesser picture quality for not being annoyed by buzzing or having to worry about image retention if I want to play a game all day or have espn on all day during college football etc.

For videophiles that may not be a reasonable tradeoff as PQ is their top concern. Though I'm sure the high end Sony and sharp led sets come closer to plasma PQ than do the mid range ones like he Panasonic I went with.

I'm hoping OLED sets will be able to match or exceed plasma black levels, handling of motion etc. without any IR problems or buzzing. But those are several years off for being in my price range (have never paid more than $1,000 for a TV, got my Panny LED for $899.99), so I'm happily enjoy my LED set for a good while.
 
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If you want to future-proof yourself, get a 4K Ultra High Definition TV (2160p). Much better viewing experience than current 3D. Sony has a $5000, 55" 4K 3D UHDTV, and a $7000, 65" 4K 3D UHDTV. These prices will continue to come down, as 4K continues to grow over the next 2-3 years.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XBR-65X9...11?ie=UTF8&qid=1369847003&sr=8-11&keywords=4k

I'll be in the market for a "giant" TV in 2-3 years, and if they're available at a reasonable price in Ireland, I'll be getting a 70-80 inch 4K UHDTV.

Or, in 5-10 years, you could get a 145" 8K UHDTV (4320p)...
 
I was thinking about waiting and getting a 4K set but honestly I feel like I've been waiting long enough already just for 1080p. If I can get a TV around $2K or less I won't hesitate to upgrade to 4K in 7-10 years when it is the standard. If I spend another $5K now it will be much harder to justify. After all, the current TV I have was the "last one" I would ever buy... she had to know that wouldn't be the case, right? :)
 
I'm kind of doubtful that 4k will ever become the standard.

People aren't going to be hot to upgrade TVs again just for more resolution that's not even noticeable at most people's TV size/viewing distance combo as you really need to be close to a TV or have a big projector set up etc. to really notice it. Here's a couple charts that shows when the different resolutions start to become noticeable:

resolution_chart.jpg


200ppdengleski.png

Besides that, there's really not even much 1080p content. I know with direcTV the only thing that's 1080p are some of the PPV movies. All the live HD channels are 1080i or 720p.

I have a feeling that at best we'll see some 4K Bluray (or other) disc format that becomes a niche product for the videophiles/cinephiles much like Laserdisc was, rather than a standard like HD/Bluray.

[quote name='Rumors']Don't plasmas typically burn out sooner than most other tech too or am I making Shit up?[/QUOTE]

That used to be somewhat true, but now they don't reach half life (half brightness) for a really long time--forget exactly what it was but it was few decades based on 8 hours of use a day when I was researching them this winter.
 
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[quote name='Javery']I was thinking about waiting and getting a 4K set but honestly I feel like I've been waiting long enough already just for 1080p. If I can get a TV around $2K or less I won't hesitate to upgrade to 4K in 7-10 years when it is the standard. If I spend another $5K now it will be much harder to justify. After all, the current TV I have was the "last one" I would ever buy... she had to know that wouldn't be the case, right? :)[/QUOTE]
Also mathematically it would be cheaper in the long run if you're willing to wait that long. You're always playing catchup on the tech curve though
 
[quote name='Rumors']Also mathematically it would be cheaper in the long run if you're willing to wait that long. You're always playing catchup on the tech curve though[/QUOTE]

yeah - I'd rather enjoy a nice TV over the next couple of years anyway than wait for something that may or may not ever happen.

My plasma still looks AMAZING after 9 years. No burn-in (there is some image retention that goes away after about 30 seconds). No complaints.
 
[quote name='Access_Denied']Plasmas have two main downsides: weight and energy. My 50" weighs like 65 pounds. And they also go through 2 to 3 times more energy. But I personally feel as if they offer a better picture. Plus, their refresh rate is amazing (600Hz usually). When this one craps out (or I upgrade), I'll definitely be grabbing another plasma.[/QUOTE]

I am pretty sure that if I keep my plasma off for an entire month, my electric bill will be 80% cheaper :whistle2:\
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I'm kind of doubtful that 4k will ever become the standard.[/QUOTE]
1080p won't stay around forever. When 4K hits the $3000 and under price point for 60+ inch TVs, people will chose it over big 1080p TVs, even if big 1080ps TVs have dropped to a couple of hundred dollars.

[quote name='dmaul1114']I have a feeling that at best we'll see some 4K Bluray (or other) disc format[/QUOTE]
HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc) will replace blu-ray.

In my opinion, in 10 years, 50+ inch 4K TVs will be the average person's "new" TV for their main viewing room. In 15-20 years, 100+ inch 8K TVs will not be a rare thing for a lot of families, as long as they have a room big enough to accommodate them.
 
Go ahead and blow your wad on this Samsung set:

http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN75ES9000FXZA

Price will scare you off, without question. I didn't link you the $20K, 84" 4K TV to keep you from running away even quicker. ;)

My "big" TV is a 55" LG 55LE8500, which is a Full Backlit LED set with local dimming, which is lit from the back of the LCD panel, not the edge like a lot of other sets. It has 80 local dimming zones to dim/brighten the backlight, so it gives some better control over backlight.

They're a bit rarer these days, due to cost, though they give extremely good black levels, almost on par with plasma. Not a lot of vendors do full backlit panels, though they do look extremely good when you can find them.

Sony makes a couple of 70" LCD TVs as well, one with 3D and one without:
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...ewTaskName=CategoryDisplayView&facetlist=true

Also, 70" is starting to get into the projector + screen sizes, plus yields are a bit less on a larger panel versus smaller ones, so not all vendors dabble in them.
 
[quote name='MisterModest']
HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc) will replace blu-ray.

In my opinion, in 10 years, 50+ inch 4K TVs will be the average person's "new" TV for their main viewing room. In 15-20 years, 100+ inch 8K TVs will not be a rare thing for a lot of families, as long as they have a room big enough to accommodate them.[/QUOTE]

We'll see.

I definitely will not upgrade a single Bluray to any new format. I've come to realize upgrading DVDs was mostly worthless for me since I don't rewatch the vast majority of movies I own anyway. And not being a videophile I still enjoy DVDs just fine (and still have well over 100 of them I don't plan on upgrading).

If some new format does catch on, I'd start buying new releases in that format, but just keep the Blurays and DVDs I already own rather than rebuying other than maybe a very select few that I do rewatch at least once a year if they got worthwhile PQ upgrades.


Personally, I just don't see it. Videophiles are a small niche and the average Joe is moving toward just streaming their movies/TV, so I'm not convinced we'll see another mainstream movie disc format after Bluray as I don't think most care to upgrade again and streaming will just grow more and more popular as broadband bandwith, speed and availability improve. Hell, with my hatred of clutter I may ditch my movie discs if it ever gets to the point that I could stream any of them I wanted for a reasonable monthly subscription fee.

I'm not convinced that huge TVs (or projector set ups) will become the norm either, as from what I understand younger generations are preferring smaller houses and condo living in the city to living in McMansions in the burbs, so a lot of people aren't going to have rooms big enough for 70"+ screens. I'm certainly in that vain. My girlfriend and I are not having kids, and both hate clutter (so we limit what we buy/have in the house) so we'll never have a big place--just waste of money on utilities, cleaning, furniture to fill it etc. when we just need a kitchen with dining area, living room or basement (for the home theater), two bedrooms (to have a guest room) and a den/office.
 
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I guess I'm just in the "bigger the better" mindset.

I'm currently in the process of building my own 6/7 bedroom house, with a dedicated cinema room. I'm doing most of the work myself, with my Dad, so it'll take 2 years or so. My wife and I have two kids, with number 3 on the way. We want a few more, maybe 10 altogether. So my cinema room will be a family cinema room, not a mancave. I can't wait to sit around with my wife and a bunch of kids, watching an 80+ inch, or someday 100+ inch TV, in the comfort of our own home.

And yeah, on the media format, physically, HVD might replace blu-ray, but hopefully streaming continues to grow. I don't like having an unnecessary physical collection either. I got rid of my DVD collection years ago, and have never even bought 1 blu-ray of anything. Digital copies and streaming all they way.
 
Do remember thought that the lighter these sets become, wall mounting them gets even easier. Most people, even in small apartments, have 70 inches of wall space.
 
[quote name='MisterModest']I guess I'm just in the "bigger the better" mindset.

I'm currently in the process of building my own 6/7 bedroom house, with a dedicated cinema room. I'm doing most of the work myself, with my Dad, so it'll take 2 years or so. My wife and I have two kids, with number 3 on the way. We want a few more, maybe 10 altogether. So my cinema room will be a family cinema room, not a mancave. I can't wait to sit around with my wife and a bunch of kids, watching an 80+ inch, or someday 100+ inch TV, in the comfort of our own home.

And yeah, on the media format, physically, HVD might replace blu-ray, but hopefully streaming continues to grow. I don't like having an unnecessary physical collection either. I got rid of my DVD collection years ago, and have never even bought 1 blu-ray of anything. Digital copies and streaming all they way.[/QUOTE]

All of this post has my mind melting.
 
Ummm, Javery, it might be special order but I suggest you buy the LG OLED 65" television. It has the blacks that Plasma provides and extreme energy efficiency. Oh and yes it's 3D.
This tech is possibly the successor to CRT since SED was forcibly canned. I'm begging Javery, buy it. You won't regret since it is big screen OLED.
edit: Don't bother with 4K discs anyone. They're just Blu-ray's at higher res. and don't have the accompanying higher color spec. they should(4:4:4).
 
[quote name='MisterModest']I guess I'm just in the "bigger the better" mindset.

I'm currently in the process of building my own 6/7 bedroom house, with a dedicated cinema room. I'm doing most of the work myself, with my Dad, so it'll take 2 years or so. My wife and I have two kids, with number 3 on the way. We want a few more, maybe 10 altogether. So my cinema room will be a family cinema room, not a mancave. I can't wait to sit around with my wife and a bunch of kids, watching an 80+ inch, or someday 100+ inch TV, in the comfort of our own home.
[/quote]

Yeah, we're just polar opposite on that. The fiance and I loathe kids--just got my second post vasectomy analysis today and I'm shooting blanks so that's all taken care of! :)

And we both like keeping our carbon footprints reasonably small (though we're not uber obsessive about it as we both like the A/C pretty low etc.).

We're also more go out and do stuff people (be it hiking, walking the dogs, museums, eating out, drinks out with friends, concerts, sporting events etc.) rather than lounge around the house types. I like gaming and reading, curling up with her to watch a movie or show etc., but given the chance I'd rather be out and about doing things than in the house vegging out.

And yeah, on the media format, physically, HVD might replace blu-ray, but hopefully streaming continues to grow. I don't like having an unnecessary physical collection either. I got rid of my DVD collection years ago, and have never even bought 1 blu-ray of anything. Digital copies and streaming all they way.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm pretty torn on that as movies are the one thing I do like collecting. I still have 180 some DVDs and 190 some Blurays. But I am sick of the unsightly racks. I'll probably shell out and by some nice media cabinets with doors on them when I move--I need more capacity anyway.

But I am buying a lot less--just mainly because we're not re-watchings all that often, preferring to watch something new from Netflix disc rental or streaming, Amazon streaming or grab something from Redbox. Watching something for the first time just can't be beat by a re-watch--assuming I like the movies equally of course.

[quote name='Clak']Do remember thought that the lighter these sets become, wall mounting them gets even easier. Most people, even in small apartments, have 70 inches of wall space.[/QUOTE]

That's not the issue really, it's more whether the rooms big enough to sit far enough away from that big of a screen.

For instance, the front of my couch in the living room of my apartment is like 7 feet from the opposite wall--and that's the only way to set the room up as one end is an open kitchen and the other end double sliding doors onto the balcony. So I can't really do bigger than a 60" set in here--maybe a 65" without being too close to it to watch comfortably. I'm happy with the 55" one I have for now as it's a nice size in terms of being plenty big, and not looking too big for the room.
 
I am almost 100% certain I'd hear that plasma buzzing during bright scenes and that it would drive me insane. I do hear noises like that. So I guess plasma is out. I didn't know they did that.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']I am almost 100% certain I'd hear that plasma buzzing during bright scenes and that it would drive me insane. I do hear noises like that. So I guess plasma is out. I didn't know they did that.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, they all do in my experience. A lot of people can't hear it though unless it's a bad set that buzzes extra loud. i.e. my girlfriend couldn't hear it on mine other than when showing a white slide or very bright scene with the sound muted--where as I could hear it in any remotely bright scene, even over dialogue etc.

I still don't think they're well suited for heavy gaming anyway due to the IR issues with game huds etc. Again, it apparently gets better after you put a lot of hours on the set in terms of the IR taking longer to set in and going away faster. But who wants to shell out for a new TV you have to baby for the first 1,000 hours? I don't want to limit my gaming sessions as I tend to just do my console gaming in 4+ hour binges a time or two a week, with any shorter burst gaming being on my 3DS or iPad.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']I am almost 100% certain I'd hear that plasma buzzing during bright scenes and that it would drive me insane. I do hear noises like that. So I guess plasma is out. I didn't know they did that.[/QUOTE]

You're doing it wrong.;) The surround sound and speakers should mask any buzzing from the TV. From personal experience high end plasma TVs do not buzz as much if at all. I own a Panasonic VT50 and I can't hear a peep from it.
 
[quote name='kill3r7']You're doing it wrong.;) The surround sound and speakers should mask any buzzing from the TV. From personal experience high end plasma TVs do not buzz as much if at all. I own a Panasonic VT50 and I can't hear a peep from it.[/QUOTE]

It just varies by your hearing, some people have bad luck and just really hear that type of buzzing. I've been around low and high end plasmas and heard it on all--though some due buzz louder than others for sure.

Loud sound doesn't always help as it's still audible (to me) during bright, quiet scenes in a movie (i.e. a sunny outdoor scene that is just people talking). One good example of something that was particularly bad was Jiro Dreams of Sushi--just a lot of talking/interviews with Sushi chefs in bright white chef's outfits--buzzed like crazy! Plus, being in a condo, I can't blare the sound system anyway, so I sometimes did hear it even in bright action scenes--especially if watching late at night when I really have to keep the volume lower than I'd like.

It's very distracting to me because it's intermittent and just audible in those types of bright and quiet scenes so it always snaps me out of the moment. It would be different it it was a more constant hum like old CRT TVs, or the buzzing fridge I hear all the time in my condo--that stuff is easy to tune out. But intermittent buzzing drives me nuts.

Thankfully I'm not a video at all and don't really care that much about picture quality--beyond having a decent set from a decent brand I can be totally happy with pretty much TV as long as it's big enough for the room/viewing distance.
 
If you go Sharp make sure it's the Quatron.

If you want a plasma go Panasonic only.

Since you said you watch a lot of sports go with the 240hz. At my work we sell a 70 sharp with everything you want and I think it's $1900.

I am a bit of a fan of Samsung TVs they are super Nice. You can't go wrong if you get a LG, Sharp or Samsung in this size. Also since your getting 3d make sure it is active 3d.
 
[quote name='Mako1215']Also since your getting 3d make sure it is active 3d.[/QUOTE]

I'd actually disagree with that too.

The plasma I tried was a Panasonic plasma with active 3D, and I exchanged that for a Panasonic LED that's passive 3D.

Granted that's only two TVs, but I prefer the passive. The active 3D tired my eyes a lot faster than the passive, the crosstalk (double imaging of pop out effects) was worse on the active, and I'm not fond of 3D glasses that require batteries or recharging as you have to worry about them being dead the few times you get around to watching the limited 3D content out there.

It seems to be a too each, their own thing though as there is a ton of debate about which is "better" out there from what I gathered when researching TVs this winter.
 
[quote name='Javery']I'm in the market for a 70" TV. I'm leaning towards an LED TV but I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on this stuff. It is tough to wade through all of the crap online.

THIS is the one I'm thinking about. Sharp 70-Inch LE757 Class Aquos® Quattron 1080p 240Hz LED 3D HDTV. Any thoughts or suggestions?[/QUOTE]


Sharp LED TVs are generally very good (their Elite series is top notch). I would check out this model instead (CNET Review to get you started). In the meantime, keep an eye out on Slickdeals for Sony's KDL - HX850 or HX950 series because they have been on sale lately and they are amazing TVs.

Also check out this Vizio as an alternative. Not much to say about Samsung aside from last year being a disappointment, especially when you consider the high price tag.

If you change your mind and want to explore Plasma TVs, this years crop of Panasonic and Samsung are all quiet good. The top of the line Panasonic ZT60 is on par with, if not better, then Kuros from a few years back. Obviously the price of the ZT60 a bit steep.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I'd actually disagree with that too.

The plasma I tried was a Panasonic plasma with active 3D, and I exchanged that for a Panasonic LED that's passive 3D.

Granted that's only two TVs, but I prefer the passive. The active 3D tired my eyes a lot faster than the passive, the crosstalk (double imaging of pop out effects) was worse on the active, and I'm not fond of 3D glasses that require batteries or recharging as you have to worry about them being dead the few times you get around to watching the limited 3D content out there.

It seems to be a too each, their own thing though as there is a ton of debate about which is "better" out there from what I gathered when researching TVs this winter.[/QUOTE]

When it comes to 3D its all subjective. You have to try it out yourself in your living room before you can make a decision as to what you like.
 
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One more thing to note for Javery, is that this is a really lousy time of year to buy TVs for the most part.

The new year models have came out over the past couple of months, so prices are very high.

The best time of year to buy is January/February when there's a bunch of crazy sales as stores are trying to get rid of the prior year models before the new years hit.

For instance, I got my 55" Panasonic LED for $899.99 as I noted earlier. It has a list price of $1,899.99 and went for around $1,200-1,500 when it came out, and prices gradually dropped through the fall and hit bottom around spring.

You may be able to still find some previous year models on ok sales--I see Amazon has the one I bought back in stock again (it sold out at the $899 price) for $958.95.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']One more thing to note for Javery, is that this is a really lousy time of year to buy TVs for the most part.

The new year models have came out over the past couple of months, so prices are very high.

The best time of year to buy is January/February when there's a bunch of crazy sales as stores are trying to get rid of the prior year models before the new years hit.

For instance, I got my 55" Panasonic LED for $899.99 as I noted earlier. It has a list price of $1,899.99 and went for around $1,200-1,500 when it came out, and prices gradually dropped through the fall and hit bottom around spring.

You may be able to still find some previous year models on ok sales--I see Amazon has the one I bought back in stock again (it sold out at the $899 price) for $958.95.[/QUOTE]

Completely agree, and told Javery as much the last time he was TV shopping. However, Best Buy has a sale in the Summer which sometimes yields some decent deals. This time a year price mistakes are usually your best bet for great deals.
 
Oh, and one more thing on plasmas that hasn't (I think) been mentioned--they aren't great in bright rooms. The high end models have filters on the screen which do help a lot. But they tend to be pretty reflective and washout a lot in sunlight or with a lot of lights on in the room. So that may be an issue if you watch during the day and can't easily control lighting in your media room/living room. Usually just a matter of getting some blackout blinds/curtains--but a major pain for people with skylights, floor to ceiling windows etc.

Wasn't a huge issue for me as I have a solid roll down blind on my balcony doors in the living room. I did hate having to close them to watch TV during the day though, as I hate losing my 21st story view. To be fair, my Panny LED isn't great with them open either as it has a glossy reflective screen too--but it doesn't totally washout like the Panny UT50 plasma did. Though that is their lower end model, and didn't have the filter that the higher end models do.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Oh, and one more thing on plasmas that hasn't (I think) been mentioned--they aren't great in bright rooms. The high end models have filters on the screen which do help a lot. But they tend to be pretty reflective and washout a lot in sunlight or with a lot of lights on in the room. So that may be an issue if you watch during the day and can't easily control lighting in your media room/living room. Usually just a matter of getting some blackout blinds/curtains--but a major pain for people with skylights, floor to ceiling windows etc.

Wasn't a huge issue for me as I have a solid roll down blind on my balcony doors in the living room. I did hate having to close them to watch TV during the day though, as I hate losing my 21st story view. To be fair, my Panny LED isn't great with them open either as it has a glossy reflective screen too--but it doesn't totally washout like the Panny UT50 plasma did. Though that is their lower end model, and didn't have the filter that the higher end models do.[/QUOTE]

Completely agreed.
 
Check it out in-store if you can. I find that even the expensive LEDs tend to have the soap opera effect.

Plasmas buzz but so do CRTs. LCDs are terrible for games and sports. Of course there are always exceptions to this.
 
[quote name='kill3r7']Completely agree, and told Javery as much the last time he was TV shopping. However, Best Buy has a sale in the Summer which sometimes yields some decent deals. This time a year price mistakes are usually your best bet for great deals.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='dmaul1114']Oh, and one more thing on plasmas that hasn't (I think) been mentioned--they aren't great in bright rooms. The high end models have filters on the screen which do help a lot. But they tend to be pretty reflective and washout a lot in sunlight or with a lot of lights on in the room. So that may be an issue if you watch during the day and can't easily control lighting in your media room/living room. Usually just a matter of getting some blackout blinds/curtains--but a major pain for people with skylights, floor to ceiling windows etc.

Wasn't a huge issue for me as I have a solid roll down blind on my balcony doors in the living room. I did hate having to close them to watch TV during the day though, as I hate losing my 21st story view. To be fair, my Panny LED isn't great with them open either as it has a glossy reflective screen too--but it doesn't totally washout like the Panny UT50 plasma did. Though that is their lower end model, and didn't have the filter that the higher end models do.[/QUOTE]

Thanks guys - these are excellent points. I'm not sure I can wait until January/February but who knows. The addition on my house will be completely finished by the end of June (finally) and I'm going to have a giant blank wall where the TV will eventually go. I suppose I could just put my 42" plasma there in the meantime but I was planning on moving it to the bedroom. The room is VERY well lit - 6 full sized windows plus a transom on one other wall - so daytime viewing is definitely a concern. The old TV room was like a cave so I didn't have any issues with light in there. Someone needs to start a business where a truck will show up to your house one Saturday and they can let you test 4 or 5 TVs you are considering.
 
[quote name='willardhaven']Check it out in-store if you can. I find that even the expensive LEDs tend to have the soap opera effect.

Plasmas buzz but so do CRTs. LCDs are terrible for games and sports. Of course there are always exceptions to this.[/QUOTE]

It's all in the eye of the beholder though. I've never seen the soap opera effect personally, and motion blur doesn't really bother me either. But again, I'm not remotely a videophile type so I don't go looking for that kind of stuff, nor do I try to educate myself on what a "reference" picture is etc. I just want a big screen for my games/shows/movies, and don't care beyond doing a quick picture adjustment with the Disney WoW calibration disc.

Anyway, every type of TV has some type of drawbacks, The best one can do is just check out a bunch of TVs before deciding, and order/buy somewhere with a great return/exchange policy in case you end up not liking it once you get it home.

I went with Amazon, free shipping and great (and painless) return policy when I exchanged the plasma for the LED (no fees, took away the plasma when they delivered the LED etc.) Just be sure to keep the box until you're for sure you're going to keep the set.
 
OK, I think I'm settled on a 70" TV - I laid it out on my TV wall and it looks great proportionately.  Now I need to decide on which one...

Although THIS plasma looks awesome but it's "only" 65-inches... I have a Panasonic plasma which I LOVE so this is why I'd be willing to go plasma again.

 
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If you don't need an ultra thin tv look into a DLP tv. They are amazing. I have a Mitsubishi 73'' DLP and it is awesome. You get more for the price as well. 

Definitely go in store, change the settings to normal (from super bright), and just watch. Make sure there is no soap opera effect. I hate watching LED tv's that have the soap opera effect especially for sports. It is really bothersome

 
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