Where in toronto/Kitchener area is the best place to buy a TV (best prices)?? Also new to this what brands are best and would you recommend LCD or plasma?? looking for 50 inch. Its going in a walk out basement so area has lots of light.
Plasma's or LCD
- Thread starter nastyside2000
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Well, he DID ask: Plasma's or LCD, not LCD or Plasma's....Maybe he thinks he'll get different results than the 8,412 answers already posted on this topic.....Kenwoody said:
Actually, to me, this is a good question; so, if someone wants to provide a useful response, let them.
I did a "search this forum" thing for the word "plasma" and all I got were three very uninteresting threads; so, maybe the topic has not been covered all that well or the search function is not working all that well.
I did a "search this forum" thing for the word "plasma" and all I got were three very uninteresting threads; so, maybe the topic has not been covered all that well or the search function is not working all that well.
LCDs have come down in price quite bit..... 50 inch LCD u will be paying more the you would for a 50 inch plasma. Even the top of the line LCD does not do blacks as well as a plasma...pretty darn close but not as well.
Rule of thumb i try and stick by and this is what the guys from Sharp tell me...if u are using it mainly as a home theatre go with plasma ..... if u r gaming and watching a lot of HD Television and sports....go with LCD.
Now Plasma still has the issue with burn in ( still images being shown too long and u see the ghost effect from now on) but not nearly as much...so try and avoid still images or video games for the first 100 hours. LCD is still back lit so there is some trailing images (I have a cheap Daytek 40 inch in my bedroom and i never notice them and 50 inch not cheap Sharp Aquos and i see them) while watching sports and action scenes.
Honestly if u have a Costco membership and you buy the TV there you can always return it...1 2 or 3 years later.
My Sharp was originally a 40 inch but as the price has gone down i have sized up by returning mine... am i a cheap prick...yep.
If you are going ot spend the money on the TV get the HD Service ..... if not just for the Discovery channel... also there are a lot of free HD broadcasts via an antenna depending on where u live.
Rule of thumb i try and stick by and this is what the guys from Sharp tell me...if u are using it mainly as a home theatre go with plasma ..... if u r gaming and watching a lot of HD Television and sports....go with LCD.
Now Plasma still has the issue with burn in ( still images being shown too long and u see the ghost effect from now on) but not nearly as much...so try and avoid still images or video games for the first 100 hours. LCD is still back lit so there is some trailing images (I have a cheap Daytek 40 inch in my bedroom and i never notice them and 50 inch not cheap Sharp Aquos and i see them) while watching sports and action scenes.
Honestly if u have a Costco membership and you buy the TV there you can always return it...1 2 or 3 years later.
My Sharp was originally a 40 inch but as the price has gone down i have sized up by returning mine... am i a cheap prick...yep.
If you are going ot spend the money on the TV get the HD Service ..... if not just for the Discovery channel... also there are a lot of free HD broadcasts via an antenna depending on where u live.
best price I have seen $799 hd 42"lcd tigerdirect plas 42" $828 brand was a vizio
best plasma picture Pioneer think it is a axd1536 50"
Pro to LCD uses less power ,most will out last plasma ,images will not burn in,cost is usually less for LCD .
Pro to Plama picture is usually a little bit better.
Do not get Plasma for Video games
Buy on of each for differnt rooms
best plasma picture Pioneer think it is a axd1536 50"
Pro to LCD uses less power ,most will out last plasma ,images will not burn in,cost is usually less for LCD .
Pro to Plama picture is usually a little bit better.
Do not get Plasma for Video games
Buy on of each for differnt rooms
It depends what you’re going to use it for. At the 50” size, a plasma would tend to be a little cheaper.
Plasma has better contrast, deeper blacks and richer colors. Plasma has a faster refresh and is usually better for watching sports. Plasma looks better when you’re viewing it on an extreme angle.
However, the problem with plasma is that it has a screen burning issue which makes it not a good choice for viewing static images. Therefore, a plasma would be inappropriate for use as a computer monitor. The new plasmas are supposed to be better with screen burn in but it is still a concern.
They also say that LCD looks better in a brightly lit room.
I’ve heard that the new LCD’s are supposed to have faster refreshes.
If you’re going with plasma, I’d recommend Panasonic.
If you’re going LCD, then I’d recommend Sharp or Toshiba.
If you’re buying in Kitchener, then check out Steve’s TV.
Plasma has better contrast, deeper blacks and richer colors. Plasma has a faster refresh and is usually better for watching sports. Plasma looks better when you’re viewing it on an extreme angle.
However, the problem with plasma is that it has a screen burning issue which makes it not a good choice for viewing static images. Therefore, a plasma would be inappropriate for use as a computer monitor. The new plasmas are supposed to be better with screen burn in but it is still a concern.
They also say that LCD looks better in a brightly lit room.
I’ve heard that the new LCD’s are supposed to have faster refreshes.
If you’re going with plasma, I’d recommend Panasonic.
If you’re going LCD, then I’d recommend Sharp or Toshiba.
If you’re buying in Kitchener, then check out Steve’s TV.
Thanks for the info. I'm leaning towards the Plasma for now.
I'll be making a trip to Steve's soon.
I'll be making a trip to Steve's soon.
canucklehead said:
Costco has changed their return policy on televisions so that people can only return them, no questions asked, for a period of 90 days.
And I think you just get a store credit. Costco had to cancel the return TV policy because consumers were taking advantage of it and the company was losing tens of millions of dollars a year because of the policy.
Quote:
"Glendale resident Ofelia Ayvazyan said Tuesday that Costco staff made her wait more than 20 minutes before letting her return a 42-inch flat-screen television she bought three years ago. She said she'll shop for electronics elsewhere from now on.
-- after she spends the store credit worth $2,932.72. "I'm not happy with the new policy," she said, but "at least I got my money back to buy a new one."
http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/2007/0301/biz/stories/23febcostcoreturns.htm
http://blog.tmcnet.com/beyond-voip/entertainment/costco-amends-tv-return-policy.asp
Lower resolution plasmas (1024x768) are being sold off these days, so the prices are very attractive, but they do not display standard channels as well as the newer sets. This is not due the number of pixels, but rather the older processors do not scale the picture as well as new sets.
Just be sure what resolution you are buying. All new HD sets are 1920x1080, that's twice the number of pixels than a 720p set.
Don't let anyone tell you 720p is better than 1080i. Complete bunk..all flat panels are digital TV's and ONLY display progressive images at their native resolution. Settop boxes output 1080i only to be compatible with all TV's, digital and tube.
For a great picture and good price, you can't go wrong with the Sharp Aquos. And at Costco, the 46'' Sharp Aquos is a very good price for an excellent TV. And the Sony Bravia is on sale also.
Just be sure what resolution you are buying. All new HD sets are 1920x1080, that's twice the number of pixels than a 720p set.
Don't let anyone tell you 720p is better than 1080i. Complete bunk..all flat panels are digital TV's and ONLY display progressive images at their native resolution. Settop boxes output 1080i only to be compatible with all TV's, digital and tube.
For a great picture and good price, you can't go wrong with the Sharp Aquos. And at Costco, the 46'' Sharp Aquos is a very good price for an excellent TV. And the Sony Bravia is on sale also.
Actually the previous post about screen burnin is different than what I've read: I read that LCD's are more subject to burn in than plasmas.....
As wheel man said, 1080i is best, but I've read that 1080P is better. That's the difference between an interlaced refresh (every second line is refreshed per cycle) and progressive where every line is refreshed per cycle.
As wheel man said, 1080i is best, but I've read that 1080P is better. That's the difference between an interlaced refresh (every second line is refreshed per cycle) and progressive where every line is refreshed per cycle.
lcd's don't burn in. and i would definitely go with lcd. imo, plasma will go the way of the dinosaur.... and every one i've seen so far has looked awful! not to mention the terrible reflections.... LCD's are MUCH brighter and crisper. the goods ones show decent blacks too.
HDTV Checklist
All the proper pertinent information has been made in this post. So since I have a little time on my hands I'll consolidate it for you:
PLASMA
-best for tv and movie watchers that will be placing a TV out of direct light. it will suffer burn in, but they are better then before.
-the best sets are: Pioneer, expensive but the richest picture. Panasonic, still a great picture and the highest rating for a flat screen by consumers report.
LCD
-best for gamers and hooking internet through. a better TV for bright rooms. they are lighter for wall mounting
-best sets are: Sony, pricey but the top rated LCD's for a while. Samsung, making great strides in TV's. Sharp, biggest bang for the buck right now. most attractive looking set (in my opinion). the Aquos drops in price weekly cause they are selling so many of them. Any of these three will be a good purchase. then the rest........
Three rules for buying flat screens:
1)must be 1080P. we are so close to full out HD programming nothing else makes sense
2)buy the brand names. names like Vizio and others usually do not have any Canadian support
3)make sure you have enough HDMI inputs. you will need at least 3, game consoles, HD DVD or Blueray, and a HD converter/PVR.
Buying now from places like Best Buy and Futureshop give you the piece of mind that you will get the best price through boxing day with their 30 day best price guarantee (I went back twice and got $500 off my TV and a computer). you just have to keep an eye on their flyers. Costco, even though they have good prices and good return policies usually sell sets with something missing (Hdmi inputs or lower contrast ratios) its how they can justify selling so much lower. Small places like G & G, Tabangi and Star Electronics offer up some really good prices.
Not as conscise as I hoped, but there you go
All the proper pertinent information has been made in this post. So since I have a little time on my hands I'll consolidate it for you:
PLASMA
-best for tv and movie watchers that will be placing a TV out of direct light. it will suffer burn in, but they are better then before.
-the best sets are: Pioneer, expensive but the richest picture. Panasonic, still a great picture and the highest rating for a flat screen by consumers report.
LCD
-best for gamers and hooking internet through. a better TV for bright rooms. they are lighter for wall mounting
-best sets are: Sony, pricey but the top rated LCD's for a while. Samsung, making great strides in TV's. Sharp, biggest bang for the buck right now. most attractive looking set (in my opinion). the Aquos drops in price weekly cause they are selling so many of them. Any of these three will be a good purchase. then the rest........
Three rules for buying flat screens:
1)must be 1080P. we are so close to full out HD programming nothing else makes sense
2)buy the brand names. names like Vizio and others usually do not have any Canadian support
3)make sure you have enough HDMI inputs. you will need at least 3, game consoles, HD DVD or Blueray, and a HD converter/PVR.
Buying now from places like Best Buy and Futureshop give you the piece of mind that you will get the best price through boxing day with their 30 day best price guarantee (I went back twice and got $500 off my TV and a computer). you just have to keep an eye on their flyers. Costco, even though they have good prices and good return policies usually sell sets with something missing (Hdmi inputs or lower contrast ratios) its how they can justify selling so much lower. Small places like G & G, Tabangi and Star Electronics offer up some really good prices.
Not as conscise as I hoped, but there you go
