[mythtv-users] OT: LED or Plasma (was Advice on choosing a TV)

[Paul Gardiner]

Indulis Bernsteins wrote:
 >
 > OK, don't depend on what is set up in the store, if the LCD display's
 > "demo mode" is set to be more colourful and higher contrast then it will
 > look better in the store than the plasma.

Yeah, but I was expecting that. What I wasn't expecting was the
softening of the image in the plasma. I saw both sets driven
in two ways, direct hdmi, and via a box that scaled down to
480i. The Plasma didn't show a huge difference between the two,
where as on the LED the difference was startling.

 > Depends on who set up each display.  In real life you should use Digital
 > Video Essentials once you have a set home, so that you still get details
 > in dark shadows, that your eyes don't burn out from the bright 
colours etc.

Trouble is, it's a bit too late when you've got it home.

 > I think the best thing you can do is to NOT take what you see as any
 > indicator of real performance in the home.  I'd try a specialist site
 > like avsforum.

Good advice. I've started doing that, and I'm finding a lot now about
Plasmas having a softening effect on the image.  Some people saying it
took them a while to get used to it. Someone suggested it was due to
the dithering that Plasmas have to do. I don't think there was anyone
saying they felt they'd made a mistake getting a Plasma. What bothers
me though is I'd like the option to play high-quality 1080i into a 1080
set on not lose resolution. Softening is in effect throwing away resolution.

 > I've had both plasma panels (42" and 50" Panasonics), and now have a
 > Sony LCD 46".
 >
 > Read the display's manuals on-line so you can check that they can
 > respond to the right resolution and Hz from the VGA port or the HDMI
 > port.  Just because the panel is 1080 lines does *NOT* mean thay this
 > resolution is accessible from a PC attached to the display (yeah dumb I
 > know but there you go, my Sony won't do 50Hz inputs via the VGA port
 > which I need because Australia is PAL!).

I'll do exactly that. I'll grab the manual and return to the shop - see
if I can get sharpness out of the Plasma to equal the LED. In theory,
although it isn't ideal, a sharpening filter should be able to partially
undo any softening effect of the technology.

 >
 > Bu the way, I would go back to a good plasma over an LCD, the LCD has
 > "clouding" so when you look at say a dark space scene that should be
 > evenly black, you can see "fog" in the corners of the display.

That's interesting. I'm hearing that a lot in the forums too. Just a
shame about the softening thing, and with the constant improvements
in LCD (particularly LED), it's less easy to rule it out.


Paul.