So I am going to be buying a new TV for GT5 and I am not sure whether to go for LCD or plasma for gaming. I have heard LCD is pretty good for gaming but not so good for movies. My friend says plasma is best for everything, so I am little on the fence. Will there even be a noticeable difference between the two for gaming (smooth movement without jerking, nice colors, etc)?
Plasma or LCD for GT5?
- Thread starter Morlow
- 58 comments
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- 4,797
- Antarctica
Wrong section buddy.
- 107
- ZERO_STIG
- ****box_3****ti
- 18
- geomil21
- pillz4thrillz
I'm no expert on TV's but i DO have a LCD TV and a Plasma. The LCD look's great but if you aren't directly in front of it, the colors seem to change and at a far enough angle it looks like its a negative image. My Plasma is also great, it's only real downfall is that if you are moving, you have to keep it in the upright position during the move, or you may screw up the screen and don't leave the screen on one single image or it can get permanently burnt into the screen. (this was told to me by the guy who sold it to me). My personal preference is the plasma.
Wow I didn't even see the home theater section. Can someone move this thread? It's not letting me open the thread tools for some reason.
Edit: Nvm I got it moved.
- 3,294
- CA, USA
- Sum1s2pid
I went LCD. Here's some cut-n-paste, if this helps you decide:
From Wikipedia:
Plasma display advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
* Slim profile
* Can be wall mounted
* Less bulky than rear-projection televisions
* Produces deep blacks allowing for superior contrast ratio
* Wider viewing angles than those of LCD; images do not suffer from degradation at high angles unlike LCDs
* Virtually no motion blur, thanks in large part to very high refresh rates and a faster response time, contributing to superior performance when displaying content with significant amounts of rapid motion
Disadvantages
* Heavier screen-door effect when compared to LCD or OLED based TVs
* Susceptible to screen burn-in and image retention,nowadays most recent models have pixel orbiter
* Phosphors lose luminosity over time, resulting in gradual decline of absolute image brightness (newer models are less susceptible to this, having lifespans exceeding 100,000 hours, far longer than older CRT technology)
* Susceptible to "large area flicker"
* Generally do not come in smaller sizes than 37 inches
* Susceptible to reflection glare in bright rooms
* Heavier than LCD due to the requirement of a glass screen to hold the gases
* Use more electricity, on average, than an LCD TV
* Do not work as well at high altitudes due to pressure differential between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude. It may cause a buzzing noise. Manufacturers rate their screens to indicate the altitude parameters.
* For those who wish to listen to AM radio, or are Amateur Radio operators (Hams) or Shortwave Listeners (SWL) , the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from these devices can be irritating or disabling.
From VarTech Systems Inc.:
LCD Advantages
Brightness Produces very bright images due to high peak intensity. Very suitable for environments that are brightly lit .
Emissions Produce considerably lower electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields than CRTs.
Geometric Distortion No geometric distortion at the native resolution. Minor distortion can occur for other resolutions.
Power Consumption Energy efficient. Consume less than 1/3 the power of a comparable CRT. Consume less electricity than a CRT and produce little heat.
Physical Aspects Take up about 40% less desk space. LCDs are thin and compact.
Screen Shape Completely flat screen.
Sharpness At the native resolution, the image is perfectly sharp. Adjustments are required at all other resolutions which can result in measurable degradation to the image.
LCD Disadvantages
Aspect Ratio The aspect ratio and resolution are fixed.
Black-Level Not proficient at producing black and very dark grays. In a "standard" configuration, not appropriate for use in dimly lit and dark conditions.
Contrast Lower contrast than CRTs due to a poor black-level.
Color and Gray-Scale Accuracy Color saturation is reduced at low intensity levels due to a poor black-level. Images are satisfactory, but not accurate due to problems with black-level, gray-scale and Gamma.
Cost Considerably more expensive purchase price than comparable CRTs . (Cheaper lifetime cost: lasts about 13,000 - 15,000 more hours than a typical CRT.)
Gray-Scale Have an irregular intensity scale and typically produce fewer than 256 discrete intensity levels. For some LCDs portions of the gray-scale may be dithered.
Motion Artifacts Slow response times and scan rate conversion result in severe motion artifacts and image degradation for moving or rapidly changing images.
Resolution Works best at the native resolution. The native resolution can not be changed. All other resolutions require adjusting procedures which can cause considerable deterioration of the image.
Viewing Angle Restricted viewing angles. Viewing angles affect the brightness, contrast and colors shown. Wide angles can lead to contrast and color reversal.
White Saturation Saturation and compression can occur due to the bright-end of the intensity scale becoming overloaded. Contrast control must be carefully adjusted.
Other LCD Characteristics
Bad Pixels Can have many weak or stuck pixels, which are permanently on or off. Some pixels may be improperly connected to adjoining pixels, rows or columns.
Interference May require frequent readjustments throughout the day due to timing drift and jitter. Analog input requires careful modification of pixel tracking / phase to decrease or eliminate digital noise in the image.
From Wikipedia:
Plasma display advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
* Slim profile
* Can be wall mounted
* Less bulky than rear-projection televisions
* Produces deep blacks allowing for superior contrast ratio
* Wider viewing angles than those of LCD; images do not suffer from degradation at high angles unlike LCDs
* Virtually no motion blur, thanks in large part to very high refresh rates and a faster response time, contributing to superior performance when displaying content with significant amounts of rapid motion
Disadvantages
* Heavier screen-door effect when compared to LCD or OLED based TVs
* Susceptible to screen burn-in and image retention,nowadays most recent models have pixel orbiter
* Phosphors lose luminosity over time, resulting in gradual decline of absolute image brightness (newer models are less susceptible to this, having lifespans exceeding 100,000 hours, far longer than older CRT technology)
* Susceptible to "large area flicker"
* Generally do not come in smaller sizes than 37 inches
* Susceptible to reflection glare in bright rooms
* Heavier than LCD due to the requirement of a glass screen to hold the gases
* Use more electricity, on average, than an LCD TV
* Do not work as well at high altitudes due to pressure differential between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude. It may cause a buzzing noise. Manufacturers rate their screens to indicate the altitude parameters.
* For those who wish to listen to AM radio, or are Amateur Radio operators (Hams) or Shortwave Listeners (SWL) , the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from these devices can be irritating or disabling.
From VarTech Systems Inc.:
LCD Advantages
Brightness Produces very bright images due to high peak intensity. Very suitable for environments that are brightly lit .
Emissions Produce considerably lower electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields than CRTs.
Geometric Distortion No geometric distortion at the native resolution. Minor distortion can occur for other resolutions.
Power Consumption Energy efficient. Consume less than 1/3 the power of a comparable CRT. Consume less electricity than a CRT and produce little heat.
Physical Aspects Take up about 40% less desk space. LCDs are thin and compact.
Screen Shape Completely flat screen.
Sharpness At the native resolution, the image is perfectly sharp. Adjustments are required at all other resolutions which can result in measurable degradation to the image.
LCD Disadvantages
Aspect Ratio The aspect ratio and resolution are fixed.
Black-Level Not proficient at producing black and very dark grays. In a "standard" configuration, not appropriate for use in dimly lit and dark conditions.
Contrast Lower contrast than CRTs due to a poor black-level.
Color and Gray-Scale Accuracy Color saturation is reduced at low intensity levels due to a poor black-level. Images are satisfactory, but not accurate due to problems with black-level, gray-scale and Gamma.
Cost Considerably more expensive purchase price than comparable CRTs . (Cheaper lifetime cost: lasts about 13,000 - 15,000 more hours than a typical CRT.)
Gray-Scale Have an irregular intensity scale and typically produce fewer than 256 discrete intensity levels. For some LCDs portions of the gray-scale may be dithered.
Motion Artifacts Slow response times and scan rate conversion result in severe motion artifacts and image degradation for moving or rapidly changing images.
Resolution Works best at the native resolution. The native resolution can not be changed. All other resolutions require adjusting procedures which can cause considerable deterioration of the image.
Viewing Angle Restricted viewing angles. Viewing angles affect the brightness, contrast and colors shown. Wide angles can lead to contrast and color reversal.
White Saturation Saturation and compression can occur due to the bright-end of the intensity scale becoming overloaded. Contrast control must be carefully adjusted.
Other LCD Characteristics
Bad Pixels Can have many weak or stuck pixels, which are permanently on or off. Some pixels may be improperly connected to adjoining pixels, rows or columns.
Interference May require frequent readjustments throughout the day due to timing drift and jitter. Analog input requires careful modification of pixel tracking / phase to decrease or eliminate digital noise in the image.
- 107
- ZERO_STIG
- ****box_3****ti
- 18
- geomil21
- pillz4thrillz
It might be just the brand of LCD I have. I bought the little guy when LCD first came out. It has a max of 720p but my xbox displayed in 1080i on it and after a half hour, the screen went crazy lol. It was like Regular TV Static at the pixel level with every color flickering individually.
@Morlow- I play Forza on my Plasma all the time and even after some of the endurance races i don't get a burn on the screen. I've heard of it happening but for some reason, I have yet to experience it.
- 107
- ZERO_STIG
- ****box_3****ti
- 107
- ZERO_STIG
- ****box_3****ti
- 18
- geomil21
- pillz4thrillz
I used the component cables on both TV's and i realized the image on the plasma looked the same as HDMI, but my LCD didn't look right with component cables. Either way my little LCD is going with me to Afghanistan, I sure as hell ain't lugging around a 42" plasma lol.
- 35,788
- Downtown North Dakota
- Cy-Fi
Coming from someone with both (32" LCD and 50" plasma), if your room has a lot of ambient light in it, get an LCD. The screen glare on my plasma during the day is immense. At night, however, the plasma really comes alive. I never had an issue with glare on my LCD, but the "pop" just isn't there, either.
Also, screen burn used to be a real problem with plasma sets, but recently that's become less of an issue, or so I understand. But don't quote me on that one.
General info - get a 1080P set and grab your cables from monoprice.
Also, screen burn used to be a real problem with plasma sets, but recently that's become less of an issue, or so I understand. But don't quote me on that one.
General info - get a 1080P set and grab your cables from monoprice.
- 97
- Brisbane, Australia
- krazi101
Most plasmas have screen burn protection (Pixel Shift and functions to let you wipe the burnt images by running white through to black in a continous loop)
Having said that and having a 52" plasma (doesnt do 1080p only i) for the PS3, I would go with an LCD simple because the amount of heat that thing generates is huge = lots of power. Quality wise, everything is fine but I wish the refresh was a bit higher as I can notice the flicker (after using my PCs LCD monitor).
Edit: Forgot to mention, even though I use screen burn protection wipes after every session and it helps to some extent, I still have 2 burns that I can see when the screen is full white. Grand Theft Auto map circle on the lower left hand corner, and GT5P lap times on the top right hand side.
Having said that and having a 52" plasma (doesnt do 1080p only i) for the PS3, I would go with an LCD simple because the amount of heat that thing generates is huge = lots of power. Quality wise, everything is fine but I wish the refresh was a bit higher as I can notice the flicker (after using my PCs LCD monitor).
Edit: Forgot to mention, even though I use screen burn protection wipes after every session and it helps to some extent, I still have 2 burns that I can see when the screen is full white. Grand Theft Auto map circle on the lower left hand corner, and GT5P lap times on the top right hand side.
- 6
- N/A [ylod :(]
IMO I would say that they are pretty even for playing games and a lot of it has to do with your preference. The best thing to do is look up ratings on each brand. When I purchased my plasma, Panasonic was the best rated brand for plasma and Samsung was the best for LCD.
What makes the difference in how good it looks are the cables you use. A $10 HDMI cable will look no where near as good as a high end cable. When I got my PS3 I got the Playstation HDMI cable and it was ok. Then upgraded to the Monster 300 series cable and it made a world of difference. (They will be ridiculously priced though. Mine was over $300)
As for the burn in Plasma, it will eventually go away for the most part and will only be able to notice it in very bright (mainly white colors). But when using it I don't notice any burned image.
What makes the difference in how good it looks are the cables you use. A $10 HDMI cable will look no where near as good as a high end cable. When I got my PS3 I got the Playstation HDMI cable and it was ok. Then upgraded to the Monster 300 series cable and it made a world of difference. (They will be ridiculously priced though. Mine was over $300)
As for the burn in Plasma, it will eventually go away for the most part and will only be able to notice it in very bright (mainly white colors). But when using it I don't notice any burned image.
- 35,788
- Downtown North Dakota
- Cy-Fi
You have got to be kidding me.
- 1,261
- PureAwesomeness
- SteamTroller77
I always thought that HDMI cables couldn't vary in quality.
ROAD_DOGG33J
Premium
- 14,494
- IL, USA
- holyc0w1
- holyc0w
I think if you want to run longer distances quality might matter a bit more, but you could still probably avoid paying hundreds for cables.
- 692
- Dracwolley
You have got to be kidding me.
*cough* CLARIFICATION: COMMENCE
Digital cables transmit 1s and 0s. These cannot become 1/2s. There cannot be distortion or anything like that because a 1 was missing, or the like. If it works at all, it transmits the proper 1s and 0s. So a $3 cable is just as good as a $3000 cable.
Analog cables transmit waves of signal. Without proper insulation or with too much tension, long distance, etc, these waves could become slightly distorted. A wave could have a kink in it, for example, causing a small pop in the audio. This can be prevented, however, with a lot of insulation - Monster once released a cable with a layer of gases inside the rubber insulation, which mostly blocked incoming frequencies, leading to a much more reliable cable.
Basically, it made a difference in analog cables and people knew it. So when digital cables became the norm, the expensive high-end companies like Monster thought that people wouldn't notice and gave the same treatment to digital cables, even though it was unneeded, just to make a buck.
- 255
I'm going for an LED lit 32" tv for my room when GT5 comes out!!!
Far less power consumption and heat, better contrast as well (compared to LCD)
Far less power consumption and heat, better contrast as well (compared to LCD)
- 6
- N/A [ylod :(]
You have got to be kidding me.
Nope (I got it back when HDMI was still pretty new, you can get the same cable at about $60-$70). But the quality of what they use to make it does make the difference like in the connection. A silver or copper connection won't get quite what a gold connector will provide.
I also forgot to mention that compared to component cables or regular a/v cables etc.
Last edited:
- 11,462
- U.K
- Paganisterr
- Ak Paganister
Everything has been covered already, but I would only go Plasma if motion blurring and viewing angles are a real concern. But then LCD so good nowadays there's not much difference between them anymore. There's the black level issue if you sit at an off angle but if you sit dead on it's not far off plamas anymore. And the power consumption of LCDs is considerably less. If I had a Plasma display in my tiny room I'd probably boil up. 
- 1,096
- Wattsterplus
- XML Binging Language?
Plasma is getting a hard time in this poll. A good quality Plasma wipes the floor with almost all LCD TV's, especially at gaming. I have yet to come accross an LCD TV that doesn't suffer shadowing or flickering problems.
I have both, for movies and games nothing beats the plasma for picture quality.
For everyday TV, an LCD will be cheaper to buy, cheaper to power and suffer a little less from ambient light. But then, who watches TV during the day?
I play games in a darkened room, and watch movies in 'cinema darkness', is how they are supposed to be viewed.
As for heat, i haven't noticed it off my 42", something to look at. In fact i noticed more heat of my Sky box and PS3.
There is no difference in any HDMI cable, it either works or is doesn't. Really is that simple*. You got ripped off.
*small exception of really long runs, but then again longer cables cost more.
I have both, for movies and games nothing beats the plasma for picture quality.
For everyday TV, an LCD will be cheaper to buy, cheaper to power and suffer a little less from ambient light. But then, who watches TV during the day?
I play games in a darkened room, and watch movies in 'cinema darkness', is how they are supposed to be viewed.
As for heat, i haven't noticed it off my 42", something to look at. In fact i noticed more heat of my Sky box and PS3.
There is no difference in any HDMI cable, it either works or is doesn't. Really is that simple*. You got ripped off.
*small exception of really long runs, but then again longer cables cost more.
Robin
Premium
- 16,799
- United Kingdom
Cheap HDMI cables perform exactly the same as expensive ones. Its digital so it makes no difference. So many people still get conned today into buying super expensive ones because they were used to that habit back in the analogue days.
I personally would always go for LCD because I don't want burn in to happen, I would always be worried that it might happen (like with TV station logos etc) so it would be a nightmare. For what I've seen in the UK Plasma is not all that popular, stores might have 1 or 2 but the majority available are LCD. We pay stupidly expensive electricity so that might be something to do with it.
Robin.
I personally would always go for LCD because I don't want burn in to happen, I would always be worried that it might happen (like with TV station logos etc) so it would be a nightmare. For what I've seen in the UK Plasma is not all that popular, stores might have 1 or 2 but the majority available are LCD. We pay stupidly expensive electricity so that might be something to do with it.
Robin.
