Thinking of getting a Plasma TV

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Robin

Robin

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I'm thinking of getting a Plasma and really wanted an update about the disadvantages which have always been linked with this technology,

Is burn in really still an issue in 2011 panels, especially with gaming and do those anti burn in features really work?

Is Plasma an absolute no no if I want to use it as a PC monitor?

Do they still drink electricity and run super hot?

Are LG Plasma's any good?
 
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Robin.
I'm thinking of getting a Plasma and really wanted an update about the disadvantages which have always been linked with this technology,

Is burn in really still an issue in 2011 panels, especially with gaming and do those anti burn in features really work?

Is Plasma an absolute no no if I want to use it as a PC monitor?

Do they still drink electricity and run super hot?

Are LG Plasma's any good?
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I just got a Samsung 51" plasma and I love it. I went plasma over LCD because plasma displays motion better than LCD. I've never seen an LCD set that didn't smear a storm of pixels in a fast-moving picture, like when a camera follows a runner at a sports event. My plasma set has none of those motion artifacts.

As for burn-in, I'm told it's not the issue it once was, but can still happen. Haven't had it long enough. I do limit my GT5 time because of the amount of info that doesn't move on GT5's play screen (lap counter, lap times, and in B-spec, OMG, just about everything!)

It has a PC VGA input, but I've not used it and don't plan to. With a screen saver I think your PC would be OK, but if you sit in front of it for hours working in Word or Excel, that menu bar is gonna be there a very long time . . .

As for heat, I can feel the warmth of the screen if I get right up next to it. I couldn't use it to heat the room in February, though, by any means.

Electricity? Couldn't say. I see nothing in my manual or packaging about "Energy Star" which is the US rating for efficient appliances, which is not surprising since the sticker on the back says it draw 350 watts. My previous rear projector set stated 265 watts, but it had a higher start-up draw and would kick the UPS on the computer across the room when I turned it on. LCDs get the nod in power consumption, some the same size as mine draw less than half the watts. But that motion blur . . . . Yuck!
 
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Thanks for the reply wfooshee, :)

Yeah motion blur has always been a thing that bug's be which is why I loved CRT because it wasn't even an issue. LCD's often use tricks to limit the blur but the picture always looks artificial (like its being fast forwarded).

I was hoping to use the screen for gaming and PC and having to be a 'nanny' is slightly annoying but I guess I already have to do it with CRT because that can burn in. TV would still be its main use but I'm worried about station logo's, will those ruin a plasma?

Oh and whats this about IR interference, can you seriously have trouble using other remotes in the room? Does even its own remote have difficulty?
 
Why not get an LED backlit LCD TV? Much slimmer, uses 3 times less power, no worry about screen burn and most likely a better picture on average than the top end Plasma screens. Screen response is fast so I don't think there will be any issues with motion and with gaming and PC monitor use it will excel further than a Plasma due to not having any screen burn issues.
 
Robin.
I'm thinking of getting a Plasma and really wanted an update about the disadvantages which have always been linked with this technology,

Is burn in really still an issue in 2011 panels, especially with gaming and do those anti burn in features really work?

Is Plasma an absolute no no if I want to use it as a PC monitor?

Do they still drink electricity and run super hot?

Are LG Plasma's any good?
Click to expand...

I have had a plasma for the last 5 years. I have never had a burn in and it's the tv I use for games. My older one would have a little bit of a ghost left if the game had a health bar or image on it that didn't move, but that set was bought when plasmas were fairly new, and it woudl be gone after a few minutes after I turned the game off. The set I bought a few years ago has never had any image left on it at all. My son has left games paused for an hour or so, and it was fine.

I just started using mine as my gaming pc monitor, and it looks amazing. I really don't think you need to worry about burn in at all, unless it's a cheaper tv. Stick with a panasonc vierra model and you can't go wrong. They have the best pictures of any TV on the market.

They still do use alot of electricity and run hotter then the other TV's.

LG is a nice choice, but I really can't recommend panasonic enough.

I have had 3 LCD's in the last 3 years, and 2 plasmas in the last 5. Both plasmas still work great, and all 3 LCDs are setting around broken. The picture quality of the 2 technologies was not even comparable. Plasma blew LCD away. One of the LCDs you couldn't even game on becasue of the lag of the tv trying to keep up with the game. Another one actually worked pretty well with games, but the power supply burnt up and it's just setting beside my plasma in parts waiting on a power supply.

Get you a panasonic, or LG and you will be very, very happy. I would just suggest that if you use it for a PC monitor, be sure to switch form your browser to desktop every once in awhile for a minute or 2 to get the address bar and other static images off the screen for a minute. Burn in isn't an issue unless you would let it set on the screen for hours, but you can never be to safe.
 
I've had a Samsung Plasma for over a year and a half and I'm glad I went with it. They are still the best tvs on the market IMO as far as image quality and realism goes. LED LCDs are a huge step up from conventional LCDs, but they tend to over saturate the image and you still can't get real blacks. (Don't let the active black crap fool you, it's more of an annoyance than a benefit) I bought my plasma for faster motion and better blacks, I use it for PS3 and no burn in yet, but I do make sure I don't leave anything on the screen for a long time if I'm not going to be in front of it.

Concerning brand, Panasonic makes the best Plasmas. If you can go with a 1080P Viera, you'll love it to death. If you think they are out of your price range, looks for special deals. My friend just bought a 1080P Viera for $335 from Amazon, because the box had a tear in it.


Edit: I bought mine from Best Buy, and they gave me a 2 year burn-in protection. If anything burned in during the first two years they replace the TV for free. Maybe check and see if any places over yonder have programs like that.
 
Thanks for the great info, seems like Plasma is still moving forward and its good to hear that burn-in is not as big a hassle as it used to be. I do want the best TV picture I can get with good motion so I guess Plasma really is unrivaled in that dept. LED TV's are not really in my price range.

LG and Panasonic are pretty much the only two big players left doing Plasma in volume so I guess they know their stuff. Pany's are slightly more expensive but I'l definitely look into them and all the other stuff to look out for.

For PC use I would only be either gaming or surfing so if I set everything to full screen (like the browser) and keep moving it should be OK. I'm am still curious about this IR interference stuff though, like remotes don't work well in the same room? Also watching 2:40:1 movies for 2 hours with the black bars, is that OK?
 
Robin.
Thanks for the great info, seems like Plasma is still moving forward and its good to hear that burn-in is not as big a hassle as it used to be. I do want the best TV picture I can get with good motion so I guess Plasma really is unrivaled in that dept. LED TV's are not really in my price range.

LG and Panasonic are pretty much the only two big players left doing Plasma in volume so I guess they know their stuff. Pany's are slightly more expensive but I'l definitely look into them and all the other stuff to look out for.

For PC use I would only be either gaming or surfing so if I set everything to full screen (like the browser) and keep moving it should be OK. I'm am still curious about this IR interference stuff though, like remotes don't work well in the same room? Also watching 2:40:1 movies for 2 hours with the black bars, is that OK?
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What size of TV and price range are you looking for?
 
Yeah, I would still stick with Plasma if you can't afford LED TVs (Samsungs new D8000 series is stunning, even beats any Plasma I've come across). LCDs have improved but for gaming Plasma still has the edge because of the better motion handling, as others have mentioned.

Using it as a PC monitor should be fine as long as you don't keep it on screen for more than a couple of hours at a time. Just remember the Windows task bar at the bottom of the screen will always be there so that may cause an issue eventually. LCDs won't have this issue.

Also the black bars should cause no issue. A Plasma several years old I was using never had a problem with that.
 
I've owned a Panasonic plasma for the last 3 years.

The tv has an anti image retention feature so burn in has never been a problem. I don't use it for gaming, but for fast moving tv, (auto racing, etc.) it has been great.
 
saidur_ali
What size of TV and price range are you looking for?
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Well I'm looking at 50" and above and any other technology in that size bracket is too pricey for what I'm after.

They say plasma's are good for sports but then I remembered that sports have tickers, scores, lap counters etc all over the screen... watching F1 for 3 days for example might be a bit risky. Also all the freeview channels (other than the main 4) in the UK have station logo's... TV isn't really Plasma friendly these days.

I'm really hung up on this burn in thing, so much info online is conflicting, the more a read the more worried I get! Also I'm curious about this Panasonic thing, are they really the only good plasma's out there or is it just because they are a Japanese manufacturer? I'm finding massive bias to them all over the net and saying the others are really poor.
 
Robin.
Well I'm looking at 50" and above and any other technology in that size bracket is too pricey for what I'm after.

They say plasma's are good for sports but then I remembered that sports have tickers, scores, lap counters etc all over the screen... watching F1 for 3 days for example might be a bit risky. Also all the freeview channels (other than the main 4) in the UK have station logo's... TV isn't really Plasma friendly these days.

I'm really hung up on this burn in thing, so much info online is conflicting, the more a read the more worried I get! Also I'm curious about this Panasonic thing, are they really the only good plasma's out there or is it just because they are a Japanese manufacturer? I'm finding massive bias to them all over the net and saying the others are really poor.
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Here is a 47" 3D LED 1080P which is quite good value for money: http://www.electrocentreltd.com/viewproduct.asp?pid=6241

Also this would have been even better if the Sky cashback offer was still on but still is the newer model of the two so should be better.

http://www.electrocentreltd.com/viewproduct.asp?pid=6804

I know you want 50" or more but I think it is worth getting LED backlit TV due to no image retention problems which can be a problem for more budget big sized plasma screens. You will save a lot on electricity energy bills too depending on how long you leave the TV on plus the LED TVs are slimmer.

About plasmas, it all used to be about the Pioneer Kuro until they discontinued that series. Here is an article about the high end Plasma of Samsung vs Panasonic and Panasonic came out on top in terms of picture quality. http://reviews.cnet.com/2795-6482_7-688.html

Anyway here is an article showing the range of TVs from the main manufacturers. http://www.techradar.com/news/television/hdtv/best-tv-2011-how-to-choose-the-best-tv-to-buy-709255?artc_pg=1
 
Remote confusion wouldn't have anything to do with Plasma vs. LCD, but with what brand and what standard they use. About a year ago I bought an outboard HD tuner for my previous rear projector, which was HD capable but did not have a digital tuner. (Very early HD set, 4:3 screen, no digital inputs, only components for HD, but was capable of 1080i HD on component, and looked pretty good.) The remote that came with it triggered several functions on my receiver (Kenwood) and a couple on my CD player (JVC) so I just sent it back. Doesn't mean it wasn't good equipment, just that it didn't play nice with others.
 
@ saidur_ali

Thanks for the info, I'l check it all out. Even the cheapest LED TV's are at least 100-200 pounds more and around 10" less compared to a similar Plasma. If you wanted a 50" LED it would be over a grand so I would really have to decide how much I fear image retention.

I know all about the legend which was the Kuro ;), its such a shame they pulled out because I could see them making the best 3D Plasma's in the world. I remember on the gadget show they put a Kuro Elite next to a hole cut out of a wall with the same (real) image and people couldn't tell which was the TV!

wfooshee
Remote confusion wouldn't have anything to do with Plasma vs. LCD, but with what brand and what standard they use.
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Apparently its not to do with standards, Plasma displays give off infra red interference (radiation) which affects all remotes in the area meaning they don't respond well. There's loads of forums and articles about it around the net. I was wondering how even its own remote deals with the issue.

Robin.
 
wfooshee
I just got a Samsung 51" plasma and I love it. I went plasma over LCD because plasma displays motion better than LCD. I've never seen an LCD set that didn't smear a storm of pixels in a fast-moving picture, like when a camera follows a runner at a sports event. My plasma set has none of those motion artifacts.

As for burn-in, I'm told it's not the issue it once was, but can still happen. Haven't had it long enough. I do limit my GT5 time because of the amount of info that doesn't move on GT5's play screen (lap counter, lap times, and in B-spec, OMG, just about everything!)

It has a PC VGA input, but I've not used it and don't plan to. With a screen saver I think your PC would be OK, but if you sit in front of it for hours working in Word or Excel, that menu bar is gonna be there a very long time . . .

As for heat, I can feel the warmth of the screen if I get right up next to it. I couldn't use it to heat the room in February, though, by any means.

Electricity? Couldn't say. I see nothing in my manual or packaging about "Energy Star" which is the US rating for efficient appliances, which is not surprising since the sticker on the back says it draw 350 watts. My previous rear projector set stated 265 watts, but it had a higher start-up draw and would kick the UPS on the computer across the room when I turned it on. LCDs get the nod in power consumption, some the same size as mine draw less than half the watts. But that motion blur . . . . Yuck!
Click to expand...

You were probally looking at an LCD running 60htz rate.Those are crappy in resolution.I have several flat screens.LCD take less power than plasma, and last longer.Plasma cost more to replace if theres an issue.If your gonna go LCD get a minimum of 120htz.You will see that even a 120htz LCD looks as good if not better than any plasma out.My main TV and the 1 I use for gaming is a Samsung 50 inch LED 3D TV 240 htz.Best TV I own.My prior TV I used ( thats now in my bedroom) Is a Samsung 48 inch LCD 120htz.Still GREAT pic quality, but obviously not as good as my LED 3D.Although, plasma has a higher htz rate than lcd or led, but dont last as long.Just depends on your budget and what your willing to spend.
 
x_Jack_x
LCD take less power than plasma, and last longer.
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Actually most if not all Plasma's now have over a 100,000 hour lifespan, 9 hours a day for 30 years! And the power consumption has plummeted, the ones I am looking at only use 170W max and double digits average. They really are improving like the rest of the technologies because above 50-60" you really have no other choice.
 
Robin.
Actually most if not all Plasma's now have over a 100,000 hour lifespan, 9 hours a day for 30 years! And the power consumption has plummeted, the ones I am looking at only use 170W max and double digits average. They really are improving like the rest of the technologies because above 50-60" you really have no other choice.
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I'm pretty sure this is false. I bought a 50" about a year ago and it already has burnt out.
 
GTMail
I'm pretty sure this is false. I bought a 50" about a year ago and it already has burnt out.
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It is not false at all, look at any article or any manufacturers website and you will see the truth, lifespan has not been an issue for many many years.

Panasonic - 100,000 hour half life span
LG - 100,000 hour lifespan
Samsung - 100,000 hour lifespan
Sharp - 100,000 hour lifespan

an example,

http://www.lg.com/us/HDTV/education/plasmachoice.html

If yours burnt out after a year you either got a dud or misused it in some way because all Plasma's now outlast even CRT TV's.
 
x_Jack_x
You were probally looking at an LCD running 60htz rate.Those are crappy in resolution.I have several flat screens.LCD take less power than plasma, and last longer.Plasma cost more to replace if theres an issue.If your gonna go LCD get a minimum of 120htz.You will see that even a 120htz LCD looks as good if not better than any plasma out.My main TV and the 1 I use for gaming is a Samsung 50 inch LED 3D TV 240 htz.Best TV I own.My prior TV I used ( thats now in my bedroom) Is a Samsung 48 inch LCD 120htz.Still GREAT pic quality, but obviously not as good as my LED 3D.Although, plasma has a higher htz rate than lcd or led, but dont last as long.Just depends on your budget and what your willing to spend.
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No I was not looking at 60Hz LCDs. I've even looked at 240s, and they all do it. Some not as bad as others. Apparently I can see stuff many people can't, but I've not seen (ever) a single LCD set I would put in my house with my own money, any size, any lighting (i.e. flourescent or LED,) any brand, any refresh rate.

Robin.
Apparently its not to do with standards, Plasma displays give off infra red interference (radiation) which affects all remotes in the area meaning they don't respond well. There's loads of forums and articles about it around the net. I was wondering how even its own remote deals with the issue.

Robin.
Click to expand...

News to me, actually. And I've encountered nothing of the sort from my own set.
 
Yeah I've been to Richer Sounds a few times for various things, got loads of electronics retailers near so its really good for pricing around and obviously comparing it to online deals.
 
If you're concerned about the remote issue, do you have an iPhone/iPad? There is an app which allows you to control most TVs which have a WiFi receiver built in. Works a peach. :) It may exist for other phones/devices also, but I'm not sure.
 
Robin.
Apparently its not to do with standards, Plasma displays give off infra red interference (radiation) which affects all remotes in the area meaning they don't respond well. There's loads of forums and articles about it around the net. I was wondering how even its own remote deals with the issue.

Robin.
Click to expand...

I have never had a problem with a remote with either of my plasmas I've had. In all honesty though, I use mine with a surround sound receiver and cable box, so the only thing I use my remote for with the TV is to turn it on and off. The cable box and AVR does everything else.
 
I've had a Panasonic Viera for 3 years now and still love it. The colors seem richer than my LCD screens. The screen shifts position every so often to prevent burn in but it's not noticeable unless you're actually watching for it. No remote problems.
 
If you do go for it, once its unpacked and that, turn the unit on but dont goto any channels or even settings. Leave this for 20 minutes or some to get the TV used to a dark picture. I had a friend who started his straight into a football match and of course it burnt a nice set of goal posts to the left of the screen.

Plasma is a lot better apparently for quick moving things such as First Person Shooters and sports which is why they are highly popular in that category.

Only real down side to them is the higher electricty use over LCDs and the chance of screen burn. Just dont watch porn on it for a month or two and you wont get caught awkward :)
 
Yeah you have to break them in by turning the contrast and brightness down below 50% for the first 100-200 hours and also not watch anything static.

TommyWizard
Just dont watch porn on it for a month or two and you wont get caught awkward
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You wouldn't want any suspicious website names or logos burned into the bottom right corner would you! :lol:
 
Just remembered a really important question,

Are all Plasma TV's capable of display analogue PAL & NTSC content (multi system)? because I have lots of media and devices which are in NTSC.
 

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