Plasma compared to LCD.

[Rog50]

42 inch Panasonic Plasma is old and very heavily used. The two main hdmi ports died, using the last one hanging on the side now. Picture is just gorgeous. Sound is pumped through a Bose Cinemate. I have looked and looked and pondered away as to what to replace it with when it dies. But like others, I think I will hold out for a while yet.

 

[HiFiJeff]

Most reviews I see overlook what the lower resolution stuff looks like when it is up-converted to the higher resolution.

That was an issue when 1080p first came out that anything lower looked terrible on them. Some of the 4K ones do a pretty decent job of up-converting but it is often hard on the higher end ones to get to see what it looks like in the store because they have them locked into their preset display modes that only show the best possible still images and motion scenes for that screen.

At regular BestBuys, about all we have left around here for this type of shopping, they can't switch them off the preset.

At one of their Magnolia HiFi sections we were in they switched them all to showing a football game and the LG OLED we were near buying did not look good with that. The lettering on the screen was noticeably more fuzzy than the Sony LCD 4K next to it. Maybe there was a setting that could be adjusted to help but I'm not plunking down that much money to find out.

With most of the content still being in 720 or 1080 I wish there was some more focus on which 4K ones can handle that well.
Especially since the up-converting ability can vary even within the same manufacture. Too many people obsess only on the 4K or what type of TV it is and skip past the processing ability.

Good point. I mentioned either here or on another forum. That the 4K image of the waterfall or humming bird looks fantastic, but in the real world, we aren't watching that all day. Most of us are watching cable or Netflix in 1080i-1080P. And a lot of these 4K TV's do a mediocre job with that resolution.

 

[Ballylongford]

Not to. threadcrap, but I am in the market for a 40 inch to 50 inch display TV with audio OUT: digital optical preferred, but other options are OK.

So far, everything I have seen has audio IN only.

Open to suggestions here

 

[Bodyblue]

Not to. threadcrap, but I am in the market for a 40 inch to 50 inch display TV with audio OUT: digital optical preferred, but other options are OK.

So far, everything I have seen has audio IN only.

Open to suggestions here

That is going to be difficult to find, especially with optical out. If you are using a cable or sat box it is easier just to go out from there to your audio source. My current Xfinity box has RCA/HDMI and Toslink outs.

 

[HiFiJeff]

Not to. threadcrap, but I am in the market for a 40 inch to 50 inch display TV with audio OUT: digital optical preferred, but other options are OK.

So far, everything I have seen has audio IN only.

Open to suggestions here

I am pretty sure both my Panasonic have Digital Optical out.

 

[Ballylongford]

That is going to be difficult to find, especially with optical out. If you are using a cable or sat box it is easier just to go out from there to your audio source. My current Xfinity box has RCA/HDMI and Toslink outs.

Appreciate the suggestion & it is a good one for TV content, but I also have a Roku device as well as Blu-Ray player in this setup, so I have to keep looking for a full solution

I am pretty sure both my Panasonic have Digital Optical out.

Those are "old school" Plasma units? Didn't Panasonic quit making their Plasma sets?

 

[nedseg]

Each persons needs/finances will determine best 'bets' (duh).
My 50' panny plasma still runs like new, and here the extra heat it generates is nice in winter, if not the electric bill (no idea what it costs to run), and it runs circles around my (same vintage) LCDs, of course.
IMHO, OLED still has a ways to go, esp in lifetime...but I'm in no rush, and am both cheap & "poor".
I bought a prototyping OLED lighting kit (4 panels, in my case) from OLEDWorks and am really excited to get around to finalizing the design/build with them, but the one thing that gave me pause a little was the spec'd ~10000hr lifespan of the panels.
Fine for my intended use, (and might be different for TVs), but another reason for me to wait for prices/lifespan to improve on TVs...and for the Panny to actually fade/fail/die.
BTW, one of my GoTo resources for OLED tech is, uh, https://www.oled-info.com/
I'll be very curious to see how/if the 'ink jet' fabrication tech that's finally making it's way into the latest fab plants affects pricing/life/throughput.

 

[24Vboost]

Yes those plasma's were good at melting the ice off the windows in the winter! I had a 50 inch and it was nice, but went to LCD my 40 inch Samsung has those 16v caps which were under rated for the circuit so I fixed it with 25v rating and it was fine...thinking I saved cash about 6 month later I was putting the base on and here my door bell rings so I lean the tv onto my cat scratch post to answer the door it was my new 48 inch sony, I heard a thud, close the door got back to see what happened and the darn tv fell on my stepping stool and yes good by screen!! Pretty sick when that happens, so had to get another for a good price at Best Buy costly for being in a hurry to answer the door!