What HDTV should I get?

I'm leaning heavily towards the 3rd option, it’s the cheapest, and I’ve heard good things about DLP: http://www.dlp.com/

 

ive currently got a LCD HDTV and its great. no problems with it...

 

Whatever you get make sure it has a good warranty for dead pixels.

I got a LG 42" plasma brand new. That night 2 dead pixels appeared. Because it happened within 7 days (aren't they generous) I got a replacement.

That showed up a few days later. The delivery guy help set it up. We plugged it in & bam, 2 or 3 dead pixels, straight out of the box.

Now on my third one. Had it for a few months & gave the screen a clean. A pixel started to flicker when starting it up. Have not cleaned the screen since.

Very scary experience indeed.

 

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/dlpvsplasmatv.html
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv.html
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/plasma-vs-lcd.html

 

I'll make it as simple as I know, and i've done my share of research.

Plasma is the brightest display, with the highest contrast ratios. Early generation plasmas had lots of trouble staying evenly distributed (especially if mounted not perectly level) and had a minimal lifespan. Recent generations are much better, but still wont live as long as an LCD or DLP. Also, you have to be very careful what resolution the plasma display will do-- many times they are odd, non HD specific formats and will be forced to distort the image, even if only slightly. Plasma also suffers from Burn In (notably on channels with a station logo always on the screen, like ABC or CBS)

LCD are all around the best, but are absurdly overpriced usually for a nice sized unit. If you can find a deal, they're your pick. ALWAYS READ REVIEWS, and try to find forums about the specific model you want to hear all the issues that might arise. Most LCD's have great resolution, moderately high brightness, and are all very thin. LCD's also suffer from burn in, though slightly less than plasma.

DLP TV's are very good. They range in depth from 6.8" to 21", which is quite a difference. The thinner ones are rare and use a more complicated set of mirrors. (InFocus/RCA ScreenPlay 61MD10 is 6.85" deep) While not typically as bright as LCD or Plasma, the clarity is still very up to par on a good DLP set. Certain DLP's suffer from the 'rainbow effect', as dlp projects using a color wheel, though I have not noticed it on many sets, and it usually take sa very discriminating eye to catch it. DLP do not suffer from burn in. Given their substantially lower price on the norm, my recommendation goes to DLP.

Personally, i'm a big fan of thinner TV sets. I jumped on the 61" InFocus deal a while back and have not regretted it at all. If you want a thinner TV and cant find a nice DLP deal, LCD is the way to go. Plasma is bright and impressive, but not worth all the downsides and bugs they are working out in my opinion, unless you have a lot of money to spend.

my 2 cents

 

Dead pixels scare the hell out of me. I thought it was only LCD's that had this problem? Seems a good reason for me to steer clear of them. I am nitpicky like that. Thanks for the amazingly succinct and summarized accurate info - I feel slightly less confused. I don't think I can afford plasma. The main reason I'm considering DLP is that my current set has things burned into it from gaming. I am not responsible about this, and I don't want to ruin my brand new exciting set the first time I pass out in front of the TV with my game paused. As far as I'm aware DLP is the only option that prevents burn-in, true?

 

Thats faily correct. DLP does not have 'pixels' which could be dead, or could be burnt in.

Two other types which I did not mention are:

standard CRT HDTV's, which are bulky and in my opinion not as clear, but very reliable.

and

LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon). Here is a read on LCOS. It refers to a projector, but the idea is the same http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcos.htm

Yet another kind is on its way out now, called Carbon Nanotube are supposed to have the reliability of CRT sets, with the clarity of LCD and DLP and also be thin... but thats a whole nother story.

 

Ahhh, not more options! Do you know if LCoS has burn-in? I went and looked at a bunch of sets yesterday. I was surprised at how little difference there really is in image quality between the formats, it seems to have more to do with brand. But I still prefer DLP for the no-burn in/fading reason. Here's my first choice so far: http://www.dlp.com/home_entertainment/home_entertainment_product_detail.asp?id=856