Any AV people on here. Need some advice on a new LED TV

[def90]

The only drawback to a plasma, so I have been told, is that they won't work over 6000 ft. above sea level.

Another myth.. the first year plasma TVs came out the issue was that at altitude the power supplies were not strong enough to run the sets at altitude and they would make a buzzing/humming noise that was only audible if you were standing right next to it. that was fixed within the next model release year.

[def90]

They are fantastic when dealing with glare, which could be a huge issue in better lit areas.

When LCD TVs first came out they all had anti glare coatings on them just like laptop computers do so they were known at the time for being glare free. There are few if any LCD TVs these days that have the old anti glare coatings anymore, they all have regular glass screens.

[Gman]

When plasma sets first came out I found them unwatchable. The divisions between the cells were so large that it looked like I was watching the TV through a screen door. Now I don't notice them at all. The technology has improved quite a bit over its lifetime.

[mtnrider]

I recently moved and sold my huge plasma with my house so I needed to buy a new TV . LED's are pretty much all you can find in most stores right now. I tried 2 different high end LED's and ended up returning both of them. I don't know how anyone can watch them? The "lag" is horrible. So disappointed in the watchability of the LEDs. They literally gave me a headache trying to watch them and these were top dollar TV's. Finally found a plasma at the BX that had all the smart apps etc and have been really happy with it. Unless there is a major change in the LED technology I will never buy another.

[00tec]

My next will be a plasma. I have one in my bedroom that I have had for like 6 years. It blew a bord a while back, but was easily fixed. The picture is so much better on plasma. Black is actually black.

[Jer]

I came in to set some misinformation straight but it appears as though def90 has got this for the most part.

You buy a TV for picture quality and realistically nothing else matters. People talk about energy use of plasma vs LCD (call it LED all you want but it's still an LCD panel with clever marketing for the back light technology) but you're talking about a few bucks per year for most users. It's not even worth bringing up and I always thought it was hilarious when people were so adamant about how much more power hungry plasmas were. If you cared that much about power consumption you would buy a 13" display and never use it. To buy an inferior picture quality display to save a few bucks per year in energy use makes zero sense. Hell, unplug electronics you never use and you'll make more than that back. For me, I want the best picture I can get and those who know go plasma.

That being said, I recently replaced a few aging plasmas I had for years with newer LCD LED TVs and I regret ever doing it. The 50" hanging in our bedroom was a Maxent that we had for about 9 years and never had a single issue with it. This specific model was a rebranded Panasonic that had detachable speakers (the Panasonic at the time did not) in that it had the same boards and display panel with a different case. It cost $2,200 (price mistake) back when the Panasonic of equal specifications cost $5,100. That thing had an amazing picture after we properly calibrated (this step is VERY important to ALL types of displays) and gave us zero issues. We also had a Vizio 50" plasma in the living room that was probably about 4yrs old and was equally as reliable. I replaced both with 51" Samsung plasmas last year and the picture was fantastic, even though they were still 720p TVs. Fast forward to just before Black Friday and I had the opportunity to buy two LCD LED 1080p HDTVs for a smokin' deal and I decided to go for it and 'upgrade' my two Samsung plasmas. In hind sight this was a tremendous mistake. The picture is alright but it was better on the 51" plasma. The heat radiated was also substantially less on those Samsung plasmas even though the new ones are also energy star rated and what not. I will likely replace these at some point and get back to plasmas because the color reproduction is unmatched.

If someone tells you the best display available is LED... walk away.

[Jer]

I'd like to add that I'm happy to see on this non-A/V forum so many people have correct information. I'm continually amazed at how many people on non-A/V forums bag on plasma whenever this topic comes up and all they're spouting is some BS that some non-commissioned cashier at Best Buy told them.

[RMAC757]

Again, all great info guys. I sent Def a PM to get some specifics on my situation. Back to my original post I have the opportunity to buy a new, high end Samsung ( F8000 55 )at a pretty incredible price. Honestly, I really like the pic on it after all the hours I have spent in front of the ones at the store. I'm not sure if its my eyes specifically but when I watched the F8000 compared to the Plamas I didn't see a huge difference . My eye's are probably not refined enough. Even with the CMR 1200 turned off I was really impressed. Honestly, I'm not an A/V expert like many on his forum but I have had a great experience with Samsung LCD's. this TV will be used for watching football, Movies ( mostly Disney ), and a few games of PS3 when everyone goes to bed.

[Jer]

Again, all great info guys. I sent Def a PM to get some specifics on my situation. Back to my original post I have the opportunity to buy a new, high end Samsung ( F8000 55 )at a pretty incredible price. Honestly, I really like the pic on it after all the hours I have spent in front of the ones at the store. I'm not sure if its my eyes specifically but when I watched the F8000 compared to the Plamas I didn't see a huge difference . My eye's are probably not refined enough. Even with the CMR 1200 turned off I was really impressed. Honestly, I'm not an A/V expert like many on his forum but I have had a great experience with Samsung LCD's. this TV will be used for watching football, Movies ( mostly Disney ), and a few games of PS3 when everyone goes to bed.

If you like it and you like the price, buy it. Simple as that.

Also, be VERY careful with comparing sets in-store as all are calibrated in different ways for different reasons. To do it properly you would need to calibrate ALL of the displays you're comparing and put side by side and take all the other factors into account (lighting, input material) to make an accurate comparison. Even then some have been on display longer than others and even TV to TV within the same model can have variances because of these. Bottom line, standing in front of a display at Best Buy for a few minutes doesn't really tell you anything.

[RMAC757]

If you like it and you like the price, buy it. Simple as that.

Also, be VERY careful with comparing sets in-store as all are calibrated in different ways for different reasons. To do it properly you would need to calibrate ALL of the displays you're comparing and put side by side and take all the other factors into account (lighting, input material) to make an accurate comparison. Even then some have been on display longer than others and even TV to TV within the same model can have variances because of these. Bottom line, standing in front of a display at Best Buy for a few minutes doesn't really tell you anything.

Thanks Jer. I think I probably wore out my welcome at the Best Buy Magnolia room standing in front of the televisions. I also spent more time than I can count calling my buddies who are high end gear dudes and reading AV forums. The consensus on the Plasmas is pretty universal. The room that this TV will be hung is flooded with light from both directions so I think I am gonna go with the F8000. I may be taking a bit of a chance but so far I really like what I've seen on this set and i really like the price. Thank you everybody for your input.

Has anybody seen the 4K sets yet.....I'm not a Sony fan but wow!