Hdtv - lcd - led

Heading out after while to pick up one 40-50 inch. What's the diff between HD and the LCD or LED? Some ads just say HDTV, not LCD or LED. I am techno challenged so.....
Sony? LG? Samsung?....

LG LED. LED has longer life and LG has a great brand. I have an LG 55" and it had the best picture of all. I did a ton of research (2 years worth) prior to buying and waiting for the LED to come out. Only way to go in my opinion.

Ive got an LG LCD 55" and love it. I bought it a few years ago when the LED's were too high. Awesome awesome picture.

I had compiled a long technical response but it went into cyberspace when I tried to post it...the condensed version....

All TV's are HD (High Definition) now so don't sweat this nomenclature. And LED's are a type of LCD's, don't worry about the subtle differences that only a true videophile could detect.

There are three basic techologies in HDTV's:

LCD's are the latest technology and will have a brighter picture and be slimmer in depth and lighter in weight. Well suited to mounting on wall. Good viewing angle but not the best. Great picture but somewhat short of the picture found in top of the line Plasma TV's (see below). Good choice for bright rooms. Generally they are the highest price choice but only by a small margin.

Plasma is an older technology but generally considered to have more vivid colors than LCD's and they are able to render darker blacks. The TV's are somewhat thicker and heavier, but still wall mountable. Excellent viewing angle, better than LCD's, and on average cheaper than LCD's. A good choice for a dimmer room like a TV/movie room but they will perform well in brighter rooms as well.

A third technolgy is rear projection. By far the cheapest option (you can get a 60/70" rear projection for $600/700 on sale) but by far the worst picture. Bad colors and lousy contrast when compared to LCD's and Plamas. Horrible viewing angle, you have to view it straight on for the best picture, and they cannot be wall mounted. Projection bulbs are expensive ($200+) and must be replaced periodically. I like to say "friends don't let friends buy rear projection TV's." :nono:

My suggestion is to go to HHGreggs/BestBuys/Fry's/Brandsmart and let your own eyes be the judge.

Brand? According to consumer reports Panasonic has the best reliability on both LCD's and Plasmas. Samsung is a good second choice.

Final piece of advice...no one has ever gotten their HDTV home and said "gee, I wish I had gotten one with a smaller screen". Go big!

It really helps when the store has all the tvs up on the wall tuned to the same thing like at walmart. The better looking ones stand out.

woco hunter said:

It really helps when the store has all the tvs up on the wall tuned to the same thing like at walmart. The better looking ones stand out.

Click to expand...

Gotta be careful with that too. The TV can be "tuned" to look a certain way as well and make them look "off" on color. You have to set them up identically to make a comparison this way.

I like plasma, as long as it can be placed in a room with no windows on the opposite side.

Plasma screens look like glass and will reflect the silhouette of a window in daylight, but their pictures are still the best. Nothing can make deep, proper dark like a plasma.

I'v got a small vizio LED and iv been really pleased with it! my parents have a big samsung lcd and they like it as well. Theyre all about the same to me. I would look up reviews for particular models on google.

Keep in mind that usually the best buys on larger screen tv's is just before the super bowl...not Christmas.

Got a 50 LG Plasma and LOVE IT!! Some will tell you about being real hot or image burn...Have not had any issues with either. Good crisp colors and great picture quality at about 1/2 the price of a LED.