Plasma TV's End May Be Near

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I love my 50" Toshiba DLP. Add to it the Dishnetwork High Def DVR, Blu-ray DVD, XBOX and a 500W DTS sound system and I am set.

Luz wants the new 73" DLP TV but it will have to wait for a while. In a dark room like mine the DLP looks just as good as a LCD IMHO.

Does it weigh much or take up much space - compared to LCD's?

[GaryC 7]

I love my 50" Toshiba DLP. Add to it the Dishnetwork High Def DVR, Blu-ray DVD, XBOX and a 500W DTS sound system and I am set.

Luz wants the new 73" DLP TV but it will have to wait for a while. In a dark room like mine the DLP looks just as good as a LCD IMHO.

Does it weigh much or take up much space - compared to LCD's?

It's not "hang on the wall thin" but it is only 12" deep. It's mostly empty space inside so it weighs about 50 lbs. The main problem is the bulb. It costs about $200 and lasts about 3 years. I bought the extended 3 year warranty for $200 which includes in home service and if I don't get a new bulb by the end of the 3 year contract they give me a new one at no charge. It's something that I can change in about 2 minutes.

[rclouse 0]

...a 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-size refrigerator -- even when that TV is used only a few hours a day.

Not to mention that they'll heat up your house like a furnace.

Friend of mine can vouch for that. He acquired one from his MIL, says heat pours from the thing.

We've got a DLP and an LCD. DLP uses LEDs instead of a lamp so it uses less power plus don't have to change the lamp every 3 years. LCD has wider view, but DLP has better picture.

Doesn't it depend on what you're projecting the image on? I went to someone's house who had a DLP and he was projecting it onto his wall. It just made everything on the screen appear flat to me.

It's a 52" one, like Gary's. Samsung though instead of Toshiba. At the time (last year) the cheapest 52" LCD was double what I paid. Now I could probably get an LCD that big for about that much.

Look into refurbished instead of brand new. Good deals there. Or Costco.

[DeadPoolX 9]

That's awesome. I see you've even got a reissued NES (aka "NES 2") on top of that cabinet.

I'd like to find someone who actually bought the Atari Jaguar.

Packerd Bell 9500, Laserjet II compatible. 20 years old. 300 dpi. I have not seen anyone else with a laser printer besides me, so that is what I based my assumption on. I have seen copier/printer/fax combos in commercial use, but not in personal use. Maybe I just don't get out often enough, but all I ever see are inkjets.

Most of the copier/printer/fax/scan combinations use inkjet cartridges (although some combos are laser). A lot of people like those since both the units and cartridges are less expensive. Cost is a huge factor for many people, especially with the current economy.

However, inkjet print quality is generally inferior to laser printers. Most laser printers are black-and-white (if in a combo) or color, but rarely allow for both. There are some that do (my dad has one), but they cost more. Laser print cartridges also cost a lot more than inkjet cartridges, but laser cartridges last longer.

If you mostly print reports, MS Word and PDF documents or website information, an inkjet or B&W laser printer are fine. If you're looking to print out professional quality images (photos, banners, etc), I'd highly recommend a color laser printer.

Well inkjet photo printers are pretty good quality - but for any sort of graphic design type work a color laser printer probably isn't going to cut it as far as printing options go. Especially these days - you're better off putting the files on a USB drive and running them off at a print shop.

Consumer laser printers

You meant that for any sort of graphic design type work an inkjet printer wouldn't cut it. A high-end color laser printer can produce exceptional quality prints.

[GaryC 7]

...a 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-size refrigerator -- even when that TV is used only a few hours a day.

Not to mention that they'll heat up your house like a furnace.

Friend of mine can vouch for that. He acquired one from his MIL, says heat pours from the thing.

We've got a DLP and an LCD. DLP uses LEDs instead of a lamp so it uses less power plus don't have to change the lamp every 3 years. LCD has wider view, but DLP has better picture.

Doesn't it depend on what you're projecting the image on? I went to someone's house who had a DLP and he was projecting it onto his wall. It just made everything on the screen appear flat to me.

It's a 52" one, like Gary's. Samsung though instead of Toshiba. At the time (last year) the cheapest 52" LCD was double what I paid. Now I could probably get an LCD that big for about that much.

Look into refurbished instead of brand new. Good deals there. Or Costco.

I bought a floor model for $1000. You just can't get a LCD at that size for the price.

[HAL 9000 96]

I'm still happy with my 32" Vizio LCD.

But those are some really pretty setups above.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Seriously though. Don't you run your own business?

Yep!

Well damn, brother - time to go shopping for some new computer equipment and write it off as a business expense. Floppies went out of style - like 10 years ago.

You got a keep one 3.5 drive, so you can use that 98 Start-up disk to boot your computer when nothing else works.

Business expenses are money you worked for, but you spent, so you don't pay tax on that money, but the money is not longer in your pocket either. Besides, computers are one of those thing the IRS looks closely at, as to whether it is for personal use, or bussiness use.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[Heracles 417]

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Found this interesting....DLP, Plasma and LCD comparisons

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV

Advantages

• LCDs are good for still images and make good computer monitors. So, if you're looking for a screen for TV and computer use, LCDs are a good bet
• Quality LCDs have excellent brightness level pictures.
• LCD flat panels don't take up room and can be mounted on walls. In addition, LCDs are typically slightly lighter than Plasma TVs.
• Quality LCDs have a fairly long life, especially compared to older models (roughly 13-15 years at a six-hour per day pace.
• There are more 1080p LCD models than plasma (you'll see a sharper picture with a 1080p model).

Disadvantages

• LCDs are not good for fast-moving pictures. When an object moves quickly across the screen, the image "delays" (there are trails of pixilation or blockingess), because the screen can't keep up. For this reason, LCDs that are 37" or smaller generally have better image quality because the delay is less noticeable than on larger LCDs.
• LCD TVs have difficulty with black levels
• LCD image looks great when you're staring directly at it, but if you are watching from a slanted view the quality of the image can diminish greatly.
• LCDs are very expensive over 35"
• LCDs sometimes have pixel failure. This isn't a common problem with top name brands, where one or two pixels might eventually die, leaving a black dot here and there. This is hardly noticeable unless you're standing directly in front of the screen (considering a 20" LCD screen has 30,000 pixels). However, in cheaper models where 10% of the pixels could go out, the TV may become unwatchable.

NOTES: There are a lot of junk LCDs out there, so stick to top brand names. Sharp is generally credited for making the best quality Plasma TVs.

Plasma TV

• Top name brand plasmas have a fairly long life, lasting about 20 years at a six hours per day pace.
• A plasma screen has a field vision of about 180 degrees without loss of picture quality. That means you can watch the screen from any angle.
• Plasmas are very bright (about 4-5 times brighter than the average TV)
• They have great contrast ratios (enables them to show better shadow detail)
• Plasmas are generally cheaper than LCDs
• They have excellent picture response. There is virtually no delay (blockiness or pixilation) like with LCDs.
• Doesn't take up much space and can be mounted on a wall.

Disadvantages

• Plasmas can have burn in problems. Plasmas do not make as good computer monitors as LCDs. If you were to leave the Plasma TV on for 24 hours a day and there was an image that remained constant on the screen (like a logo), you would run the risk of that image permanently burning into the screen. However, the chance of this happening is often over-exaggerated.
• Plasmas are not available below 37 inches.

NOTES: There are a lot of junk Plasmas out there, so stick to top brand names. Panasonic is generally credited for making the best quality Plasma TVs. Also, do not purchase a used Plasma TV on eBay. The first generation Plasma had poor contract and brightness.

DLP (Digital Light Processing) TV

Advantages

• DLP screens are larger and are cheaper in the short-term than LCD or Plasma.
• Good brightness and color. DLP can illuminate a larger screen for more people at a cheaper initial cost than Plasma.

Disadvantages

• There's a high maintanence cost. The DLP TV is basically a video projector in a box. You have to replace the lightbulb, which has limited durability.
• DLPs take up a lot more space than Plasma and LCD and are not wall mountable.
• DLPs don't have as good field vision as Plasmas, meaning you can't get as good picture quality when viewing the screen at an angle.
• DLPs are not known for having that great of picture quality.
• Fast moving objects can cause a trail of colors (color artifacts).

http://tv.suite101.com/article.cfm/lcd_vs_plasma_vs_dlp Edited February 24, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[scooter rider 0]

Seriously though. Don't you run your own business?

Yep!

Well damn, brother - time to go shopping for some new computer equipment and write it off as a business expense. Floppies went out of style - like 10 years ago.

You got a keep one 3.5 drive, so you can use that 98 Start-up disk to boot your computer when nothing else works.

Business expenses are money you worked for, but you spent, so you don't pay tax on that money, but the money is not longer in your pocket either. Besides, computers are one of those thing the IRS looks closely at, as to whether it is for personal use, or bussiness use.

What kind of business do you have?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

What kind of business do you have?

RV Repair

[Heracles 417]

The future will either be OLED or Laser.

HD Guru: Mitsu's LaserVue L65-A90 among the best HDTVs ever tested

http://www.laservuetv.com/pdf/L65A90_specsheet.pdf

Laser

Lasers may become an ideal replacement for the UHP lamps which are currently in use in projection display devices such as rear projection TV and front projectors. Current televisions are capable of displaying only 40% of the color gamut that humans can potentially perceive. In contrast, Laser TV technology can reproduce about 80% of the colors visible to the human eye.

Advantages

Laser TV has the ability to produce undiluted, perfect colors allowing precise hue mixing. 90% of the perceptible color gamut can potentially be reproduced. Other improvements that laser bulbs will never blow out, and increased efficiency by using two-thirds less power than traditional rear projection televisions.

The laser technology allows displays with a richer, more vibrant color palette than the conventional plasma, LCD or CRT displays.

* be half the weight and cost of Plasma or LCD displays

* require around 25% of the power required by Plasma or LCD displays

* be very thin like Plasma and LCD displays are today

* have a very wide color gamut. Twice the color of today's HDTVs.

* have a 50,000 hour life

* maintain full power output for the lifespan of the laser, resulting in a picture that doesn't progressively degrade over time, such as with plasma and LCD technology

Lasers also offer the potential of much higher (life-like) resolution.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Aficionado

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Seriously though. Don't you run your own business?

Yep!

Well damn, brother - time to go shopping for some new computer equipment and write it off as a business expense. Floppies went out of style - like 10 years ago.

You got a keep one 3.5 drive, so you can use that 98 Start-up disk to boot your computer when nothing else works.

That's why I keep a hammer and chisel with me at all times...in case my pen breaks.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Seriously though. Don't you run your own business?

Yep!

Well damn, brother - time to go shopping for some new computer equipment and write it off as a business expense. Floppies went out of style - like 10 years ago.

You got a keep one 3.5 drive, so you can use that 98 Start-up disk to boot your computer when nothing else works.

That's why I keep a hammer and chisel with me at all times...in case my pen breaks.

Respect your elders, boy!