Plasma vs LCD vs OLED poll

[navychop]

Will plasma TVs be around in 5 years? LCDs? Will OLED triumph, with it's potential of low cost, low cost of operation, and high PQ with little smearing? Some other technology win out? Can plasmas compete?

 

[stogie5150]

I think its telling that Plasma is the only technology that can easily keep up with 3D demands, after everyone said it was dead.

Not hard to tell where I stand...if its PQ you're after, Plasma is still the King. Long Live The King! :up

 

[gadgtfreek]

They can't make a 55" LCD for a decent price now, I dont see plasma going anywhere. I like my LED LCD, but if 3D holds and is mainstream and people I trust like it, my next purchase will be back to Plasma. I buy a new tv every 2 years or so anyways

 

[tigerfan33]

OLED technology has been very slow to come around. Promising several years ago but not much talk lately. I see Plasma still here while OLED struggling to make a decent size screen without breaking the bank in the next few years.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Thats the problem, when OLED comes out, itll be just like the "never gets better on pricing" LCD market. Plasma is getting size and lower prices, kinda like how DLP ran away from the field.

 

[navychop]

The economy has no doubt slowed investment in OLED. Nice thread at AVS on this. Lots of talk, and lots of industry announcements. Look for it to move into larger smart phones, maybe even the next iPhone. Then iPad style units and laptops.

Oh, I think OLED will get better on pricing. It offers the potential of being built up with ink jet style technology. And it doesn't require backlighting. And fewer layers. Plasma has it's pricing and fill factor limits, based on the physics of glass tubes. It's a mature technology, as demonstrated by so many companies bailing and leaving the field. Kinda upsetting, when Pioneer, with the best, Kuro, abandons the technology.

I think OLED, or some other forthcoming technology, will drive display prices down to the "cheap" level, like where they were at the end of the CRT era.

 

[gadgtfreek]

In plasma defense, Pioneer dropped it because they couldnt make the business. As with $4000 55" LCD's, the customer base is few and far between. The $2000 models will sell all day long. Panny hired the PIO guys and bought some patents, and Samsung is still strong. I think we'll see plasma get into 70"'s soon. In some ways I kick myself for not getting the 65" Panny last year.

 

[navychop]

Well, I'm going to eventually need something in the 60"+ range, possibly 3D capable. I only counted on 5 years out of my main TV, so I'm living on borrowed time now.

 

[toto]

XBR52HX909.

 

[mike123abc]

As far as plasma and LCD I think most of the advancements have been done. There will only be small incremental improvements to both systems. A lot of them will be in better chips that preprocess the image better for the given technology.

Who really knows if they can ever scale up OLED to be competative and have the lifetime people expect from their TVs.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I think LCD took a step backwards with Local Dimming. Its a good tech, but blooming and loss of detail need work. If they can get 512 zone sets coming for a good price, it may help.

 

[navychop]

There's a thread on OLED at AVS. There seem to be regular advances and investment in new plants, although that has slowed with economy. It has the potential to one day be cheap and great. I hope to live long enough to see it!

 

[DarrellP]

I just bit the dust and bought a Panasonic 42" 720P plasma. I wanted to go with a Panny 3D set, but on disability pay I just couldn't swing it. I ended up getting the TV and a BD-65 Blu Ray at Costco for under $600. I am totally blown away by the PQ on this set. I thought long and hard about choosing between 1080P and 720P, but after considering the TV size, my viewing distance, room and my eyes, I chose the 720P at less than 1/2 the cost of the set I wanted.

I cannot believe SD PQ on this set. I have numerous recordings from (GASP!) analog cable on my old Panny DVR and the PQ is beyond amazing. I also stream a lot of movies from Netflix and even with my limited bandwidth of 2.6 MB, I have great PQ. The short story is: I am sold on Plasma. The blacks are incredible and it uses very little energy (under 200W). I am totally blown away by the Blu Ray movies and how well it upconverts a regular DVD. Right now my only viewing choice is Netflix or Redbox and I am very happy. If I can convince my apt unit to upgrade our antenna for OTA, I'll be very content.

I think with 3D, Plasma is here to stay, especially with the black levels and price so far below comparable LCD's. I know they are catching up, but I think it will be awhile before they can catch up.

 

[toto]

4K is next and Plasma has a difficult time making small form factor 2k. Will Mercury and Lead leave plasma models? LED backlighted LCDs are environmentally friendly.