Ok, looking for a new TV and after listening to sales people I am really confused so I thought I would ask.
Seems like I can get a 70+ inch LCD Projection TV for about the same price as a 52 inch flat panel LCD.
What am I missing? Is there advantages and or disadvantages to either? What should I be looking for?
Thanks, any help would be apprecieted.
What LCD Projection TV are you referring to? As others have stated, LCD Projection TVs are not generally considered one the major technologies that are directly compared.
The three major HD TV types are: LCD flat panels, Plasma flat panels, and Rear Projection. Rear Projection is comprised of 3-4 different technologies, IMO, DLP is the leader as evidenced by the cutting edge theaters that use DLP technology.
Which is best for you depends on your individual situation. If you're trying to create an actual home theater with controlled lighting and viewing angle, then Plasma or DLP will give you the best theater quality picture.
Plasma is a power hog, has a diminishing life and is more expensive in larger screen sizes and is not considered an emerging technology.
DLP technology has evolved since the 70's and is a very proven and reliable technology. It is without question the best bang for the buck in large screen HD TVs today. Large screen TVs used to come with a sacrifice of picture quality in order to have that large screen, but not any more with 1080p HD TV.
LCD flat panel HD TVs are the largest selling category in the market today. Consumers consider them as "sexy." Their advantages are that they can be wall mounted, have wider viewing angles and are less subject to glare and washout from uncontrolled light sources. Their disadvantages are that the color quality lacks the realism that Plasma and DLP offers, the refresh rate is slower and can create motion problems for things like high speed sports and serious gaming, they are more expensive, and don't offer larger screen sizes.
If you're considering an LCD panel, my advice is to buy top tier quality with the newest technology. That would be the new 1080p 120 Hz panels which address the slower refresh rates and offer better clarity. The big box stores offer 3-4 choices: Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sharp and Sony - my choice is Mitsubishi.
Samsung is the best seller with a dramatic in-your-face effect with their 120 Hz technology. It creates an unnatural realism that you either love or hate......many panels are returned.
Sony is a very well rated panel and IMO offers a more realistic color rendition than Samsung. It suffers with some motion problems in it's 120 technology, but not as much as Samsung and is the highest priced of all mentioned.
Mitsubishi offers a conservative 120 Hz technology that simply works. No disconcerting dramatic effects, just clarity and a faster refresh rate to address the motion issues of LCD panels. They have the thinnest bezel which means the TV can fit into smaller spaces (looks good, too), and it has a proprietary color adjustment called Perfect Color that allows you to adjust 6 colors individually giving much more control over color adjustment.
DLP as my rear projector technology of choice, breaks down into light engine choices - bulb or LED. Samsung is into their 2nd generation LED light engine and did a respectable job with it.
Mitsubishi skipped LED in lui of laser technology which is due out in 08, but their current light engines use bulbs which are good for about 6000 hours. The downside of bulbs are that you have to replace them, the upside is that you can and when you do, you have a like new TV. Current generation Mitsubishi DLPs should have a life of 10-15 years or longer.
Btw, the Sony rear projector uses a different technology than DLP and does a good job, but has a much higher incidence of repair than DLP.
Hope I've answered more questions than I've created.
