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Well I'm finally going to take the plunge and ditch my CRT television for something new, I've been deciding between two 1080p televisions, both 42". One is the Panasonic TH42PZ77 (plasma) and the other is an LG 42LB5D (LCD). I'm not looking to spend a lot of money, I can get the Panasonic for $1500 CDN right now, and the LG is $1300. I have looked at both of them in person and it's tough to make a decision, although I seem to be leaning towards the Panasonic. Does anyone here have any personal experiences with either display?

I do plan to upgrade to HD cable and will also be hooking up my Toshiba HD-A30 HD DVD player to it once I get an HDMI cable that can do 1080p (anyone have any recommendations on that?). Also I will probably be hooking up my old Philips DVP642/37 DVD player and original Xbox to it, if that helps.

Thanks a bunch!

PetMiceRnice wrote:

an HDMI cable that can do 1080p (anyone have any recommendations on that?)

MonoPrice.

Just about any HDMI cable will do 1080p. JAE's suggestion of monoprice.com is perfect. Cheap cables, fast shipping, quality product.

And I'd go plasma over LCD.

Thanks for the advice guys, I went out and bought the Panasonic today. I'm at work right now and obviously can't try it out yet, but I'm very pumped! I will look into the HDMI cable as was suggested. Do they ship to Canada?

PetMiceRnice wrote:

Do they ship to Canada?

Apparently.

MonoPrice wrote:

Sorry, No International Credit Card except Canadian customer.

Monoprice.com offers the following shipping methods:
USPS First Class - Takes 3-4 Business Days plus 1 days processing time
USPS Priority - Takes 2-3 Business Days plus 1 days processing time
USPS Air Parcel - Takes 7-14 Business Days plus 1 days processing time, however, when the custom in Canada holds it, it may take longer.
USPS Priority International - Takes 6-10 Business Days plus 1 days processing time, however, when the custom in Canada holds it, it may take longer.
UPS Ground - Takes 1-5 Business Day depending on location plus 1 days processing time. For example, it takes 1-2 business days for CA and 4-5 business days for NY.
UPS 3 Day Select - Takes 3 Business Day plus 1 days processing time
UPS 2nd Day Air - Takes 2 Business Day plus 1 days processing time
UPS Next Day Air - Takes 1 Business Day plus 1 days processing time
APO/FPO Welcome! - Takes 2-4 weeks plus 1 days processing time

You might get it faster (for more money) from NCIX.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

You might get it faster (for more money) from NCIX.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php? ... n%20Cables
$18 CAD (+ shipping)

PetMiceRnice wrote:

Thanks for the advice guys, I went out and bought the Panasonic today. I'm at work right now and obviously can't try it out yet, but I'm very pumped! I will look into the HDMI cable as was suggested. Do they ship to Canada?

Ha! I wish I just have $1500 to drop for a new TV. I'm looking at $1000 but no way I'm getting what I want.

Flying Fox wrote:

I'm looking at $1000 but no way I'm getting what I want.

Best to wait then. Why settle for less than what you want with something like a TV which you're going to have for years?

Flying Fox wrote:

Ha! I wish I just have $1500 to drop for a new TV. I'm looking at $1000 but no way I'm getting what I want.

Well I have to consider myself fortunate to have been able to buy the TV (and extended warranty) and be able to pay cash for it, but for me to have been able to do something like this even three or four years ago would have been a dream. But then I decided that I was getting into my 30s and should stop living paycheque to paycheque and took it upon myself to start looking at my spending and start saving money. Of course, my main goal in saving money is to ensure a nice retirement, but it is nice to be able to have money in the bank and drop money once in a blue moon like this on something that will improve my quality of life. You never know how long you will have on this planet and it is important to enjoy some of your money as you go along, while still looking ahead at the future.

Vrock is right though, if you have $1000 to spend, I'd definitely hold off until you have a few hundred dollars more because you don't go out and buy a TV all the time. From the time I was a wee one back in the early 1970s, I think between my family and myself now, we've had a grand total of four televisions in the living room, most over 10 years old by the time they were done. The fourth TV is my tube TV which I just replaced with this new Panasonic, and it is only 4 years old (works great). If not for the progress of technology and dropping prices, I would have run that CRT for a lot longer.

Heh, this is a little more long-winded than I intended! But thanks to everyone who responded further.

It's cool. I have the free cash to spend too if I like but I don't want to.

Where can you find that Panasonic that cheap? Panasonic.com is showing the TV at US$1800.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

PetMiceRnice wrote:

an HDMI cable that can do 1080p (anyone have any recommendations on that?)

MonoPrice.

Those guys have the audio cables I've been looking for. Thanks for the link!

PetMiceRnice wrote:

One is the Panasonic TH42PZ77 (plasma) and the other is an LG 42LB5D (LCD). I'm not looking to spend a lot of money, I can get the Panasonic for $1500 CDN right now, and the LG is $1300.

DEFINITELY get the LG model. In the battle between Plasma and LCD, LCD will win because Plasma backlights start to dim or bleed and need to be replaced after 6 months of use. New backlights will cost you $200-$500. Plasmas are also known to develop a form of "screen burn" similar to the old CRT days.

I have a 37" LG of the same panel type, and it's phenomenal!!!

Oh wait, you already got the Panasonic...

JdL wrote:

PetMiceRnice wrote:

One is the Panasonic TH42PZ77 (plasma) and the other is an LG 42LB5D (LCD). I'm not looking to spend a lot of money, I can get the Panasonic for $1500 CDN right now, and the LG is $1300.

DEFINITELY get the LG model. In the battle between Plasma and LCD, LCD will win because Plasma backlights start to dim or bleed and need to be replaced after 6 months of use. New backlights will cost you $200-$500. Plasmas are also known to develop a form of "screen burn" similar to the old CRT days.

I have a 37" LG of the same panel type, and it's phenomenal!!!

Oh wait, you already got the Panasonic...

You might want to do some research on current plasma screens before making these statements.....

JdL wrote:

DEFINITELY get the LG model. In the battle between Plasma and LCD, LCD will win because Plasma backlights start to dim or bleed and need to be replaced after 6 months of use. New backlights will cost you $200-$500. Plasmas are also known to develop a form of "screen burn" similar to the old CRT days.

Sigh.

1) Plasmas don't have backlights. They're emissive displays, not transmissive.

2) Since Plasmas don't have backlights, a new backlight won't cost you $200-500. A new backlight won't cost you anything, because they don't exist. And plasmas don't bleed either, because again, they don't have backlights.

3) Plasmas generally have a half-life of around 50,000 hours, after which point the screen is approximately half as bright as is once was. 50,000 hours is a long bloody time, much longer than your 6 months. Panny's new 1080p plasmas have a half life of 100,000 hours.

4) You have to be extremely careless or deliberately try to burn in a new plasma.

5) Please go do some research before you go around spreading misinformation like it's gospel.

Vrock wrote:

JdL wrote:

DEFINITELY get the LG model. In the battle between Plasma and LCD, LCD will win because Plasma backlights start to dim or bleed and need to be replaced after 6 months of use. New backlights will cost you $200-$500. Plasmas are also known to develop a form of "screen burn" similar to the old CRT days.

Sigh.

1) Plasmas don't have backlights. They're emissive displays, not transmissive.

2) Since Plasmas don't have backlights, a new backlight won't cost you $200-500. A new backlight won't cost you anything, because they don't exist. And plasmas don't bleed either, because again, they don't have backlights.

3) Plasmas generally have a half-life of around 50,000 hours, after which point the screen is approximately half as bright as is once was. 50,000 hours is a long bloody time, much longer than your 6 months. Panny's new 1080p plasmas have a half life of 100,000 hours.

4) You have to be extremely careless or deliberately try to burn in a new plasma.

5) Please go do some research before you go around spreading misinformation like it's gospel.

Agreed -- after doing some research I was way off on all points. I sit humbled and corrected. For the benefit of those reading this thread, here's what I uncovered: "Plasma screens use a small electric pulse for each pixel to excite the rare natural gases argon, neon and xenon used to produce the color information and light. As electrons excite the phosphors, oxygen atoms dissipate and create plasma, emitting UV light." It is the phosphors that technically emit the light -- there is no backlight, as was pointed out, and therefore should be no bleeding issues. Screen burn is still a a possibility, however, but only if the display is left on for an extensive period of time or in direct sunlight.

Man, this is one time it HURTS to be so wrong. Wow. I think I'll print this thread out and cook it up tonight and eat my words for dinner.

Flying Fox wrote:

Where can you find that Panasonic that cheap? Panasonic.com is showing the TV at US$1800.

I picked it up at Future Shop here in Edmonton. I see on their website that it is $200 more now than when I bought it, so it was a good thing I got out earlier in the week to get it! It's a very nice TV here in the early going, a huge upgrade on my 24" CRT!

JdL wrote:

Man, this is one time it HURTS to be so wrong. Wow. I think I'll print this thread out and cook it up tonight and eat my words for dinner.

It's cool, believe me when I say that I would not have dropped that kind of money on a new TV unless I had done my homework ahead of time. For what it's worth, I also liked a lot of the LCD's that I saw too. As I say, it was a tough choice in the end which technology to go with.