[cnnmoney]how to buy a flat-panel HDTV

Pretty good and simple article about buying HDTVs (flatpanels)
let's help the ecomony!

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/moneymag/0901/gallery.HDTV.moneymag/index.html

Step 1: Size

Bigger ≠ Better

With TVs, bigger isn't necessarily better: The right size depends on how far away from it you'll sit. To get a cinematic experience without graininess or eyestrain, shop in the ranges at right. Choose the low end of the range if you get standard-def TV and the high end if you subscribe to HD service.


Step 2: Technology

LCD or Plasma?

Both technologies have improved recently. But while today's plasma screens are less likely to suffer "burn-in" (ghosts of images such as the CNN ticker), it can still happen. And the old knock on LCDs - that fast-action sports programming and video games are blurrier than on plasmas - is still valid, despite the fact that manufacturers have doubled and quadrupled the speeds of image refresh (to 120Hz or 240Hz). So, basically, the old rules hold for now.

In short: Plasmas offer superior contrast - blacker blacks, brighter whites - and are usually a better value, especially for larger sets (50 inches and up). But LCDs have advantages too; they can be less reflective and brighter. They're also more available than plasma at smaller sizes. Consult the checklist at right.


Step 3: Resolution

720p vs. 1080p

The highest HDTV standard for resolution (how many pixels make up the image, thus how sharp it is) is called 1080p. A 1080p LCD in the 40- to 49-inch range runs $1,590, on average, according to DisplaySearch. An LCD that size with a lower 720p resolution is just $890. So which to get?

Get 720p if: You watch HD broadcasts over cable and satellite, which are usually compressed to 720p, and you watch regular DVDs.

Get 1080p if: You'll get a Blu-ray disk player or an HD video camera, you have a video-game-obsessed kid or you'll watch HD broadcasts over the air (without cable or satellite). Note that most TVs 50 inches or larger are 1080p.


Step 4: Shop

Browse at the Store, Buy Online

Sure, go to the big electronics store to see the goods. But to get the best deal, go online. Use comparison-shopping engines like Shopzilla.com, but also search on Amazon.com, which often has among the deeper discounts. Because comparison engines usually won't pick up Amazon's special deals, make sure that you always check the site directly.


Step 5: Cables

Get the Cheapies

Even if your new TV comes with component cables, which have multiple audio and video jacks, buy an HDMI cable anyway. It's a single cord so it's easier to set up and it transmits the highest-quality digital video and audio. That said, you don't need the $100 kind, says Paul Gagnon, director of North American TV market research for analysis firm DisplaySearch. Stick with store brands or those from Monoprice.com, and save yourself $70 or more.

 

comment:

by the way I have an old 50 in Sony Wega (720p) and run blu-ray on it, it looks great. I don't think 50in 720p exists anymore, but if they do, they should be really cheap. As long as you don't sit too close, you won't see the difference in resolution vs 1080p

 

how old is your plasma and what brand?

sometimes this is just a temporary problem. panasonic and pioneer are the best and tend to have zero issues.

also new plasmas have 'game mode' which was made specifically for that.

go to your options, i think there's a burn-in or image retention option that can clear it up.

Also another factor is your TV settings, make sure you don't have the contrast all the way up to MAX and your color settings to high.

 

for panasonic plasmas

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wc...l?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=215669

Recognizing the growing use of Plasma HD televisions in the gaming world, Panasonic created the Game Mode, which minimizes the time lag when displaying game images on the Plasma screen. The Mode synchronizes the response of the game image to the player’s operation, thereby producing an extremely clear image with no motion artifacts.


Here's the low down on proper plasma setup:
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-burnin.html

So, how do you prevent burn-in on your brand-new plasma TV screen?

(1) Some obvious advice: Do not leave static images on your plasma TV screen for more than an hour. Turn off your unit when you are not watching it. Do not pause DVDs for more than 20 minutes at a time.

(2) Know that plasma screens are more prone to burn-in during their first 200 hours of use. When phosphors are fresh, they burn more intensely as they are ignited. This means that relatively new plasma display TVs are prone to "ghosting", which occurs when on-screen images appear to stay on the screen belatedly. This is a function of the high intensity with which new phosphors "pop," and this phenomenon usually "washes out" on its own, as the screen displays subsequent images. Displaying a bright, or moving snow image (as with a DVD or VCR with no input) will "wash" a ghost image from the screen in most cases. Many plasma manufacturers have installed anti-burn settings, which are monotone gray or snow screen settings which recalibrate pixel intensity levels uniformly - thus eliminating any image retention (ghosting). It is a good idea to run this type of program after the first 100 hours or so.

(3) Adjust the CONTRAST setting at or below 50% on your new plasma TV. These days most plasma TVs are preset to either peak or very high contrast (also called picture setting on many TVs). This forces phosphors to glow more intensely, which decreases the length of time necessary for burn-in to occur. Our advice is to reduce the contrast setting to 50% or less for the first 200 hours of use. And, be sure to avail yourself of your plasma's anti-burn-in features.

(4) Some plasma televisions burn-in more easily than others. In my experience, AliS type panels -- the ones utilized by Hitachi and Fujistu -- seem more readily given over to problems with burn-in. As well, be more wary of the 2nd and 3rd tier brands as their technology is usually not as up to date as some of the better 1st tier brands.

(5) When displaying video games and other content which have static images, use your burn-in protection features like power management settings, full-time picture shift (both vertical and horizontal), and automatic screen-saver functions. Check your Owner's Manual for further information.

(6) Realize that quality matters with burn-in as with everything else. Purchase a plasma display that has really good scaling, so that you can watch 4:3 TV programs in widescreen comfortably. It is better not to display black bars on your TV screen for prolonged periods of time (especially in the first 200 hours), so you are probably better off watching most everything in "full screen" mode. This should not be much of a problem todays selection of widescreen HDTV and DVDT content.

Also, higher quality TVs tend to be more resistant to burn-in -- though not entirely immune to it. Of the plasma displays I've owned and/or tested extensively, NEC, Sony, Pioneer, and Panasonic seemed least prone to burn-in once the plasma screen was properly broken in.

Note: There are some applications which are simply not well suited to plasma display technology. The static flight schedule signage at airports, for example. It amazes me to walk into an airport and see a ruined plasma display monitor hanging from the ceiling with what is obviously an extreme case of permanent burn- in. As LCD monitors have increased in size, they are being used to replace plasma displays in this types of setting.
The Bottom Line on Burn-In

Plasma TV burn-in is not an issue that should cause undue concern in the average user. With a modicum of caution, most plasma TVs will probably never have a problem with image retention. A viewer may experience temporary ghosting, but this is not cause for alarm.

For more about the life span of a plasma TV, please see the article "How Long Do Plasma TVs Last?"

 

that's why there's only a few brands left, and its also the same for LCD.

Always buy quality brands.

 

check out the earlier post I had with the plasmatv guidelines.
I wouldn't pause the dvd or dvr for 20 hours or something like that.
however i have time warner and if it automatically unpauses after 20 minutes or so.

burn in these days are NOT an issue. as mentioned before, lower the settings of contrast and color.. this also makes the image look better anyways. when the football has overcast skies, it shouldn't look like they are playing in florida in the sun.