Comments on: Plasma vs. LCD Revisited: Screen Glare is Still the Deciding Factor

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:10:21 +0000

Thanks. Looks like I'll have to grab an LG LH90 before they disappear. I'm tired of looking at my reflection in my Mitsu Plasma while watching TV.

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:43:32 +0000

I don't know of any specific 2010 models that have matte screens. Thin is in, and sticking a sheet of (highly reflective) glass across the front seems to facilitate a thinner profile.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:46:09 +0000

Do any of the LCD 2010 models have matte screens? The reviews on the new LG Infinia line talk about a glossy screen.

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:09:59 +0000

I know of no Plasma with a matte screen finish. You should check out the LCDs for yourself. With the newer sets, the picture still looks great even at extreme viewing angles. These LG LCD-LED TVs at Amazon are hard to beat, especially given the price.

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Sun, 02 May 2010 07:32:18 +0000

I am trying to decide between a plasma and LCD-LED. I would get a 40-42 inch set, unless I go with the Mitsubishi, in which case I can get the 46 inch due to its smaller edging and thus lower width (needs to fit into a certain space). The set is in a living room where we do not have curtains. TV is watched in daytime on weekend, nights otherwise. Also, one of our couches is at a 45-60 degree angle to the set. Can't figure out if I should go with plasma and suffer the glare or LCD-LED and suffer the clarity with viewing from the side.

Is there a good 42" or so plasma with a good matte covering to cut down on glare? Likewise, is there a good 42" LCD-LED with some sort of compensation to allow for side viewing? Specifics would be much appreciated. Thank you.

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:06:12 +0000

It is unfortunate that most LCDs are now glossy. The LG LCDs are an exception; they still have the matte finish as well as great picture quality, LED-backlight options, and very reasonable prices. I highly recommend LGsto anyone in the market for a new flat panel.

By: Bruce Hillberry

Bruce Hillberry — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:06:01 +0000

I purchased a 40 inch LCD 3 years ago, with a matte finish on the screen, no glare at all. The sun can shine right on the scree and no glare. It's impossible to find a matte finish LCD screen now. They all have a glossy finish, some more glare than others. Please bring back the matte screens. I upgraded to a 52 inch and now have glare to deal with.

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:17:40 +0000

It depends on the LCD TV, but in general slight off axis viewing like you are describing is not a problem with even worst LCD TV.

By: Sam Jones

Sam Jones — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:32:41 +0000

hi, i don't know if anyones still reading this post but i wandered…
With LCD tv's do they appear dark if you watch them from a lower angle. So say watching it while lieing in bed?

By: Kettie

Kettie — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:51:48 +0000

Its a great post and useful also because today everybody want to buy shopping goods online.
Thanks for such an helpful post.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:57:22 +0000

thanks a lot…

my set's gonna arrive tomorrow… I'm gonna play around with it for a week or two, and if it doesn't look right I'm just gonna return in for a plasma…

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:15:17 +0000

8ms is technically fast enough that you should notice any blurring, but I think that is a best-case number. I've read a couple of different reviews talking about blurring and/or the "triple football effect" on current-model Samsung displays. For gaming and sports, plasma or a new and faster LCD is probably a better option. Price is always the trade-off, but a larger size (50"+) and 1080p resolution are also great to have for gaming as well.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:44:33 +0000

Hey Carlton thanks for the quick response!

What do you think about the 8ms pixel response time then? Do you think that's fast enough for fast actions? I meant, newer models have 5ms and 2ms response time, but they cost thousand of dollars more.. just wondering if the result's really significant to upgrade (from 8ms to 5ms per say)

Also, from your standpoint, how would you compare lcds with 8ms response time to plasma?

Sorry to be a nag..

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:20:03 +0000

Ivan, there's a lot of person-to-person variation. To know for you, you should test the LCD itself and see if it is acceptable. I know that JVC is known to be the most gamer-friendly model and generally has the fastest response time. As for the screen size, bigger is better. I'd recommend going 50" if possible.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:40:22 +0000

Hi Carlton,

I just posted in your other post, but this post seems better for the lcd vs plasma argument.. just wondering if I can get your opinion…

I'm thinking of getting either plasma or LCD… just FYI, I'll be viewing from about 7 ft from the screen.. I did a bit research and it seems that either 42" or 46" screen would be sufficient..

Also, I will be using the TV mainly for watching blu rays, games (ps3) and watching football (or sports in general)

I heard that plasma won't have any blurring problems, since their response time really close to CRT, but prone to burn-in… in another hand, LCD will not have burn in problems, but have slow pixel response time..

I guess my question is, for my current viewing distance (abt 7 ft), would the blurring in LCD be a problem? Is it really significant compared to plasma? I'm planning to get last year's Samsung model (refurb) with 8ms response time… would this be good enough for fast moving actions? is there a big difference compared to plasma (also samsung)? last thing, would 46" gives me a headache from 7ft? or would I be better off with 42"?

I'm not really concerned with 720p or 1080p, I just don't want to get headaches because of the blurriness…esp when watching fast action sports..

just wondering if anyone that has the similar setup are willing to share their experience… any help would be appreciated…

Thank you beforehand!

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:01:47 +0000

I'm definitely no expert in the LCD vs Plasma debate but I can state with 100% accuracy that my local Best Buy and Circuit City have significantly dimmed the TV sections. Very noticeable and obvious. Common sense dictates it's probably a store by store decision.

Really though does the "store light" debate even matter? Isn't the general consensus that LCD performs better in rooms with a lot of light or sunlight? Plus Carlton states several times that Plasma offers the best viewing experience in the ideal setup.

I guess I'm just a "normal" viewer that wants the best picture in my living room with tons of windows.

By: MTG

MTG — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:45:30 +0000

Carlton….first of all….you are incorrect in saying that the article was "incorrect". In general, LCD's DO in fact have a distortion of image qualit when viewing from angles. All depends on the certain panel technology being used, but the point is…is that aside from "some", many lcd's do in fact suffer from this problem still. Fact. So you are wrong in saying that the article was wrong in their generalization, which they were not wrong.

Secondly, you were also incorrect in your input about the brightness of being in a store. IN GENERAL, my friend, the brightness IS much brighter in a store. You…seem to suffer from using a pin-pointed "one example" to complete your comments, and this is just elementary for you to do. Stores are brighter in general than any given living room. Period. You were wrong here, as well.

Lastly, according to the Imaging Science Foundation, who negotiate with Home Theater companies, and who train professional video calibrators, list the three most important aspects to picture quality.

1. Contrast Ratio.
2. Color Saturation.
3. Color Accuracy.

Distant fourth is…believe it or not…resolution. So, in my honest opinion, plasma IS in fact superior in terms of picture quality, for they do display better colors, and deeper blacks…IN GENERAL.

geez….feel like i gotta say "in general" all the time to this guy who CONCLUDES on just one example out of tons of examples.

By: David

David — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:52:27 +0000

Carlton, if you go to Costco you should be able to see the exact model(s) that I am talking about. I think you are probably right that the LCD matte is better, but in my experience (from my old glossy Panasonic to the new glossy Panasonic, both Costco models), I would have to say that the improvement is much better than 10%. Someone told me that matte plasmas cost about $200 more in cases where they are optional–I have not confirmed that, but it is what I heard. In any case, the Panasonic model at Costco which I recently got was matte and there was no glossy "option" (being Costco, the selection is limited). Thanks for your excellent site.

By: Carlton Bale

Carlton Bale — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:37:10 +0000

David: I did not know that the new Panasonic models had a matte finish on the screen. This is definitely an improvement for bright rooms. When I last compared models was last February, and the only company with a matte finish on a Plasma screen was Samsung. I compared it to an LCD, and I would say it was about 10% better than a standard glossy plasma (the Pioneer next to it) but not where near as matte as any of the LCD screen. A matte finish does degrade the image slightly in a perfect viewing environment (completely dark room) but makes the image much more watchable in bright rooms. Hopefully I'll be able to check-out the new Panasonic plasmas and compare the new matte finishes they offer. Thanks for the info!

By: David

David — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:17:44 +0000

I recently picked up a new Panasonic 50" plasma at Costco. I was returning to Costco a defective 50" Panasonic 50" plasma bought in early 2006. The old plasma was sitting in a room with a lot of ambient light and, like you say, the screen reflections could be distracting especially in dark scenes. But the new Panasonic plasma (at least the one I bought at Costco a few weeks ago) has a matte finish that looks significantly better in the same ambient-light environment.

Are you aware of these new matte plasmas? How do you think they compare to LCDs? Thanks…