Today one of the big questions in Home Theater, is which is better LCD or Plasma technology? Let’s have a quick rundown of the positives and negatives of each technology, then I’ll give you hard and fast recommendations.

LCD Vs. Plasma
LCD
Typically have had motion blur issues, though newer models are less susceptible.
More expensive than plasma, but prices have leveled well, except for the largest screens.
Usually have a matte finish screen which reduces glare and reflections.
Use less power, typically 25-30% less than plasma.
Often claim longer life spans. 60,000 hours anyone?

Plasma
Glossy finish, which some like due to perceived increased image clarity.
Often these sets have superior images to LCD, however some purists claim the image is overblown.
Typically have better viewing angles, but newer LCD models are overcoming this.
Larger screens are cheaper.

So where does that leave you? It depends on which features matter the most. Glossy screens may be a deal breaker if you have a lot of light in your viewing room, or image burn-in may be a problem for heavy gamers, for example.

LCD vs Plasma in general though, the image-bang-for-your-buck factor depends on which size you want. If you’re looking for one of the larger sizes, such as 50-inch or larger, Plasma will get you more for your money. Smaller sizes are much closer in price, and you’ll need to consider the various trade-offs. Be wary of viewing screens in local retailers for your decision-making process - these sets are usually not calibrated. A 30-minute calibration that you can do yourself may make all the difference.

Hey, I just opened a new store listing for projector lamps. No need to spend the retail price amount on a new bulb, there are many other options.

Need a new bulb? Check my projector bulb store before you buy.

The Panasonic PT-AX200 has become a very popular machine for entry level HD projection.

This LCD unit sports 720p resolution and a contrast ratio of 6000:1. It has an iris to control brightness, which auto-adjusts for brighter or darker scenes. It has very flexible lens shift and some great stats to make it a worthy contender. If you’re looking for HD projection under $1500, don’t miss this model.

At $1,699 street price - which includes a screen, ceiling mount, and cable - and if you are on a budget but want a very nice projector, here is one to consider. It looks fine out of the box, but I think all consumers should get some sort of calibration kit - such as from Datacolor or GretagMacbeth - to get the best possible performance. You can use these systems to calibrate flat panel monitors, rear projection TVs, and by putting the sensor on a tripod, you can calibrate your projector too. Bite the bullet and get one.

More reviews for projectors found at Test Freaks.

Optoma have brought us our first 1080p DLP projector under three grand, and this beaut is now available in local stores.

Seen as low as under $2500, the maximum HD resolution for truly big screen viewing is more affordable than ever for DLP.

Specs:

Brightness 1300 ANSI Lumens
Resolution Native 1080p (1920 x 1080)
Contrast Ratio 10,000:1 (Max)
ANSI Contrast 518:1
Inputs Two HDMI, DVI w/HDCP, S-Video, Composite Video, Component Video, RS-232, +12V Trigger

Pilfering through the end user reports and reviews at AVSforums for this unit, we find very complimentary statements such as:

After spent a few hours playing with HD80 last night, all I can say is this is one hell of a projector! Highly recommended to anyone whose looking for a best image quality at a lowest possible price.

It is a very nice machine, I think almost everyone would be happy with it.

the picture is just gorgeous with great blacks. It looks good with minor adjustments.

I’d recommend the HD80 to anyone looking for a powerful projector with high resolution.
We watched some movies tonight that I thought would be so/so but not so on this projector. Things looks very good,

Right now I’d say this is the 1080p DLP to get.

I’d expect this PJ to be a huge seller for the videophile looking for a lower priced deal market.

I was quite impressed. It was VERY bright and VERY sharp. I didn’t notice anything wrong with the colour. It was well saturated, and primaries and secondaries seemed to be in the right place.

I am still looking for an in-depth pro review, as I don’t have my hands on one of these units yet, so stay tuned.

Optoma HD80 Product Detail

Pioneer’s new 8th generation plasmas are upon us, and it looks like these babies will delight.

The wonderful blokes over at HDTV Test have an excellent review of this piece, and they have found it to be superb.

The reviewer sums up by saying this is the best flat panel he’s ever checked out.

Pros
- Deepest blacks among all the HDTVs I’ve reviewed so far (objectively and subjectively)
- Gorgeous colour reproduction with accurate decoding
- Excellent video mode deinterlacing
- Competent film mode deinterlacing (except in 480i/60 and 1080i/60; see Cons)
- Advance [PureCinema] mode removes telecine judder
- Good scaling quality
- Fluid motion handling as expected from a top-tier plasma
- Effectively no posterization
- No image retention
- No screen uniformity issues
- Generous connectivity: 3 HDMI ports, 3 Scarts, optical audio out, etc.
- Plenty of calibration options in the user menu (but may be confusing; see Cons)
- Independent input memory settings
- Automatic PC adjustments over VGA and HDMI to eliminate overscan
- Excellent viewing angle (> 160°)
- Recessed grip handles and pre-attached stand facilitate quick setup
- Remote control sports high-quality finish and dedicated input buttons

Cons
- Slightly indistinct shadow detail due to skewed 0-20% gamma tracking
- Certain settings increase PWM noise (shimmering pixels)
- Sluggish and flaky 3:2 cadence lock over 480i/60 and 1080i/60
- Plasma buzzing may annoy those with sensitive ears
- The sheer number of options in the user menu can be confusing, especially when…
- The manual does not explain a lot of the functions in the user menu clearly
- Reflective screen may pose a problem if ambient light is not controlled
- Priced at a premium compared to plasmas with similar specs
- EPG lacking in usability

Conclusion
Awesome blacks? Check. Enormous dynamic range? Check. D65 greyscale? Check. Saturated but not overblown colours without hue and decoding errors? Check. Smooth as a baby’s bottom 24fps handling? Check. Top-notch video processing? Check. No image retention, screen uniformity issues nor posterization? All check.

Pioneer have a winner on their hands in the form of the PDP4280XD… I’ve even seriously considered keeping it as a point of reference for all my future reviews.

It looks like this new plasma could be the new king.
Stay tuned for more reviews and info…

Check out the Pioneer PDP4280XD Full Review

Looking for a value priced plasma TV in the 42 inch size range? Check this unit out.

Resolution 1024 X 768
Inputs 2 Component, 3 HDMI, RGB, VGA
Tuner Single HDTV

This unit has a great picture for this price range, and is a worthy plasma contender.

The HP PL4272N is an excellent buy. Yes, you can do better by spending several hundred, or several thousand, additional dollars. But for solid performance at a price that will please your wallet, take a close look at this one.

HP PL4272N Plasma HDTV

Toshiba have recently released a new HD DVD player, the HD-A20 model. This model is similar to the lower priced HD-A2 model, but adds true 1080p functionality.

What has been found, though, is the 1080p output is not really worth the price of admission. Unless this player’s firmware is updated with 1080p/24 output, or your display has poor 1080i deinterlacing, keep your cash and get the HD-A2.

Toshiba HD-A20 1080p HD DVD player

We have 4 new HD DVD releases this week, and nothing from the Blu Ray BD camp.

The HD media war is really heating up, both sides need new and better content.

All from Universal, we have:

Billy Madison
Dante’s Peak
The War
The Wedding Date

These are all older, previously released movies and they aren’t that spectacular. The War looks worth checking out, especially if you’re a Costner fan.

I have been looking for a better HDTV offering for broadcast tv, and I have found that DISH has the best coverage. They finally got their new HD lineup up and running.

There are four packages available.

DishHD Bronze and DishHD Silver
Animania HD
Family Room HD
GamePlay HD
Discovery HD Theater
Equator HD
DISH Network PPV in HD
Film Fest HD
HDNet Movies
Kung Fu HD
Monsters HD
World Cinema HD
HDNews
Rave HD
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
NFL Network HD
Rush HD
WorldSport HD
Gallery HD
HDNet
HGTV HD
TNT HD
Treasure HD
Ultra HD
Universal HD

With Bronze you get 80 standard-def channels, with Silver you get 200 standard-def channels.

Bronze is $49.99 per month
Silver is $59.99 per month
__________________________

Move up to Gold and add:

National Geographic in HD and 40 more standard definition channels.

Gold is $69.99 per month
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The Platinum Package takes the Gold package and adds:

HBO HD
Showtime HD
Starz HD

Platinum is $99.99 per month

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Add your local HD channels, where available, for 5 bucks per month.

Dish currently is running a special for new HD customers:

Save $200. You get $20 off per month for 10 months, and get the Starz moviepack free for 3 months.
Plus you get a free upgrade to an HD receiver.

That brings the prices down to:

$29.99 for Bronze
$39.99 for Silver
$49.99 for Gold

That is currently the best deal for HD television.

Visit Dish to find out more.

Toshiba HD-D1 HD DVD Player

RCA HDV5000 HD-DVD Player

Just to make sure everyone knows, these units are exactly the same as the Toshiba HD-A1. The HD-D1 is black instead of silver, and the RCA model is simply a rebadged unit.