# TV's - LCD, LED, Quartz?



## DWSmith (Mar 13, 2011)

I am in the market for a new TV to replace the 27" Sony my wife uses which is now 14 years old. It is about time she entered the world of HD.

Since I know nothing of TV's, what is the best, LCD, LED or Quartz?


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## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 13, 2011)

The least expensive option is LCD, and probably the way to go to get the best "bang for the buck". Look for at least two HDMI inputs, three or more if you plan to use an Xbox, Wii or PlayStation. If you plan to get a Blu-Ray player, go for 1080p resolution. If all you are going to do is watch cable, over-the-air broadcasts or standard DVD's, 720p will suffice, unless you're planning to get a 50+ inch model. If so, then get the 1080p. 

While LCD sets use fluorescent tubes to provide the backlighting for the screen, LED sets use arrays of Light Emitting Diodes and are generally thinner and run cooler. The LED arrays will have a longer life than the fluorescent tubes, but either one will probably last long enough until you replace the TV. The newer sets are LED, and are usually accompanied with other features, such as the built-in capability to display internet content without using a computer attached to the set. 

I'm not familiar with "Quartz", and googling doesn't return much, either.


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## sw2geeks (Mar 13, 2011)

Quartz? Maybe you mean Plasma?
Plasma is the older tech and cheaper than LCD, but some say it still has a better more movie like picture than LCD with less motion blur and blacker blacks. They are thicker than the new LED LCD tv's, use more power and generate more heat. They are also not as bright, so if the tv is in a bright room, LCD might be a better choice. If you are more of a movie buff with a home theater setup, Plasma may give you a more softer movie like picture. But when all is said and done, I think most HD tv's have a great picture, LCD and Plasma. You can put them next to each other in a room to chose which has the best picture, but if you looked at each one individually in a room by themselves you would have a hard time, they all look good.


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## WildBoar (Mar 13, 2011)

x3. Plasma is best if you have a low-light theater-type room, but for everyday viewing LCD is great. And if you can swing an LED version (extra $), even better.


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## hien (Mar 13, 2011)

I would go for led


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## DWSmith (Mar 13, 2011)

*Thanks everyone!* LED it is. Will check Wally World this afternoon and Costco tomorrow before I get home.


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## sw2geeks (Mar 13, 2011)

Costco doubles the warranty on tv's


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## rysara (Mar 24, 2011)

LED by far. I recently bought a new TV on black friday and did a ton of research before I settled on the one I bought. However, there are a lot of pros and cons to getting into those types of tv sets. The picture quality and clarity is simply mind blowing. If you get one, get one that displays in 1080p. That's the best resolution by far. I wouldn't get a tv that is less than 120hz because at 60hz you tend to lose out on the picture quality that you are paying for. LED/LCD has best over all picture, but has a hard time with extremely fast movement from time to time, so you can see a tiny bit of blurring. Plasma has no blurring issues, but also runs the risk of burn-in if you leave your tv on for hours at a time. Plasma also has the truest blacks. 

Costco/Sam's Club/ BJ's has some amazing tv sets and the prices are pretty fair, however, I ended up buying my set online at newegg.com because I didn't pay taxes on it and shipping was free.  Also newegg has a good extended warranty if you wanna get one.


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## jaybett (Mar 24, 2011)

Plasma has the best picture quality and the lowest prices. The picture is a little darker then LCD, but plasma doesn't suffer from any of the issues that effect LCD.

If you want a TV to watch movies and tv, then get a plasma. The typical family room will probably better be served by an LCD, where game machines are attached, and children's movies are played through out the day. 

Which ever model, you decide to get, shop around for deals. The best deals are happening right now. March Madness, is the last event for retailers to get rid of their old inventory, to make room for the new stock, which comes in late March and April. Don't over look display models which are often sold at huge discounts.

Jay


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## Audi's or knives (Mar 26, 2011)

Everyone pretty much covered the basics here you may want to consider how far away your seating is for viewing, no need to be sitting right on top of a 50" tv or 15' away from a 32" viewing distance will help determine the size you want besides budget of course (for optimum viewing pleasure), did you end up getting a set, what brand? You can't go wrong with any choice since it's an upgrade from a 14yo set any picture will look stunning.


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