LCD TV's or Plasma for gaming.

[BEAN924]

My girlfriend and I are looking at flat screen tvs. I have heard many things on the issue of LCD vs. plasma. One person told me that video games lag and do not work well on LCD compared to plasma. Is this true? Also we are looking into a 46" to 50" just to give a general idea.

[blackize]

LCDs have lower refresh rates so they will appear to lag at times both while gaming or watching high speed action(sports/movies mostly), but Plasmas are prone to burn in, the risk of which is increased when used for gaming. I think both of these problems have been toned down some in the newer models, but are still issues.

[BEAN924]

Also which would you suggest if you had to get one today??

[Dudd]

I'd get LCD, I have both and there are no problems with ghosting on the LCD but the glare on the plasma is horrible unless I turn every light off in the room and close the shades. It's quite annoying, and LCDs don't have that problem.

[bigblackbuddha]

I didn't think burning was a problem on plasmas unless you left the TV on a still image?

My roommate just bought a 42" lcd and we haven't had any with problems with lag when playing Halo or Madden.

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
Plasmas are prone to burn in, the risk of which is increased when used for gaming. I think both of these problems have been toned down some in the newer models, but are still issues.

[/ QUOTE ]

There aren't really issues with plasma burn in anymore. The following article was written by IDC in 2005, and technologies that prevent burn-in and image retention have improved since then:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe...20-%20FINAL.pdf

Test Methodology
ISF test technicians left a static video game (Half Life 2) menu image on each TV for a period of 48 hours to simulate a full weekend "burn". Post 48-hour observations were quantified and documented as: 1 = Not Visible, 2 = Barely Visible, 3 = Somewhat Visible, 4 = Easily Visible, 5 = Readily Visible and Clearly Defined. A subsequent 24-hour movie loop was then run in an attempt to "fix" any image retention caused by the static video game menu.

Test Results
After the 48-hour test, all LCD and microdisplay rear projection televisions scored a "1", as there was no indication of any image retention after the test period. Plasma, on the other hand, did show clear signs of image retention, with all displays scoring a "5" after 48-hours of displaying the video game menu. However, after running a movie loop on each plasma display for 24 hours, ISF testers could not perceive the previously retained images while watching video on the plasmas after the 24 hour "fix". As such, plasma’s image retention score went back down to a "1".

Key Takeaway
Central to this test is the acknowledgement that our demonstration was an extreme scenario that few consumers would ever experience with their televisions. Most potential buyers scared off by the notion of plasma "burn-in" are more focused on the damage caused while pausing a football game or their favorite show on TiVo for a few minutes while running around the house. Our tests show that current plasma technology can tolerate a full 48-hour session on pause, and then resume its original state with no permanent effects after a 24-hour video loop. Thus, while it is unlikely that a consumer of a current generation (or later) plasma TV will even notice any image retention caused by 5 or 10 or even 60 minutes on pause, it is most definite that any such image retention will disappear over the course of subsequent TV watching.

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
the glare on the plasma is horrible unless I turn every light off in the room and close the shades. It's quite annoying, and LCDs don't have that problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is definitely a problem for me; I have a plasma, and ambient light control is vital to enjoying the thing. Indoor lights are fine, but outdoor light from windows can make some plasmas (like mine) unbearable to watch because of reflections and glare. If you intend on putting the TV in a room where you can't control ambient light, get an LCD, IMO.

[4 High]

I would go LCD. Get a nice 1080p With 120HZ if possible.

[scotchnrocks]

[ QUOTE ]
I would go LCD. Get a nice 1080p With 120HZ if possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly, get 1080p w/ 120Hz refresh rate and you're set

[iSTRONG]

^^ what they said