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General discussion

TV's, Plasma VS 1080p VS 4K: $600 VS $1200 VS $skylimit

by MusicalGamer Aug 13, 2016 5:48PM PDT

Hey Everyone,

I thought I would throw this out to see what everyone thinks. I don't much by into hype, or advertising, rather go by solid facts.

I recently moved, and my living room got larger. I currently have an LG 42" LED. Its nice n' all has served me well. But I am thinking of moving it into the bedroom. Connect to a laptop there, and k400, and surf and watch movies in there.

Which leaves the living room in need of a TV. Things to NOTE: the CLOSEST seating position is 8 feet. The FURTHEST seating position is 10 feet. We might add or subtract 1 foot for variances.

I do not have room for anything bigger than 65 inches. SO that leaves me to my next rather quandry.

I have 3 choices. (More or less). I have the potential to purchase an LG plasma 60 inch, 600hz (made 2014) for $500.
I can purchase a 1080p. For about $1000 - $1200 (Samsung - 60-65 inches depending on sales)
or I can purchase a 4K 60-65 inch at $1800-$2500.
(Prices in Canadian).
A friend of mine said the detail in the 4K is astounding. However, given that the tv will sit 8 to 11 feet away from the eyes viewing it, I'm not sure the detail would be noticable to the naked eye. Having said, while 4K content is always being added. I'm not sure it has made a sufficient dent in the market, and that movies will be made in 4K (would mean studios all have to flip over to 4K, which could take 5 - 10 years)

SO would the $500 plasma (600hz) work? and save money? Would i go for broke and potentially future proof myself?

Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks a bundle.
Best Wishes. ...MG

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
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Many have noted this.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Aug 14, 2016 9:18AM PDT

Some call out the Emperor has no clothes too. There are now many articles about 4K UHD and while it does look great up close, well that's not how I use it.

I can imagine that for medical and inspection work it would be nice to walk up to the big screen and see the details of the image but here, I bought another 1080p HDTV and paid little for it.

What you may want to keep an eye out for is HDR. Now that is something I think is the right direction.

I didn't offer links on this but you can find them easy enough.

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HDR
by MusicalGamer Aug 14, 2016 4:16PM PDT

Hey ,
Thanks for your reply. I did some checking. The HDR is available on 4K units priced over $4000. Its just a bit outta my budget.

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Ludicrous prices on 1080p now.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Aug 14, 2016 4:40PM PDT

We needed to upgrade one old set so for 330 bucks a 48 inch smart TV by Sharp. I don't know how they do this.

HDR will come down as time passes so I take it you didn't read an article like this one:
https://carltonbale.com/does-4k-resolution-matter/

So you're going to sit at 8 feet or closer to that 65 inch screen?

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It's really a matter of taste- 1080p should be fine
by Pepe7 Aug 15, 2016 10:44AM PDT

Keep in mind, the larger the screen and the closer you sit, you start to see more of the imperfections in various feeds/channels/etc. Definitely factor that in. In this regard, the smaller 60" plasma may be a better choice for now. In general, the 'softness' of certain types of content when viewed on a plasma can actually be preferable IME and O. IOW, everything does not have to be razor sharp 4K content to be considered quite good if not excellent. Scour some of the more film-oriented sub-forums online to read more about this issue.

That said, you fail to list any specific model numbers of any of the involved HDTVs here. This is where the rubber hits the road. Regarding plasma PQ, LG was never a top performer vs Panasonic or Samsung, which is why I stuck with the others. *Which* LG are you referring to?? (Ditto for the others)

Lacking HDR, I would also pass on the two other options if that particular plasma passed as something which could suit your needs for now until 4K (etc.) gets sorted out properly in the marketplace.

Could you buy two and do a side by side? (Hint: amazon has very liberal return policies.) I have done that on multiple occasions when budget has permitted/client gave me the carte blanche.

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