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OK so let me first say hello to all. My name is Snige and I am very new to this, so the look of my article might not be up to scratch to the rest here.

Whist I am really into gadgets and gaming and all things tech, I am really going talk about the world of home cinema. Most can work out what consoles, games and gadgets they want, but the world of TV’s, DVD players and the like are a bit more complicated. So hopefully I can help out. But as I said I’m new to writing about what is a HUGE subject, so explaining about it all is a difficult job for someone whose job isn’t about explaining it! Please note that I am not a fully paid up expert. I am just a fan who reads lots of magazines. I don’t have access to watch or play with all the stuff I mention (if only I were that lucky), and so I can only go off what I read and give my thoughts.

So here’s my first task. To start with any home cinema set up you need something to view pictures on, so that’s where I’ll start for this first assignment.

As I’m sure you all know, the big push for TV’s that you see are Plasma and LCD. There are of course projectors, both front and rear, but for now I’ll stick with the flat screens. Now, which to go for is not an easy task. Both are actually quite different at how the produce images. I wont go into how, as this is not really the point of the article. But I will post links to wiki for each, so that you can read them in your own time.

PLASMA - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_tv
LCD - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD_TV

Now which one do you choose? Well that depends on what your going to watch on it as in my opinion the two are very good at different things. Plasmas are fantastic at displaying blacks, motion and brightness but pictures do suffer from lighting and of course, screen burn. Big advancements have been made to reducing screen burn, but it is still a factor and one which I am really conscious about. So you want some advice about the pro’s and cons between the two? Read on and I shall explain all…

LCD TV’s are much better at displaying whites then plasma. They also have excellent contrast and with newer sets have great colour range and viewing angles. But for every screen burn on plasma there is motion blur for LCD. This has come on leaps and bounds, but compared with none for it’s rival, it is a sticky point. The real bonus for LCD is that lighting from the room or outside through windows has much less effect than for plasma. Having some “mood” lighting behind or to the side of the screen actually makes the black reproduction look better.

Now my rule of thumb for choosing them is this. If your new TV is going to be used for just that, a TV, then LCD is the winner. Their ever increasing screen size are now matching plasma and with the non existent screen burn, it’s safe for SKY logos ( in my case it’s the dreaded Cartoon Network left on when the kids are nowhere to be seen ). The lighting issue also makes it great for daytime viewing, or at night when you don’t want to sat in the dark.

But if your planning to mainly use the TV for films or as a screen for a reasonably sized dedicated home cinema room then go for plasma. Its black levels and response time are perfect for films in a dimly lit room. Just don’t hang around for too long as LCD is fast catching up including falling prices to match those of plasma.

Now we come to cost. Now I’m a big fan of getting the best that I can afford. If I have to stretch the wallet to get a better one, then I will. But there are some good value sets out there. But bear in mind that LCD is more expensive to make and so a really cheap one will give really cheap pictures. In the case of plasma then a really cheap set will have come from old systems sold by the company to no name brands, and will again produce a poor picture.

So here’s my list of plasma and LCD screens. I don’t want to an all in one list, because the No.1 telly might be a plasma, but someone might not want a plasma, but an LCD. Also seeing as this is more of a guide than anything, they will be in no particular order, except the top spot, money no object option.

All screens will be HD ready. However some will be 1080p Full HD, TruHD, call it what you will. But bear in mind that 1080p doesn’t really come into it’s own with a screen less than 50”. So your PS3 wont look massively better on anything smaller.

Also included is the best price for the screens.

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PLASMA

1. PIONEER PDP-5000EX - BEST PRICE @ unbeatable.co.uk

This about as good as you can get. 50 inches, 1080p resolution and made by the masters of plasma. You can get a smaller 42” version PDP-427XD, but not at this spec or 1080p. Check out the specs in the link. This is really, really good. But it’s going to cost ya.

2. PANASONIC TH37PX600CAB - BEST PRICE @ Unbeatable.co.uk

This is a fantastic plasma from Panasonic. I’ve gone for a smaller screen size to bring the price down a bit. Although you can go up to…gulp 65”!! This is a 720p/1080i screen with a fantastic picture. The blacks are something else, expect pure black lol. There are unfortunately loads of versions, which many things, like, memory card readers, with/without stand (which I have to say I actually quite like). But this one does have two HDMI connections, which in time will be really useful.

3. LG 42PC1D - BEST PRICE @ unbeatable.co.uk

LG make some great panels. In fact the sell panels to many other manufacturers, but exactly who is a closely guarded secret. The only that has let them down is the fact that the actually picture enhancing chips they use are not as good as others that may use the same screen. But these latest models have come a long way. The cheapest price is an incredible £905! Now that is a great buy.

Ok so that’s a small range of plasma TV’s. So now it’s LCD’s turn.

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L.C.D

1. SONY KDL-52X2000 - BEST PRICE @ unbeatable.co.uk

Now until recently Sony had really lost it with their plasma and LCD screens. I know that until the Bravia range, they used old Samsung panels. That’s old as in the model (at least) behind what Samsung had out at the time!! But now they are back, and boy, does it show. This, top of the line, 52” 1080p belter, with HD sources it is nothing short of stunning. I must say though I prefer the smaller sized screen design. This model echoes the older design they had and already looks a bit dated. But everything else is uber good. But as with any huge screen size you do loose a little picture quality compared to say the 40” version, which easily beats ANY other 40” TV hands down.

2. SONY KDL-40V2000 - BEST PRICE @ unbeatable.co.uk

OK so after much thought, I just can’t ignore this TV. If you look the price is excellent. This is one of the best pictures you can get, so much so I’d have it over the 40”ers from Pioneer. No matter what you will use the TV for. This screen shows how far LCD has come, and also how much it is slowly pushing plasma down the line. I’ve seen this running with HD content from SKY HD, and all I can say is, well, “tap in your pin No. and press green”! I much prefer this design to the flagship TV above, the only thing this lacks is 1080p. Phenomenal.

3. SAMSUNG’s- R74 Series - BEST PRICE @ unbeatable.co.uk

So, as you can see from the link, prices are excellent, and about as cheap as I’d go for a TV, plasma or otherwise. The ( now common place ) piano black frame look good, though does attract dust ( something I speak from experience ) . The pictures are very good and do everything you expect from a TV of this price and spec. However, the position of the speakers means that only small ones can be fitted. This means you only get small sound. In its defence, no flat panel I’ve heard can boast good sound. Also the connections are a bit limited with just one HDMI. But apart from that there’s nothing wrong with this set.

So that about wraps it up. Any of the TVs here will do all you expect, and you wont go wrong with any of them. Yes there are cheaper sets out there with the likes of Woolworths, and the supermarkets jobs, but I really would stay clear. If it’s just a bedroom job you want, then maybe they might serve a purpose, but why limit yourself?

So I hope this has been of some use and look forward to writing more articles for any budding home cinema wannabe’s.

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