LCD VS. PLASMA TV in area w. no cable.

I'm not an absolute expert, but I've heard LCDs are generally better value performance than Plasma, especially because can have a high cost of maintenance.

I would also not trust those Best Buy youngsters farther than I could throw them.

A better resource for reviews is http://www.consumersearch.com/www/electronics/lcd-tv/index.html (they can plasma reviews as well on the site)

Thanks, Ben. I might consider the throwing the BB youngsters as an aerobic exercise, however. ...Somewhere I also heard, (can't remember where) that plasma may not last too long...due to recharging issues.

I just bought a new LCD tv. The plasma "recharging" issues aren't really relevent in the current generation. I chose LCD because it was less expensive for the size I purchased.

If you do end up getting an LCD, the most important thing to check: CONTRAST RATIO. LCDs, in general, don't display blacks as well as plasmas, so you want to get an LCD with a very high contrast ratio -- it's the difference between having your colors "pop" and just having an interesting image.

Also, do you have directtv or other satellite? If you don't, and are just getting normal tv over the air, I'd consider getting a rear projection TV -- they're heavier than LCD's or plasma, but much less expensive, and you don't need the bells and whistles for high-definition picture (HD) because you wouldn't see a difference anyway.

(I highly recommend getting HD tv, especially after using it for a few months. It really does make a difference. How else could I critique my performance in Veronica Mars. ;) )

As I said, I have a perfectly fine antenna that is free. I really don't feel like paying $40 /month for 200 channels I don't watch. The antenna gets me the 3 networks, PBS, Fox (boo) and whatever the WB calls itself these days.

Do rear-projection TVs come in smaller sizes - 32" for example? I watch the thing rarely, but do have a collection of sentimental videos (copied from old 16 mm films of the family and my mother in the movies in the early 1930's)) and want to watch DVDs when I have family or friends here. Blacker blacks and "popping" colors" are an interesting concept but prob. too subtle an issue.

Andrew, are you coming down on the "yes" side for HD tv? Will the chimps and dolphins on "Nature" look better? And will it make Charlie Rose disappear completely?

Are you going DirectTV or antenna? The source is going to have much more affect on your picture.

At present have antenna...but may have to bite the bullet and get a dish..I am interested in only the local channels (3 major networks, PBS, Fox and a grainy Wb.) Dish charges more for them, assuming that most folks want to watch only '

CNN, wrestling or whatever else is on cable. The whole process seems extraordinarily complicated..even the choice of clickers is Exedrin headache #403.

It seems like spending money on an HDTV would be overkill unless you get the dish to get the better signal. Watching regular TV on a souped-up LCD or plasma accentuates how awful it is.

So, what should I do? How much money should I spend? I just checked out the channels available on Directv. Yuch - shopping, religion, infomercals, sports. Even the Dish salesman didn't know what half the channels were.

Let us say that I had won the lottery...and wanted to get a 32" whatever and a DVD player (never owned one of them) and a dish. What would be a sane package that would last for the 20 years that my 19" GE CRT did - it is still working, actually.

Just found that the reviewing sites like a Samsung 32" LCD, but just also read that many Samsung execs. are being indicted for fraud, etc. So there is now a moral dilemma. What is the next size down from 32"