# Any reason (than than price) not to buy a Flat Panel TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268 "2003-06-20T20:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/1 "2003-06-20T20:20:10Z")
Those flat panel TVs are just sooooooo cool. And they take up so little space. Now, I realize you’re paying about 3x for the same size screen, compared to a projection TV. But, is there any other reason **not** to buy one? If I decide to plunk down the $$, anything I need to know? Thanks in advance for the advice! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/2 "2003-06-20T21:00:46Z")
I’m sure that there will be advances in reliability issues and features as this fabulous invention goes through a few more generations of manufacturing. For instance, I’ve heard that they currently do not have on board tuners. I’m confident there will be major improvements in product lifetime and things like pixel dropouts that are related to fabrication. Imagine how difficult it must be to create such a large area display substrate without particle defects or surface contamination. I’d suspect that envelope (tube) integrity is another failure mode that will decrease in the short term. Unlike traditional cathode ray tube televisions, nearly all of the product’s value is concentrated in the display device itself. Any quality increase in that component will augment price vs. performance rather noticeably. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/3 "2003-06-20T22:04:56Z")
You mean a LCD tv? One reason not to buy one is they are expensive, but are going to cost half as much probably in a year… I like a HDTV ‘ready’ (Means you still have to buy a HDTV box, which is another $500) LCD Projection tv I saw today. LCD tv’s don’t have as large a viewing angle as CRT tvs… ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/4 "2003-06-20T22:19:30Z")
Not a mature technology. That pretty much sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/5 "2003-06-20T22:36:00Z")
Oh, and they’re bad for the environment. Actually, I have no idea, it just seems like everything is nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![nebco9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@nebco9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebco9)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/6 "2003-06-20T22:42:04Z")
Plasma TVs are supposed to have a potential problem with picture “burn-in”. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/7 "2003-06-20T23:01:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nebco9 \* > \*\*Plasma TVs are supposed to have a potential problem with picture “burn-in”. \*\* Not unique to plasma. CRTs can be burnt, and projection CRTs seem to be especially susceptible. I was looking at big screens about a year ago, and one of the manufacturer’s brochures had a warning about not watching everything in letterbox or sidebox 100% of the time. This was a 16:9 set, so regular broadcast TV would get the sideboxing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/8 "2003-06-20T23:05:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*You mean a LCD tv? One reason not to buy one is they are expensive, but are going to cost half as much probably in a year… > > I like a HDTV ‘ready’ (Means you still have to buy a HDTV box, which is another $500) LCD Projection tv I saw today. > > LCD tv’s don’t have as large a viewing angle as CRT tvs… \*\* The plasma dislpay TVs are always called “Flat Panel” in the stores. What’s an LCD Projection TV? I know I’ll get raped on the price, which is why I said in the OP that I didn’t want to go into that. They’re almost works of art, compared to clunky old TVs. Samsung has an interesting alternative, that they call DLP (Digital Light Processing). I don’t really care about not having a tuner, since anything but basic cable requires a tuner box anyway. And crappy speakers are fine with me-- like a lot of people these days I have a good surround sound system with speakers, so I just turn the TV volume way down anyway to avoid “speaker compitition”. ---
**Author:** ![zoltar7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b38774/32.png) [@zoltar7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoltar7)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/9 "2003-06-20T23:24:20Z")
LCD projection is just that–a projection set where the source is a bulb behind an LCD, rather than three CRT guns. One advantage to LCD is that it doesn’t suffer from burn-in, so I don’t have to worry about watching 4x3 sources windowboxed on my 16x9 set. The main advantage that CRT based sets, whether direct view or projection, still have over other technologies is the ability to show blacks as black rather than really dark grey. This also is improving over time. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/10 "2003-06-20T23:30:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zoltar7 \* > \*\*LCD projection is just that–a projection set where the source is a bulb behind an LCD, rather than three CRT guns. One advantage to LCD is that it doesn’t suffer from burn-in, so I don’t have to worry about watching 4x3 sources windowboxed on my 16x9 set. > > The main advantage that CRT based sets, whether direct view or projection, still have over other technologies is the ability to show blacks as black rather than really dark grey. This also is improving over time. \*\* Is the Samsung DLP line LCD projection TVs? Also, why do 4x3 images cause burn-in? Is it burning in “black” on the edges? OTherwise, why would a display in the center only be different from a display in the center + the edges? Unless it’s uneven exposure that causes different areas to get “bleached” more than others. ---
**Author:** ![Mandarax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Mandarax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mandarax)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/11 "2003-06-20T23:42:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > **Samsung has an interesting alternative, that they call DLP (Digital Light Processing).** Actually, [Texas Instruments](http://www.ti.com) calls it DLP, and they license the technology to Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and others. I’ve only seen DLP used in projectors and projection TVs – the thinnest thing listed at [DLP Home Entertainment](http://www.dlp.com/home_entertainment/) is 13.4" – so I don’t think they’re a substitute for what the OP is talking about. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/12 "2003-06-20T23:58:50Z")
Mandarax: It’s my OP, so I guess I get to say if it’s an alternative or not.🙂 It seesm to be a good compromise (not as thin as Plasma, but a lot lighter and thinner than std projection TVs, and about midway in price between the two). But, actually, I’m interested in any “hidden” negatives, other than outlandish prices, that flat panel TVs might have. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Harrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@John\_Harrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Harrison)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/13 "2003-06-21T01:01:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Not unique to plasma. CRTs can be burnt, and projection CRTs seem to be especially susceptible. I was looking at big screens about a year ago, and one of the manufacturer’s brochures had a warning about not watching everything in letterbox or sidebox 100% of the time. This was a 16:9 set, so regular broadcast TV would get the sideboxing. CRT’s are more susceptible, but burn-in really isn’t a problem as long as the brightness and contrast settings are adjusted properly. Most TVs arrive from the factory with both set **way** too high. (Also known as Torch Mode) You see TVs set up this way in places like Circuit City and Best Buy in order for the picture to jump out at the viewer on the showroom floor. John: Regardless of what kind of TV you get, back both of these down first thing, get a calibration DVD (Avia or Video Essentials) to help you with the correct settings and you should have no problems. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/14 "2003-06-21T12:52:15Z")
Is Anybody worjking on a LED TV display? Now that we have blue LEDs, I would think that a LED display would be dynamite…you have brilliant, clear colors, and a larger gray scale (than plasma or LCD technology). Of course, I have no idea how you would wire up 3 million LEDs, but that’s for the engineers! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/15 "2003-06-21T14:43:11Z")
John, you have two kinds: 1)Plasma tv. These aren’t hdtv compatible & most likely be out of date soon (Or so I read). 2)LCD tvs. These ARE hdtv compatible. Here is a 40" lcd projection tv, weight 92lbs (about $2000): [http://products.consumerguide.com/cp/electronics/review/index.cfm/id/23603](http://products.consumerguide.com/cp/electronics/review/index.cfm/id/23603) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/16 "2003-06-21T14:50:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\*Is Anybody worjking on a LED TV display? Now that we have blue LEDs, I would think that a LED display would be dynamite…you have brilliant, clear colors, and a larger gray scale (than plasma or LCD technology). Of course, I have no idea how you would wire up 3 million LEDs, but that’s for the engineers! \*\* Well… yes there are [working prototypes](http://www.sullivanet.com/pirateisland/loot/litebrite/) but the technology is not quite mature yet. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Harrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@John\_Harrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Harrison)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/17 "2003-06-21T14:55:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*1)Plasma tv. These aren’t hdtv compatible & most likely be out of date soon (Or so I read). > \*\* Plasma TVs are HDTV compatible. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/18 "2003-06-21T15:00:19Z")
I realise **astro** was joking, but LED TVs exist, usually in the form of giant outdoor screens. > **[Home Page](https://www.screenco.ca/)** > > News view more ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/19 "2003-06-21T16:04:47Z")
**John Mace** , I don’t know where you live but you should see if there is an [Ultimate Electronics](http://www.ultimateelectronics.com/) near you. You can go in there and see all the types of TV mentioned. Plasma, LCD and those Samsung DLP numbers. FWIW, I had wanted a plasma TV for the house that I am about to buy, but for me anyways, the 50" Samsung DLP monitor is about the best picture that I have seen on a HDTV. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268/20 "2003-06-21T16:40:28Z")
Don’t Plasmas and similar TVs have a really short lifespan? I’ve heard that they only last one or two years, and if I’m paying $10 000(CAN) for a TV, I’m going to be wanting one that will last at least as long as an ordinary TV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-than-than-price-not-to-buy-a-flat-panel-tv/183268.md?page=2)