I think you can see a difference between CCFL sets and LED LCD sets, particularly with dynamic or local dimming. The ability to control certain areas of the backlight according to what’s on the screen helps with scenes like a moon in a night sky. The night will be very black, the moon will be very bright. You can’t get that kind of picture with tubes (imo).
I purchased a '11 panasonic plasma at the beginning of the year and couldnt be happier. Its 42" and capable of 1080p. The picture is beautiful. I personally think the picture is better than most LEDs I see… But most LEDs I see are calibrated too brightly. I couldnt recommend plasmas enough.
I would avoid built-in DVD - just adds complexity and something else to fail. Also, be aware that many ‘store’ brands and 2nd and 3rd tier manufacturers (Sylvania, Westinghouse, Polaroid) have zero parts availability. So, if it is not a Sony, Sharp, Samsung, Panasonic etc and it breaks - consider it disposable - there is generally no way to get it fixed
Whether a set has an CCFl backlight or an LED backlight has absolutely nothing to do with how many pixels a set has. For normal TV viewing I’m not surprised that there’s no discernable difference. On a static white screen you can sometimes tell because an LED has a very slightly different color to it. I actually prefer CCFl but they’re making fewer and fewer of them.
Most sets except for the smallest are full 1080P now, but not all will do 120 hertz refresh rate. A lot of sets probably look identical too because there’s very few (3?) manufacturers in the world that make the actual LCD panels.
Hey! I’ve read every single one of them and seem to have comprehended them better than you have. Mainly, discernable difference is a subjective thing.
Thanks, jasg. Something to seriously consider.
I didn’t jot them down so I can’t remember, but next time out I’ll be taking notes.
My point was that several people pointed out that an “LED flat screen TV” is an LCD flat screen TV, except for the backlight. So you might notice that the screen is thinner, but yes, beyond that the differences are subjective.
BTW, you mentioned wanting to get a 26" set. If your current TV is a regular old 4:3 CRT television. you might be disappointed at the size. The reason is that all TVs now are 16:9 so if your current set is 26", it will be taller than the new one. For that reason, I recommend getting a 32" set or larger, if you can fit it in the room.
I’m told that LED TVs generate less heat. In a small room with a big TV, that can make a difference.
-D/a
Several people also pointed out that with local dimming she should be able to notice deeper blacks and greater contrast between things like the moon and the night sky. I guess you missed those parts when you were whining about Becky2844 not reading the thread.
Well, if by “couldn’t tell the difference between LED and LCD” she meant that she could not tell the difference between LCD televisions with LED backlights and those without, she should have said so.
After reading everybody’s posts, I’m now leaning toward LED without a built-in DVD player. Put our money into the screen and not worry about the bells & whistles. And even tho most the pictures looked the same to us, the fact that an LED lasts longer is a good selling point.
I’m kind of stuck with getting a 26" screen. We have a 20yr old entertainment center that is really nice, solid oak, but made for an old-school TV. The “cut-out square” is 27" wide. The flat screen will be shorter; maybe we could set it on top of a DVD player or something? At any rate, I’m now convinced that LED is the way to go. Thanks all.
That’s what I did. As part of my remodel, I recently bought three new TVs. A 32" for the gym, a 46" for the game room, and a 60" to replace the old 46" in the family room. All three are LED. The old 46" non-LED is moving to the master bedroom. That’s how I learned about the heat issue - a co-worker of mine told me he did that and had a problem, but since I live alone and don’t tend to leave TVs on all day, it shouldn’t be an issue for me.
The only one with any fancy features is the 60" - it has WiFi and built in streaming support for Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora, and others..and is 240Hz.
The 32" is only 720p..the others are 1080p.
My theory on the built in DVD player is that technology in players moves at a different pace than technology in TVs. I want to be able to upgrade separately.
I picked up a used blue-ray player from a friend for $30.
-D/a
I understand the problem with the furniture. It’s a shame since a 32 inch (diagonal) TV is about 28 inches wide (assuming no side speakers).
But you might want to consider if there is any way to work around the problem, like for example building an extension for the shelf (remember that new TVs are very thin and light). Take a look at this, just to make sure you understand what you are getting into.
Wow. Thanks, Alley Dweller. That’s really something to think about.
Here is the link I should have included. It is from 2007, but still worth a read even if the details have changed.
Still pays to check the fine print on possible repair and shipping charges.