# Okay, which TV should I buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794 "2008-02-15T20:20:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/1 "2008-02-15T20:20:00Z")
I’m thinking something in the range of 42" - 60". PLasma? LCD? I need to hook to it: Tivo, Comcast digital Cable, a DVD player, and maybe my stereo (tuner and CD), and maybe Apple TV. also, if it’s better to buy something that’s more compatible than the NAD tuner and CD I now have, I could do that. Though I do love the way they look. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/2 "2008-02-15T20:35:13Z")
Since this is seeking opinions, it’s better off in IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/3 "2008-02-15T20:40:17Z")
I have a 46" Sony Bravia XBR and I absolutely love it. Picture is GORGEOUS. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/4 "2008-02-15T22:17:03Z")
Plasmas draw _lots_ more juice than LCDs, visually, they have a slightly better display performance than LCDs, so if you’re a “I gotta have the best picture humanly possible,” you’ll probably want to go plasma. Any HD TV you buy will be compatible with your cable system, DVD player, etc., though you might have to upgrade your HDMI cables. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/5 "2008-02-15T22:27:54Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I’m thinking something in the range of 42" - 60". PLasma? LCD? I need to hook to it: Tivo, Comcast digital Cable, a DVD player, and maybe my stereo (tuner and CD), and maybe Apple TV. also, if it’s better to buy something that’s more compatible than the NAD tuner and CD I now have, I could do that. Though I do love the way they look. Thanks. [/QUOTE] I have a 50" Samsung DLP HDTV with Verizon Fios HD TV service, hooked up with HDMI cables. The picture is spectacular, and it was much cheaper than a comparably sized plasma or LCD (at the time I bought it, about 9 months ago). ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/6 "2008-02-16T02:56:09Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] Since this is seeking opinions, it’s better off in IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator [/QUOTE] Thanks. I wasn’t sure. I even considered Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/7 "2008-02-16T03:05:23Z")
I saw a warning about “burn in” on my sister’s plasma’s manual (her son-my nephew- now has an X-Box). Is there any real danger from video games re: the burn in issue for a plasma or has it just been overblown by lawsuit-wary manufacturers? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/8 "2008-02-16T03:15:10Z")
Newer model plasma TVs are designed so that this isn’t a problem, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/9 "2008-02-16T03:27:40Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] I saw a warning about “burn in” on my sister’s plasma’s manual [/QUOTE] Early plasmas had more of a problem with this than newer models, but I think it can still happen. However, you have to distinguish between temporary and permanent burn-in. If you play one video game that has a bright, constant heads-up display, and it’s on screen for hours at a time, and you play it for days on end, then you might cause some permanent damage. Though it’s probably less likely to happen these days than it would’ve a few years ago. If you play many different games, only occasionally, and in short bursts of a couple of hours at a time, and their heads-up displays are less intense, then it probably won’t leave a visible after-image, and even if it does, normal use of watching a TV show or DVD will soon restore the pixels to regular intensities and the after-image will disappear in less than a few hours. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-which-tv-should-i-buy/437794/10 "2008-02-16T07:14:46Z")
How does a conventional NTSC image, regular DVD or HDTV picture look on a 1080p set (considering that all of these have much less than 1080 lines of resolution)? If I’m not going to be watching Blu-Ray discs, would it be better to get a 720p set?