57" LCD selection advice - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

xmax · 2007-07-17, 07:39 PM

Hi all, I'd like to ask for everyone's help deciding which LCD set to choose. I've been reading the forums for a while but found little info on larger LCD TVs which is what I'm thinking of getting. My environment:
- Room with lots of natural light, condo (hence LCD)
- Under 10' viewing distance
- Rogers HD, HTPC (games, HD/DVD playback), in the future HD player

There are a few choices like Toshiba Regza 57", Sharp Aquos 65" and Samsung models but the trouble is that I haven't found any retailers that carry them to actually look at the TV. Unless someone knows where to see one in GTA, there are only the specs and reviews to factor in. However all the sets seem to sport advanced features (1080p, 120Hz, <5ms response times etc.) and the reviews I've found are brief and based on specs alone

I'm leaning towards Toshiba 57LX177 both because it has a few convenience features I'm looking for (like PIP/POP) and because it's a lot of $$$ to spend on something bigger without 'touching' the TV first.

Any advice on what to look/watch out for, experiences with other REGZA LCD TVs, where to see the TV or even 'dude, get real and buy a 52" you can see before you buy' is appreciated.

xmax · 2007-07-19, 09:31 AM

Anyone?... If no one replies the next post in this thread will be my review of Toshiba's 57LX177

hugh · 2007-07-19, 10:12 AM

Most folks when they go 50" and larger typically go with plasma because its pricing and picture quality are typically better. You say you want LCD because your condo has lots of natural light but I don't think that should prevent you from buying plasma.

Having said that, I doubt youll get much response yet since I think many of these super large LCD sets are so new (or so expensive) that not many of us have had any experience with them.

IF you find some stores that are displaying these sets, please let us know!

ishoong · 2007-07-19, 10:21 AM

You dun need to worry about glare on Pioneer new 8th gen plasma.

mrhooie · 2007-07-19, 10:21 AM

Well, I'll throw my 2¢ in.

With regards to natural light. I think this is an overblown comment.

The only thing I notice with LCD is that the contrast ratio maintains at all room lighting levels.
Plasma does suffer from a drop in contrast in a full lit room, but not less than LCD.

However, the contrast greatly improves when the room changes ambiant levels. So it looks much better when most people watch TV, evenings and with lights down or curtains drawn to watch Movies

I won't even go into sports, as plasma dominates

xmax · 2007-07-19, 12:28 PM

Thanks for advice guys. Well, the room TV will be in has western exposure so 6-8 pm in the summer it'll be drowned in direct sunlight. If contrast ratio suffers slightly during this time I think can live with that but I would guess that glare would be a big problem. Can anyone comment from experience whether Pioneers's anti-glare coating on 8th gen is really that effective (as in 'close to LCD')?

The other complaint about plasmas was burn-in issues in early models. I have read that this has been solved and a few people are happily gaming on their plasmas. Probably not an issue but would be good to hear comments from this forum.

hugh · 2007-07-19, 12:54 PM

Glare is a potential issue regardless of whether the set is LCD or plasma. Anti-reflective coatings can help with both.

otown47 · 2007-07-19, 01:42 PM

There's glare and then there's direct sunlight. I'm not sure any TV will work well when its "drowned in direct sunlight".

Also if I were sitting closer than 10 feet to a TV, I defintely wouldn't buy one bigger than 46-52". Otherwise you will be moving your head to see different parts of the picture.

Other features to consider are, how much control you have over the picture with settings, recognition of different signals to allow for automatic stretching, different types of stretching...especially for SD, how the bezel around the TV looks, refresh rates, speed, strength or back lighting...etc etc.

xmax · 2007-07-19, 02:37 PM

I have a 37" Aquos LCD today in the same place CRT used to be and, while CRT was unwatchable during the day unless all blinds were perfectly closed, with LCD I never close blinds at all anymore and the only glare is off the frame. The plasmas I've seen so far (pre-8th gen) had very noticeable glare.

Yes, viewing distance in relation to TV size is a big concern. I'll have to experiment with that in the stores to decide between 50/52 and 57/58.

BTW, I've just been to Regency Audio & Video at 7350 Woodbine and they have Aquos 65" as well as other LCDs from Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba on display. Aquos looks amazing even at 3-4' and blacks are as true as I've seen on LCD. The store has Toshiba's LX177 models on order but none in stock yet. Unfortunately they have no plasma displays to compare against - that I'll have to drop by Future Shop in Scarborough West.

seememom · 2007-07-19, 02:59 PM

I'll throw something else out as well.

How about the Samsung FP-T5884 plasma (which apparently has pretty good anti-glare), or wait for the 57" Samsung 81 series LED LCD? If you are going to spend that much money I don't think the Toshiba is the best move at this point in time. Just depends on how soon you want this TV on your wall.

xmax · 2007-07-20, 09:07 AM

'Pretty soon' I guess is the answer

Judging by the spec the only area where Samsung's 71/81 series wins hands down is contrast ratio. I'd like to see just how different a set with [marketed] 100,000:1 (!) looks compared to 15,000 or 10,000:1 under various conditions. Toshiba on the other hand has 14-bit processing (to Samsung's 10) which supposedly should make a big difference in terms of color detail... but too needs to be seen to believe.

As for plasma, do you know if any store in GTA carries FPT5884? Future Shop/BestBuy seem to only carry older Samsung models at this time.

seememom · 2007-07-20, 08:54 PM

Sorry, I think the 5884 will be another month or two as well

- I'm pretty sure I saw the 5084 at Best Buy in Etobicoke, but it didn't look quite as good as the new Pioneer plasma. The Samsung really has to be set up right according to reviews, and its default mode is pretty bad.

Another idea might be to get a 50" panasonic PX77 which is not 1080P but has a matte screen like an LCD, and wait till the larger LCD's are improved and fall in price by 1/2 again (next year).

I really feel for your situation because what you want doesn't quite exist - a 55"+ flat panel TV, 1080P with matte screen and good black levels. There is a Samsung 6374 plasma that is also out right now - with some good discussion on avsforum.com about it - but again, no matte screen.

Have you tried Kromer radio?

2007-07-17, 07:39 PM	#1
xmax Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 7	57" LCD selection advice Hi all, I'd like to ask for everyone's help deciding which LCD set to choose. I've been reading the forums for a while but found little info on larger LCD TVs which is what I'm thinking of getting. My environment: - Room with lots of natural light, condo (hence LCD) - Under 10' viewing distance - Rogers HD, HTPC (games, HD/DVD playback), in the future HD player There are a few choices like Toshiba Regza 57", Sharp Aquos 65" and Samsung models but the trouble is that I haven't found any retailers that carry them to actually look at the TV. Unless someone knows where to see one in GTA, there are only the specs and reviews to factor in. However all the sets seem to sport advanced features (1080p, 120Hz, <5ms response times etc.) and the reviews I've found are brief and based on specs alone I'm leaning towards Toshiba 57LX177 both because it has a few convenience features I'm looking for (like PIP/POP) and because it's a lot of $$$ to spend on something bigger without 'touching' the TV first. Any advice on what to look/watch out for, experiences with other REGZA LCD TVs, where to see the TV or even 'dude, get real and buy a 52" you can see before you buy' is appreciated.

2007-07-19, 10:12 AM	#3
hugh Member #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 47,501	Most folks when they go 50" and larger typically go with plasma because its pricing and picture quality are typically better. You say you want LCD because your condo has lots of natural light but I don't think that should prevent you from buying plasma. Having said that, I doubt youll get much response yet since I think many of these super large LCD sets are so new (or so expensive) that not many of us have had any experience with them. IF you find some stores that are displaying these sets, please let us know! __________________ As of January 2012, I am no longer the owner of the Digital Home website. If you have questions about the operation of the site, please contact VSAdmin. For personal inquiries contact me at the Hugh Thompson website.

2007-07-19, 12:54 PM	#7
hugh Member #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 47,501	Glare is a potential issue regardless of whether the set is LCD or plasma. Anti-reflective coatings can help with both. __________________ As of January 2012, I am no longer the owner of the Digital Home website. If you have questions about the operation of the site, please contact VSAdmin. For personal inquiries contact me at the Hugh Thompson website.

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2007-07-19, 09:31 AM	#2
xmax Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 7	Anyone?... If no one replies the next post in this thread will be my review of Toshiba's 57LX177

2007-07-19, 10:21 AM	#4
ishoong Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 165	You dun need to worry about glare on Pioneer new 8th gen plasma.

2007-07-19, 10:21 AM	#5
mrhooie Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Yellowknife, NT Posts: 706	Well, I'll throw my 2¢ in. With regards to natural light. I think this is an overblown comment. The only thing I notice with LCD is that the contrast ratio maintains at all room lighting levels. Plasma does suffer from a drop in contrast in a full lit room, but not less than LCD. However, the contrast greatly improves when the room changes ambiant levels. So it looks much better when most people watch TV, evenings and with lights down or curtains drawn to watch Movies I won't even go into sports, as plasma dominates

2007-07-19, 12:28 PM	#6
xmax Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 7	Thanks for advice guys. Well, the room TV will be in has western exposure so 6-8 pm in the summer it'll be drowned in direct sunlight. If contrast ratio suffers slightly during this time I think can live with that but I would guess that glare would be a big problem. Can anyone comment from experience whether Pioneers's anti-glare coating on 8th gen is really that effective (as in 'close to LCD')? The other complaint about plasmas was burn-in issues in early models. I have read that this has been solved and a few people are happily gaming on their plasmas. Probably not an issue but would be good to hear comments from this forum.

2007-07-19, 01:42 PM	#8
otown47 Veteran Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ottawa, Rogers Posts: 3,903	There's glare and then there's direct sunlight. I'm not sure any TV will work well when its "drowned in direct sunlight". Also if I were sitting closer than 10 feet to a TV, I defintely wouldn't buy one bigger than 46-52". Otherwise you will be moving your head to see different parts of the picture. Other features to consider are, how much control you have over the picture with settings, recognition of different signals to allow for automatic stretching, different types of stretching...especially for SD, how the bezel around the TV looks, refresh rates, speed, strength or back lighting...etc etc.

2007-07-19, 02:37 PM	#9
xmax Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 7	I have a 37" Aquos LCD today in the same place CRT used to be and, while CRT was unwatchable during the day unless all blinds were perfectly closed, with LCD I never close blinds at all anymore and the only glare is off the frame. The plasmas I've seen so far (pre-8th gen) had very noticeable glare. Yes, viewing distance in relation to TV size is a big concern. I'll have to experiment with that in the stores to decide between 50/52 and 57/58. BTW, I've just been to Regency Audio & Video at 7350 Woodbine and they have Aquos 65" as well as other LCDs from Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba on display. Aquos looks amazing even at 3-4' and blacks are as true as I've seen on LCD. The store has Toshiba's LX177 models on order but none in stock yet. Unfortunately they have no plasma displays to compare against - that I'll have to drop by Future Shop in Scarborough West.

2007-07-19, 02:59 PM	#10
seememom Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 37	I'll throw something else out as well. How about the Samsung FP-T5884 plasma (which apparently has pretty good anti-glare), or wait for the 57" Samsung 81 series LED LCD? If you are going to spend that much money I don't think the Toshiba is the best move at this point in time. Just depends on how soon you want this TV on your wall.

2007-07-20, 09:07 AM	#11
xmax Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 7	'Pretty soon' I guess is the answer Judging by the spec the only area where Samsung's 71/81 series wins hands down is contrast ratio. I'd like to see just how different a set with [marketed] 100,000:1 (!) looks compared to 15,000 or 10,000:1 under various conditions. Toshiba on the other hand has 14-bit processing (to Samsung's 10) which supposedly should make a big difference in terms of color detail... but too needs to be seen to believe. As for plasma, do you know if any store in GTA carries FPT5884? Future Shop/BestBuy seem to only carry older Samsung models at this time.

2007-07-20, 08:54 PM	#12
seememom Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 37	Sorry, I think the 5884 will be another month or two as well - I'm pretty sure I saw the 5084 at Best Buy in Etobicoke, but it didn't look quite as good as the new Pioneer plasma. The Samsung really has to be set up right according to reviews, and its default mode is pretty bad. Another idea might be to get a 50" panasonic PX77 which is not 1080P but has a matte screen like an LCD, and wait till the larger LCD's are improved and fall in price by 1/2 again (next year). I really feel for your situation because what you want doesn't quite exist - a 55"+ flat panel TV, 1080P with matte screen and good black levels. There is a Samsung 6374 plasma that is also out right now - with some good discussion on avsforum.com about it - but again, no matte screen. Have you tried Kromer radio?