urgent ..need info on large size TV

The magazines also cover this pretty well. I suggest you look at the reviews:

Plasma: Cheaper in large sizes Can suffer "burn in" from on screen logos. Little if any motion judder. Good contrast

LCD: Brighter than plasma No screen burn in Some models suffer motion judder but getting better Contrast not quite as good as plasma but some are pretty good now. Lighter than plasma so easier to wall mount.

Sorry that article is a bit out of date. Best google for a more recent one.

If that budget figure is a firm limit, a rear-projection set (DLP-based or otherwise) is probably your only option at present. Plasma in the 50-55" range is coming down, but I don't believe you'll quite find one for under $1300 at present. Prices for a 50", 1366 x 768 plasma TV look to be at least $1500 now, and typically higher. So that one concern may wind up defining "best" for you. LCDs remain even pricier in this size range.

Bob M.

You may want to consider risk of damage. I've come across many recent buyers of large-screen TVs who are selling them because the screen is broken. This is, basically, the entire value of the TV; for plasma and LCD models, it's pretty close to the price of a new TV to get the screen replaced, if it's even available.

A projection TV has a plastic screen onto which, as the name implies, the image is projected. If broken, the screen isn't cheap, but it's a darn site less expensive than either of the other models.

This advice applies to those who have kids or are "passionate" in their viewing. If no kids, and you've a relaxed temperament (one ad I read said that "a remote was thrown at the screen... don't ask"), feel free to pick any of the options.

Good luck,

If they are on a tight budget, then they also need to consider operating costs. If they watch a lot (or if they fall asleep with the TV on frequently, so it runs all night), it is not hard to go through a bulb a year for a rear-projection DLP. That's around $250/year.

DLP does have compensating advantages, of course, such as lack of burn-in problems, and no uneven wear.

I believe there is a DLP that uses LEDs for the light source, which should greatly cut down the operating cost (and also gets rid of the color wheel, so will be more reliable and less noisy).

They can also suffer from uneven wear. The max brightness of a plasma pixel goes down over time, and it goes down faster the more the pixel is used.

So, not only do you have to worry about pixels that are "on" too often getting burned in, you have to worry about pixels that are "off" too often not wearing as fast as the average pixel. For example, if you watch a lot of 4:3 material without stretching the screen, then go to watch something that is 16:9, you might find that the edges, where the vertical black bars were in 4:3, are too bright!

Modern plasma sets take steps to address both burn in and uneven wear so this probably won't be a problem for the average consumer--but before buying a plasma set, I'd research this carefully, and make sure that the steps the sets take would work for my particular viewing habits.

A good idea, about the noise issue. Linda, be sure to watch/listen in a store environment that is quiet (if that's possible). I prefer to buy from a store that has a good return return policy (*refund*, not just exchange policy), if something that isn't noticeable in the showroom rears its ugly head at home in my living room.

Good luck,