May I suggest that the South China Morning Post's Technology section do an in-depth article on flat-screen and projector televisions? It is quite a bewildering market. It would be great if you would consider factors such as size, ratio, computer connections, plasma versus LCD, and so on. There are many questions and I hope you could cover some of them. Also, would it be better if I get a projector?
Geoff McEntee Hong Kong
I grew up at a time when it was the stereo, or sometimes the SLR camera, that had people debating what was best. Today we have computers, MP3 players, printers, PDAs, mobile phones and more advanced stereos and televisions to keep us at odds with our neighbours.
Despite all the nonsense, you ask a good question. I think the biggest problem here is this: every person's circumstances are different. If you go into a shop and look at LCD and plasma screens, you may or may not notice an incredible difference in quality. But the fact is the conditions in your home will not be anything like those in the shop.
You may have more or less light and it is unlikely that you will have the same kind of space, no matter how large your home may be. Ideally, you need to find a friend who lives in a similar place and has bought one so you can check it out.
Pay particular attention to the lighting. Although most of us probably watch TV at night, there are times when we may want to see something during the day. Light can be very unkind if it comes from the wrong place.
It is usually agreed that plasma displays can go up to larger sizes, but LCDs are catching up quickly. Plasma is said to have 'better black' than LCD. Still, I was recently looking at them in a shop and could hardly tell the difference.