Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater sxrd vs plasma

SXRD is (silicone xrystal reflective display) a projection technology of Sony that is/was used for rear projection TV and front projectors. Its a variation of LCOS(liquid crystal on silicone) The smallest SXRD was offered in 50"

If you have a 32" Sony it is probably a flat panel LCD, not rear projection. You probably mean its a 32" XBR.




The OP has stated he is a gamer, so direct view LCD is probably not his best bet unless its a newer unit with faster response time similar to that of plasma or a projection(LCD, DLP or LCOS). Also, depending on the system he is using, it may have 1080P output, so why not go with what will be the new standard in displays in the very near future.

Generally speaking, if you cant control the lighting in your room and its subject to lots of light, LCD or Projection are what you want. Within those 2 classes, the projection is generally better for fast moving scenes.

If you can control the lighting then you can go with anything, plasma, LCD or projection. Image retention will be more of a factor on plasma, than LCD or RPTV, but as Alan Loftt has mentioned, plasma pictures seem to have a nicer punch to the display.

My suggestion is if playing 4:3 for extended periods of time is an issue without changing the programming to full screen, or switching to a commercial to prevent image retention of the black bars, then go with RPTV. Yes, get a Sony XBR SXRD while they are still making them this year. The Grand Wega's (a2000 series) use Sony's DRC version 1 while the XBR uses version 2.5, so you will get a softer pic, especially with SD in 4:3. Or if DLP appeals to you, the Samsungs are beautiful. If the geometry of the new JVC's dont work, then pass on them.

I love the pic of plasma, but it sounds like the fear of the wife watching too much 4:3 will cause too much anxiety.

good luck with your decision.

rat - nice job. My mantra is usually "trust your eyes/ears" to make the decision and I sometimes forget that advice.

I must remember to bring you along Al. The next time I am going out to get a new flat screen. It will save me alot of research!

Re: 4:3 issues and burn in.

2 points, both of which have been touched on above:

1.) Watching 4:3 in its original aspect ratio does not pose a serious risk of "burn in" after a reasonable period of break in has occured (a month or so). The main concern, really, is reverse burn-in. That is, the pixels in the center of the screen will lose their brilliance faster than those on the edge of the screen over time. First, this is a bit of an absurd scenario and would require the watching of tons of 4:3 content and close to no widescreen material. This, of course, begs the question of why an HDTV is necessary. If all you are going ot be doing is watching sydicated re-runs or 4:3 encoded DVDs, then you won't gain much advatange (aside from the slim profile) of an HDTV. Second, considering that plasmas fade to about half their brightness in about 10 years (source: ?), perceiving a noticeable decrease in mid-screen brightness b/c of watching 4:3 material is not a real concern (at least of mine).

2.) There are a number of very well done "stretch" modes on HDTV's these days that combine side to side stretching, vertical zooming and parabolic lens shifting near the screen edges together to create a very convincing widescreen image from 4:3 material, with minimal loss of on-screen information and very subtle vertical "smooshing". I watch most of my 4:3 material this way (which includes Simpsons re-runs, cooking shows, and other low-def material on cable). While I guess I am not a purest, this is a very good compromise, in my mind, for getting a picture to fill the screen (as preferred by my wife as well).

I think that I have finally decided on a set. I am getting my taxes prepared on Saturday morning and will probably put all of that money toward a new TV. I decided on the Panasonic TX-50PX75U. I will be sitting about 8 feet away from the TV so from what I have read 1080p is a waste of money for a 50 inch set. Although, I can’t check this out for myself since all of the stores feed their TV’s with a 720p signal.

Like was mentioned by others, the Pioneer is just not worth that extra money. The Panasonic is about $1500 and Pioneer is about an extra $1000 for a little bit deeper blacks. I would like to get the Panasonic 77U which has the antiglare coating on the screen but it seems that Crutchfield is out of stock of that set. I’m planning on buying the set from Crutchfield since they have very good customer service like Axiom and a reasonably priced 5 year warranty plan (only about $189) that seems to be better than the ones offered at Best Buy or Circuit City.

I would have just went for the Sony sxrd but with so many people having problems with this technology and Sony getting out of making them all together because of this it just doesn’t seem to be worth the risk. If I were to buy it from Crutchfield and bought the 5 year warranty plan from them I do think that they would take care of me if I did have problems with it though.

But, it looks like the Panasonic is the better set though picture-wise. Furthermore, I don’t think that burn-in will be an issue on the Panasonic. At audioholics.com they tested burn-in on a new Panasonic by leaving the set hooked up to a computer for six hours with the screen saver off and the screen displaying the desktop. Apparently there was no burn-in at all after this much abuse.

- Nick

I'm not sure about the Price of the Panasonic. I'm sure it's a nice set. I personally have the Pio 150FD 60". I bought it over the phone from an "authorized" pioneer dealer in Colorado called:

http://www.axxisdurango.com/Welcome.html
( ask for John Marty- Owner )

I read all the information about them and got several references from the AVSforum.com guys. Anyway, I paid 5500 shipped for the 60 ". If you really want the Panasonic then I say get it. If you haven't called AxxisDurango, you should to compare the prices. Might save you a few $$ or allow you to get the PIO. It's a very nice picture, no burn it, etc..

Sorry if this adds to your confusion, but I thought I'd give you one more option before you throw down the cash.

PM me if you have questions specific that I might can help with.

- JD

jfdawson,
Thanks for that link, I'm looking at 50' plasmas myself, that's a great price you got for the Pio 150FD 60" I shot axxisdurango an e-mail for a quote on the Pioneer PDP-5010FD Plasma TV.

The best price that I found online when I did a pricegrabber search for the Pioneer pdp-5810hd was for $2000. These were from some of those internet only companies that you have to be a bit cautious about. Especially when I have been watching prices in brick and mortar stores that won't drop below $2500. Once I add in an extended warranty that takes me a little bit out of my price range. With the Panasonic and the extended warranty from Crutchfield it comes in at a little under $1700 with free shipping. If I could get the Pioneer for about $2000 with an extended warranty then I would definitely do it. But, I don't see that happening.

- Nick

Nick, the reliability data(e.g., Consumer Reports)indicate that both the plasmas and the LCDs are now very reliable and make the purchase of an extended warranty inadvisable.

Good luck with it. I'd still give Axxis a call to see if they can beat your price.

- JD