TV question

[bob]

I picked up a 32" LED tv today and I had a question. I didnt do much research, since I was kind of in a pinch. I needed a tv for the bedroom ASAP. Anyway, I got home and hooked it up and noticed that the viewing angle of this thing isn't so good. It looks great head on, but watching from an angle, the picture gets very light. Still watchable, but certainly not the same as head on. Is this expected with the LEDs?  Anybody else have a similar experience?
Thanks.

[SignOfZeta]

Well, first off, it's an LCD TV. Nobody makes consumer level LED TVs no matter what the box says.

As for viewing angle, well, the better the display the better the angle, more or less. An iPhone for example has such a terrific viewing angle that you start to be unable to read the screen because of how foreshortened it is before you stop being able to actually see the image. I assume a decent TV is this way as well. In the old days viewing angle was so bad you had to lock your head in a vice and adjust a contrast knob just to see anything at all (ie: Gameboy).

So the answer is "Yes, but you probably bought a cheap TV."

[roflmao]

I have a 47" LCD for my living room TV that I purchased for just under $1k 5 years ago and am surprised at how good retro games look hooked up to it (way better than that monitor that's been discussed recently in another thread). 

THE BAD: It doesn't get the blacks that my tube tv gets.

THE GOOD: The couch and recliner are far enough back (8 feet maybe?) that viewing angle isn't an issue at all.  How close are you sitting to your new TV?  I'd recommend hooking an older system or two up and seeing what you think.  It might surprise you.

(Is it me or does this post feel like an esteban post?)

[Tatsujin]

I have a 47" LCD for my living room TV that I purchased for just under $1k 5 years ago and am surprised at how good retro games look hooked up to it (way better than that monitor that's been discussed recently in another thread).  

THE GOOD: The couch and recliner are far enough back (8 feet maybe?) that viewing angle isn't an issue at all.  How close are you sitting to your new TV?  I'd recommend hooking an older system or two up and seeing what you think.  It might surprise you.

THE BAD: It doesn't get the blacks that my tube tv gets.

THE UGLY: It won't let you retro obey the same nice way you were used to with your old CRT TV sets. In other words, without using a good upscaler, everything retro looks like a big turd.

(now this seems to feel even more of an esteban post..lol)

[Ji-L87]

Yeah, some TVs/monitors just have crap viewing angles. The blacks seems to fare the worst in this regard and might get a green or purple-ish tint when not viewed from head-on.  A "LED" monitor simply uses LEDs instead of a fluorescent light to light up the display. According to CNET LED backlighting doesn't improve LCD's poor off-angle viewing.

LED backlighting of either variety doesn't improve LCD's poor off-angle viewing.

Unlike with plasma, one of the big downsides to LCD TVs is that the picture degrades if you're sitting off to the side or the TV is placed too high or low, based on your eye level. LED backlighting doesn't change any of this and, in some cases, may actually make things worse.

Placing these LEDs in the edge of the display seems to be the most common practice (and it allows it to be real thin) but there are also "full LED" solutions, don't know if they're more common now tho'.
My only personal LED experience is my main computer monitor which I'm very satisfied with, but it's an IPS-panel equipped EIZO monitor

[soop]

I don't have that problem with mine, but it's a 32" Sony Bravia, so I'd expect it to have a decent viewing angle etc.

[bob]

So the answer is "Yes, but you probably bought a cheap TV."

No doubt I bought a cheap one.  Notice, I didn't state the brand
Like I said, this was in a pinch.  I won't be using it for any gaming, but my wife is coming home from surgery and I needed to come up with a makeshift hospital room as soon as I could.  The TV was nothing comapred to the comedy of me moving a recliner from one room to another down a narrow hallway.

[reno5]

I have 2 x 50 inch plasma TV and they both have great viewing angles and the colors (and black) looks great. I wouldn't change them for LCD.

[soop]

I have 2 x 50 inch plasma TV and they both have great viewing angles and the colors (and black) looks great. I wouldn't change them for LCD.

I think my Plasma has a better black, which I'd expect.  TBH though, viewing angles for both dont usually extend beyond about 15 degrees, although if I'm outside on my balcony, I can still see the LCD fine, and that's about a 75 degree angle.

[liquitek]

I had the exact same experience 5 years ago with our bedroom tele.  My wife had surgery as well and needed bed rest so I ended up wall mounting it and angling it toward the bed.  It was a cheap Viewsonic that the kids now abuse.  Our newer Samsung doesn't have the same issue.

[NightWolve]

I have 2 x 50 inch plasma TV and they both have great viewing angles and the colors (and black) looks great. I wouldn't change them for LCD.

Yeah, I'll probably go with Plasma (with 3D) next time around. The thing about LCDs I read or was told is that they fare better with daytime lighting conditions (in a room with windows) and Plasmas need a generally dark room to look their best, that's their drawback.

[tpivette]

I have 2 x 50 inch plasma TV and they both have great viewing angles and the colors (and black) looks great. I wouldn't change them for LCD.

Yeah, I'll probably go with Plasma (with 3D) next time around. The thing about LCDs I read or was told is that they fare better with daytime lighting conditions (in a room with windows) and Plasmas need a generally dark room to look their best, that's their drawback.

Agreed. I've also read/researched and found that Plasmas have better refresh rates, picture quality, and blacks/colors. They've also improved since the technology launched years ago and don't suffer from the problems usually associated with the earlier models (burned in images, etc). However, as you mentioned, their achilles heel is glare in well lit rooms. When my gameroom moves into the basement later this year, I'm seriously thinking about replacing my LCDs with Plasmas