Flat TVs - All About LCD and Plasma TVs

So deciding which set of technology for your next TV upgrade can be a difficult choice. should you choose LCD or plasma. Well sometime later a decision has to be made. And I summarized a few simple pointer of both technology to help you decide.

< < image from plasmatvscience.org >>

Lets start with LCD TV

This choose is good if you want a thin, lightweight TV that comes in a range of sizes.The common LCD TV screen sizes ranges from 23 to 45 inches. Price wise for 32-inch is $1000 plus to $4000 for a 45-inch LCD TV. The price may have drop so is good to check for the latest price.

Here is what’s good about LCD TV. They are slim and the lightest type of TV. Even for size up to 40-inch-plus screens they are not heavy. High end LCDs have excellent picture quality. Native screen resolution tends to be higher than for a similar-sized plasma set, which allows for finer detail. Antireflective surface makes an LCD TV a good choice for bright settings.

Now to the not so good part,most LCD TVs still haven’t caught up with plasmas for viewing angle, color accuracy, and the ability to display the deepest blacks, although the best LCD sets have made strides on all those fronts. Some sets have difficulty displaying the gradations of subtle shading smoothly.

And off to PLASMA TV

Choose if you want a thin TV with a 42-inch or larger screen.Common screen sizes 42 to 50 inches; more 55- to 65-inch models arriving.The prices 42-inch, $1,500 to $4,000; 50-inch, $2,500 to $5,000.Hence price wise they are cheaper than LCD TV of comparable size.

The good thing about Plasma TVs is the capability of displaying vibrant, accurate colors and can render almost as deep a black as a picture-tube TV. The best are capable of excellent picture quality. There’s no limit to the viewing angle, so you can watch the set from anywhere in a room without quality suffering. Plasma TVs are thin, but relatively heavier compared to an LCD TV.

The problem with Plasma TV is the shiny surface of a the screen can create annoying reflections. And static images displayed for a long period of time–such as video games or stock tickers can cause burn in. However, more models have antireflective coatings and features to minimize burn-in. Plasma TVs tend to display more of the screen-door effect (visible pixel structure) than LCD sets. Some sets have difficulty displaying the gradations of subtle shading smoothly.

Well there you have it, simple tips to help you decide.

Popularity: 1%

Over at ConsumerReports.org there is a good article of the debate between plasma and LCD tvs. It’s a short article which I reproduced below. However for my readers convenient I had summarised the key points between the two system in the table below.

Here is the article in full.

LCD vs. Plasma TVs

Both are better than ever, and the best sets raise the bar for picture quality

The vast majority of consumers are buying LCD and plasma flat panels rather than rear-projection sets or front projectors with separate screens. Neither LCD nor plasma is the clear winner for quality; there are excellent sets of both types in our Ratings of LCD TVs and Ratings of plasma TVs (both available to subscribers).

There are reasons to opt for one over the other, though. With LCDs, you’ll have a wider choice of 1080p sets than with plasmas, and the price premium over a 720p TV is usually smaller. You’ll also have more screen sizes to choose from, including sets smaller than 42 inches-typically the smallest size for a plasma.

LCD TVs are generally a bit brighter than plasma, and their screens are less reflective, so many look better in bright rooms. They’re also better for playing video games and for use as a computer monitor because they’re not subject to burn-in from fixed images displayed for a long period, as plasma TVs can be. (Burn-in might have been more of a problem with early plasma sets. We’ve seen no evidence of permanent image retention in our short-term tests, and recent anecdotal evidence from our own staffers and online forum participants hasn’t turned up any burn-in issues in typical long-term use at home.) LCD sets use less power, but the differences aren’t that great.

On the other hand, plasma TVs generally cost a bit less than LCD sets of comparable size and quality, though the price difference is shrinking. The best plasma TVs are better than LCD sets at displaying deep blacks and tend to have better contrast, which makes for rich, natural-looking images, especially in dim lighting. They’re also better than LCDs at handling motion without blurring the image, though some new 120Hz LCDs are showing improvement in that area. (See: When either type is fine)

Another major advantage: Plasma TVs have a virtually unlimited viewing angle, so the picture quality doesn’t deteriorate when you watch the screen from off-center. With most LCD sets (and rear-projection TVs), the picture loses some contrast, color, or brightness as you angle away from the center. You might not notice this too much with bright images and vivid colors like you’ll see in a football game, but the degradation in quality can be obvious with other programs.

Source : ConsumerReports.org - Plasma vs LCD tvs

Popularity: 3%