If you are looking for a flat-screen, slim and classic HDTV, you have two choices, LCD HDTV and Plasma HDTV. A few years ago, it was an easy task to make a decision. If you wanted a 40-inch or bigger flat screen, the only available option was Plasma HDTV, otherwise you should have chosen LCD. However, things have changed now with the improved technology of LCD HDTVs. Now, to decide which one is better is not an easy task. Both the versions of HDTVs have their benefits and disadvantages. Therefore, each one is better in certain circumstances. The following details will certainly help you to choose one that best suits your requirements. After you have gone through all these details, you will have a better idea of which HDTV is right for you.
Phosphor, a chemical compound, is the heart of a Plasma HDTV. The light you see on a plasma screen is caused by these phosphors. Each pixel in a Plasma HDTV is made up of three types of phosphors, red, blue, and green. When beams of electrons strike with these phosphors, they emit light. The amount of light depends upon the intensity of the electron beams.
Where phosphors play a major role in the technology of Plasma HDTVs, in LCD HDTVs, it is crystals. Crystals, in the form of liquid, is sandwiched between transparent panels. There is a bright florescent light behind these panels. The sandwiched crystals are instructed to either let the light pass or not. Color filters are also used, which determine the color.
Since both Plasma and LCD TVs are large screen televisions, size does not matter that much. However, if you consider viewing area by size, Plasma TVs have always been a good choice. Again, you can find more varieties of Plasma TVs in comparison to LCD TVs. On the other hand, if by size you mean the size of your bank account, it matters indeed. For the same size, Plasma TVs are normally less expensive.
The viewing angle is the feature that determines how far off to the side you can sit from the TV and still see the picture clearly. It is very important to consider the viewing angle because not all of your family members can sit literally in front of the TV. When it comes to viewing angle, Plasma TV has a definite edge over LCDs. Some LCD-manufacturers claim that the 170-degree field of vision offered by them allows accurate viewing. That is not true at all. You may be able to see what is happening at that angle, but it is not the same as sitting more directly head on.
There are certain issues with both Plasma and LCD HDTVs. The following details will help you understand them.
There are certain problems with pixels in both the televisions. Sometimes pixel is always ON. For example, it lit up when the screen is black. Sometimes the pixel is always OFF. For example, it looks black when it should have color. You must buy your HDTV from reputed manufacturers, because in that case there are lesser possibilities of such problems. Again, if you face any such problem, reputed manufacturers take care of it.
A common belief is that Plasma TVs are better than LCD TVs in this regard. This is even true indeed. When you watch an action on LCD TV, for example, a football player moving down the field, the edges of his body might look somewhat fuzzy. You might find some jagged and blocky lines instead of a clean one, which is not the case with a Plasma TV.
One of the biggest potential negatives with Plasma TVs is the ‘Burn-in’ effect. This is where LCD HDTVs have a definite edge over the Plasma HDTV. LCD panels do not suffer from ‘Burn-in’ effect. ‘Burn-in’ happens when an image stays on the screen for an extended period and then image literally burns in the screen. It means that even when the image is not present, you can still see a faint trace of the image on the TV screen. Hence, for video gamers and sports lovers, LCD HDTV is definitely a better choice than the Plasma TV.
In general, the life span of both LCD and Plasma HDTVs is good. With time and technology, it is getting better indeed. Still, LCD HDTVs have an edge over Plasma versions when it comes to life span because their light source can be replaced, but once a plasma TV gets faded image, you cannot replace it. However, replacing bulbs on an LCD can cost you as much as a few thousand dollars. If we believe what manufacturers claim, then both LCD and Plasma TV last at least 30,000 hours before any noticeable depreciation in the image quality. Hence, if you watch television 10 hours a day, you would not have any problem for the next eight years, and if you watch television just for 4 hours a day, you would get over 20 years of viewing before seeing any depreciation.
This is perhaps the most important area of consideration while choosing between Plasma and LCD HDTVs. Picture quality rather depends on your personal taste. Both of the TVs have their own qualities. Choice is yours.
A common belief is that LCD TVs produce sharper pictures with more realistic colors. The truth is somewhat different. In Plasma HDTV you will find realistic and a wider range of colors. LCD TVs give you a vibrant, primary colors type of feel. Plasma TVs give subtler, warmer pastels, but perhaps more accurate. However, at the end of the day, it all depends on your personal taste.
LCD TVs tend to be brighter and more colorful while plasma TVs tend to be warmer with more accurate color reproduction. However, most people believe that LCD HDTVs perform better in bright-light condition than the Plasma HDTVs.
Plasma TV has the ability to produce deep black colors. Dark color on LCD TV is a somewhat complicated process. Instead of deep black, LCD TVs produce dark gray. When you become used to the set’s color, this goes unnoticed. Still, technically, Plasma scores an edge in this regard.
Plasma TVs have established something of a better reputation than LCD TVs. Even when it comes to price, they are less expensive. LCD technology is new, and after a few years they may be available at lower prices and with better features than Plasma TVs. However, in the present scenario, Plasma HDTV has a definite edge over LCD TVs.
Technologies are changing rapidly, but for now, it is still true that for sizes of 40-inch and above, Plasma HDTVs offer a less expensive and a better resolution, while for screen sizes less than 40-inch LCD HDTV is better.
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