Comparison Plasma televisions LCD televisions Advantage
Screen Size Screen sizes range from 32 inches to 63 inches. Larger plasmas, like a 103 inch unit from Panasonic, are in production, but are still prohibitively expensive for consumer use. Sizes range from 13 inches to 45 inches. As with plasma, there are larger LCD TVs made, like a 100 inch display recently released by LG, but they are not readily available or affordable at the consumer level. Plasma TVs are the current size champions, particularly when comparing TVs that consumers can easily purchase. LCDs are catching up in size with their developing technology, however, and may surpass Plasmas in the near future. This may be due to difficulties in producing glass large enough for larger plasmas.
Viewing Angle Up to 160° Up to 175° LCD TVs have the advantage here, but by a small margin. Your viewing experience is not going to be ideal at 160 or 175 degree angles. LCD TVs used to have a problem in this area, primarily because LCDs were originally used as single person computer monitors.
Screen Refresh Rates Plasma displays refresh and handle rapid movements in video about as well as CRT televisions. LCD TVs were originally designed for data display, and not video. Therefore refresh rates had to be improved. LCD TVs with refresh rates below 16 ms or lower (5-15 ms) show very few noticeable artifacts. LCD TVs are now available with refresh rates as low as 5ms. Slight edge to plasma technology.
Burn-in or Stuck Pixels Plasma TVs can suffer from burn-in produced by static images. After extended periods, stationary images "burn in" and produce an after-image ghost which remains permanently on the screen. With technologies such as 'pixel orbitor,' new plasma TVs have addressed burn-in and significantly reduced the issues of older models. LCD TVs do not suffer from burn-in, but can have a "retained pixel charge" which may also produce ghosting. Stuck pixels are also possible with an LCD display. With the latest plasma technology, this is less of an issue than ever before. "Pixel orbitor," for example, is one method of reducing burn in used by plasma manufacturers. It requires no additional programing from the end user as some older burn-in prevention techniques did. If you plan to use a plasma for gaming, some games with permanent 'dashboards' may still cause some burn-in. Check user-manuals for available solutions by model.
Product Life-span Plasma TVs have a reported half life of 30,000 to 60,000 hours. Half-life is the time it takes the lamp to fade to half its original brightness. LCD TVs also have replaceable backlights, but the expense of replacing one when the time comes may be greater than simply replacing the entire TV. Both Plasma and LCD technology should more than adequately satisfy most consumers. The average CRT TV (the kind most of us have at home) has a half-life of around 25,000 hours. If the average American household watches an average of four to six hours of television a day, even a 30,000 hour lamp would give you over 16 years of use. By then you'll be enjoying your new 'Holodeck.'
Weight Plasma displays are fairly heavy, and may need additional supports to be mounted onto a wall. LCD TVs weigh less than comparably sized plasma TVs. LCD TVs are considerably lighter, more portable, and cheaper to ship.
Durability Plasmas are very fragile making them tricky to ship and install. Unlike the commercials where plasmas are mounted on the ceiling, plasmas are best installed by a professional, and should be installed on a wall that can bear a good deal of weight. Much more durable than plasmas. End users can easily mount an LCD TV themselves if desired. LCD TVs are far less fragile than plasmas.
Shipping Due to their fragile nature, plasma TVs need to be shipped by specialty carriers. Overnight or fast delivery options are not recommended. Special shipping methods and their heavier weight add to higher shipping costs. Shipping LCD TVs is not difficult, and is not as expensive as shipping plasma displays. LCD TVs are lighter and far less fragile than plasma displays making shipping easier and less expensive.
Installation Plasmas are heavier, use more power, and run hotter than LCD TVs, and therefore require more planning when mounting them. Plasmas are generally best installed by professionals. End users can easily install LCD TVs themselves, or can use them just as they use a traditional TV using a stand. LCD TVs are much easier to install than plasma TVs.
Brightness/Contrast Plasma TVs report higher brightness and contrast levels than LCDs. Under ideal conditions (no ambient light) this is a true advantage of plasma technology, because LCD TVs are backlit and therefore light must be blocked to create blacks. Plasmas have individual pixels that either on or off, creating deeper blacks and better contrast. LCD TVs can often look better in 'real-world' situations. Plasmas are made with a special glass surface that can reflect light, which dulls the brightness and contrast of the image. LCD TVs reflect very little light, allowing them to maintain levels in well-lit rooms. Both LCD and plasma TVs will meet the brightness expectations of most consumers. However, in 'real world' situations with ambient light, LCD TVs will generally look a little brighter.
Thickness As thin as 3 inches deep. As thin as 2 inches deep. LCDs TVs are just a bit thinner.
Performance at High Altitude High altitudes can affect the performance of plasma displays because the gas held inside each pixel is stressed, and has to work harder to perform. Some manufacturers make plasmas that are specifically designed for high-altitudes, but they may be priced higher than standard models. LCD TVs are not affected by high altitudes. LCD TVs.
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1. Price-to-size ratio
40- and 42-inch flat-panel TVs such as the Samsung LA40F71B will become mainstream in 2007.
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While neither LCD nor plasma TVs are a budget bargain, on a price-per-square-inch basis, plasmas currently have a slight edge. Look at it this way: Technically, a 42-inch plasma gives you approximately 30 percent extra screen real estate as a 37-inch LCD panel, but they both go for about S$3,000 (US$1,908.01). By 2008, you may see 42-inch LCDs hitting that price, but larger versions (52 inches or more) won't cost the same as their plasma equivalents for a while.
The reason my friend is looking at a 20-inch Sharp for his bedroom is that prices for smaller LCD panels are dropping the fastest, with a 20-incher coming in at a little more than S$1,000 (US$636.04). Plasmas aren't available in that size; 37 inches is their lower limit. Just remember that a 20-inch screen is pretty small, and you'll have to sit rather close to it. It may be fine for viewing CNN, Jay Leno, and sitcoms in bed, but it's obviously less than ideal for enjoying movies. And a 17-inch model should be reserved for use as a kitchen television or a computer monitor in a home office; while you work, you can watch TV in a little picture-in-picture box in a corner of the display.
Bottom line: 32-inch LCDs offer the greatest value among bedroom sets, and your best bet for the living room is a 40-inch or larger LCD or plasma.
2. Performance
Sony's 52-inch Bravia LCD TV going for a whopping S$15,999 (US$10,178.65).
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A general rule of thumb is that plasmas deliver better home theater performance than LCDs. Our video guru, David Katzmaier, says the difference is due mostly to the fact that backlighting-based LCD TVs typically can't display black as well as plasmas; it ends up closer to dark gray. That shortcoming decreases the amount of detail you can see in the shadows and ultimately leaves the picture looking--as videophiles would say--less three-dimensional.
The picture quality of both LCD and plasma panels is improving each year, but it can vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer, so check our lists of top products. We're nitpicky about performance in our reviews--it's our job--and you should seriously consider our evaluations if you plan on using your set for home theater viewing. But if you're buying a smaller LCD (26 inches or less) for the kitchen or the bedroom, don't agonize too much over performance.
3. Lifespan
Lifespan, the number of viewing hours a television provides before dimming to half brightness, used to be one of the biggest advantages LCD has over plasma. Though the numbers vary among the different brands, they now generally last up to around 60,000 hours regardless of the technology.
4. Burning issues
Most modern plasma TVs come with anti-burn-in function.
One of plasma technology's known issues is something called burn-in. It happens when your television shows a still image or an icon for so long that its "ghost" remains on the screen. For example, if a stock ticker or a news crawl continuously runs along the bottom of your display, that strip may be burned into your set. The same applies to watching an excessive amount of standard TV (4:3) on a widescreen (16:9) model; the vertical bars to either side of the picture could become permanent. Manufacturers have taken steps to prevent burn-in, building in screensavers and other technologies. And you can virtually eliminate the danger by not leaving still images on the screen and reducing your contrast setting below 50 percent for the first 100 hours of usage.
To their credit, LCDs don't suffer from burn-in, nor do they have troubles at high altitudes where the air pressure differential causes plasmas to emit an irritating buzzing sound. So, if you live in mountainous regions, we don't recommend that you get a plasma, though some manufacturers are selling special sets they claim are immune to the problem.
5. Viewing HDTV
Most plasmas and LCDs can display a high-def signal. However, you'll need a model with a resolution of at least 1,280 x 720-pixel to enjoy the full effects of HD. Most 50-inch plasmas and nearly all 26-inch and larger LCDs offer this resolution. Very few 42-inch plasmas do, but when you're watching HD feeds on a lower-resolution television of that size or smaller, you'll have to sit much closer to notice much of a difference between HD and what you're seeing. Take Pioneer's PDP-427XG. Even though the set provides only XGA resolution (1,024 x 768), HDTV looks really good on it.
6. Computers and video games
Most plasma and LCD TVs can double as computer monitors; some even offer a DVI port for optimal video quality. They'll also hook up to a game console without any problems. So which technology is better for these purposes? From a performance standpoint, it's hard to pick a winner, but because of plasma's burn-in risk, LCD is the safer choice for computer work and gaming.