Big
Screen Showdown:
Plasma
Or LCD? You Decide!
•
Electronics
store salesmen will blow lots of smoke up your shorts about this
topic: should you buy a Plasma screen or a LCD
display?
•
THE
TRUTH: Either type of television will give you a sparkling, razor
sharp image on a gorgeous giant flat screen television in your
living room.
•
But
there are differences! And knowing those differences will help you
decide what flat screen TV is right for you. NERD
ALERT: I’m
going to get slightly technical, so don’t get spooked! Bear
with me (or skip to section 2).
•
So
what is a Plasma screen? A Plasma display is made up of hundreds of
thousands of pixels (tiny dots of light created when electric
current hits trapped gasses encased in a black matrix). Look
closely at a Plasma display and you can see the tiny colored dots
that create the picture.
•
LCDs
(liquid crystal displays) use microchips to send thousands of
electric currents which twist tiny crystals to create the colors on
the screen. LCDs can be either flat panel or projection TVs; both
have white light shining through the crystals.
•
NERD
ALERT: I can
imagine your eyes glazing over as boredom sets in; luckily, you
don’t need to understand how a flat screen TV works to use
one, any more than you need to know how an engine works to drive a
car. If you're really interested in learning about this, check
out How Stuff Works.
•
So
what do you need to know?
What’s
The Real Difference
Between
LCD And Plasma TV?
• Viewing
Angle describes how far you can sit to each side a TV and still see
an acceptable picture. Each pixel in a Plasma TV emits it’s
own light (LCD pixels filter light). Plasma screens are viewable at
angles of more than 150˚, while LCD screens have viewing
angles around 125˚. This means more of your family sitting at
the sides of the screen will be able to comfortably watch the Super
Bowl on a Plasma TV. Score
1 for Plasma.
• Screen
Burn-in and Image Flicker are
less of a problem on Plasma TVs than in the past, but LCDs have no
trouble with either problem. LCDs are great when
displaying output from video games, computers and other static
images (images that don't move or change). If you want to display
video games or computer screens, you should not use a Plasma
TV. Score
1 for LCD.
• Cost
of both Plasma and LCD TVs have steadily gone down over the years,
but LCDs are more expensive to make and to buy. Score
2 for Plasma.
• Screen
size is measured diagonally from one corner to the opposite
corner. Plasma screens range as large as
108” while the largest LCDs are currently 70”.
Score
3 for Plasma.
•
The
lifetime of both Plasma and LCD screens is 50,000 to 60,000 hours,
depending on the quality and manufacturer of the TV. Plasma
displays fade over time and the white light source for LCDs turns
yellow, changing the colors on your screen. It takes 10-20 years
for either Plasmas or LCD screens to go bad under normal use, but
once they do, you’ll probably have to replace the unit.
Plasmas last slightly longer, but let’s
call this one a tie.
•
Sharpness
is measured by the number of screen pixels per inch.
LCD displays have a
higher pixel count than Plasmas for the same sized screen, although
the larger plasmas can equal LCD sharpness. The newest models of
both will display HDTV resolution. Score
2 for LCD.
• Power
usage is significantly higher (about 1/3 more) in a Plasma TV than
in an LCD. This is because the Plasma screen sends power to light
up every pixel, while LCDs use fluorescent lighting to backlight
their pixels. Score
3 for LCD.
• Contrast
is the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of the
screen. The best Plasma TVs (like Panasonic) have been measured at
50% better contrast levels than the best LCDs. Score
4 for Plasma.
• Playback
of fast action in sports and action movies is better on a Plasma,
since LCDs still display a visible lag or blur, despite recent
improvements in LCD technology. Score
5 for Plasma.
• Color
reproduction is important when getting a great picture: both Plasma
and LCD displays must accurately reproduce millions of colors.
Because of the nature of these technologies, Plasma screens generally
display richer, more brilliant colors, especially in low to normal
lighting conditions. LCDs will sometimes look better than Plasmas
in brightly lit areas. Score
6 for Plasma.
Result
of this subjective comparison: Plasma:
6, LCD:
3
123
Guide
To Plasma TV
• Well,
now you know! If you want the biggest flat screen TV at the best
price, with gorgeous color and contrast and a great viewing angle,
you’re looking for a Plasma Television. For the best in
Plasma TVs check out the Panasonic Plasma
TVs; not far behind are
sets by Pioneer.
• If
you’re concerned about power consumption, displaying tiny
detail, playing video games or hooking up to a computer, you might
want to consider getting a LCD display. The number one
selling LCD TV is the Sony Bravia, but close behind
are TVs by NEC.
• No
matter what type of TV you decide to purchase, Plasma or LCD,
I’m sure you and your family will enjoy many hours of
delightful viewing.
It's as easy as 1 2
3!
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Con Men, Geeks and
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