A Side-by-Side Comparison of Plasma and LCD TVs

TVS-007TVS — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:38:13 CDT

Which are better: LCD or Plasma TVs ? This comparison should help you decide for yourself.

Light Weight

Both LCD and Plasma television sets are thin and weigh much less than CRT televisions. A 40” CRT could weigh up to 300 pounds more than a 42” LCD or 42” Plasma set.

Picture Quality

For picture quality, most LCD TVs and plasma television sets are either HD ready or Full HD 1080p. LCD sets are also available with Near HD definition, a process that converts standard definition to Near High Definition. Whether LCD or plasma, HD ready sets are generally less expensive than Full HD sets.

Screen Size and Costs

For a television smaller than 37 inches, LCD televisions are the only choice. LCD televisions come as small as 10 inches. For those who want a television larger than 50 inches, you have more size choices in plasma televisions than in LCD televisions.

Plasmas still dominate the home cinema market.

LCD televisions are good value since their small ones (37 inches or less) cost far less than the smallest size plasma televisions (37 inches or more). However, LCD televisions of 37 inches and larger are priced similarly to their same-sized plasma counterparts.

Ghosts: Permanent versus Fleeting

Plasma sets experience a phenomenon known as burn-in. If an image stays too long, even a minute, there is a possibility that it will be lightly but permanently etched onto the screen. To help avoid this, plasma makers have installed programs to reduce the likelihood of burn-in. LCD makers have reduced “ghosts” (fleeting image retention) until it is only noticeable in fast action such as sports events.

Energy Consumption

LCD TVs do not use significantly less energy than their analogue CRT competitors. LCD televisions are said to use half the power of plasma, but this is inaccurate. Plasma's power consumption varies with the screen brightness required by a program.

Gaming

LCD TVS tend to provide better game-playing for the money spent on the set. To compete with this, some plasma makers have developed a "game mode". Both LCD and plasmas provide easy access digital input HDMI connectors for HDMI cables, although the number of connectors can vary from TV set to TV set.

Still Picture and Data Viewing

LCD televisions are used for computer screens. Likewise, LCD television sets perform better with computers especially slower functions such as still picture viewing. They also provide cleaner pictures if hooked up to a computer. Plasma makers are improving their ability to show computer images. For this reason some have special picture viewers and are offering a computer link (in high end models).

Longevity

Most television sets, whether plasma or LCD, cannot promise more than 60,000 hours of clean viewing. Plasma sets will eventually lose their gas make-up, which will compromise the picture and end the set’s use. LCD televisions may begin to lose the brightness in their whites before the 60,000 hours. However, some LCD TVS could double their longevity if their bulbs can be replaced, providing original picture quality.

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A Side-by-Side Comparison of Plasma and LCD TVs