Plasma V. LCD ( Now leave me alone)

OK, fine. Stop nagging. I am finally going to divulge all my industry secrets and tell all who want to know, how to pick the perfect flat-panel set for yourself.

Because of the prevalence and rapidly dropping prices of the two competing technologies the arguments for (and against) as well as the rumors and myths (some idiot once told a client, they would need to “refill” the gas in their plasma after a couple years) keep spreading. Since this debate seems to drive so many to drink and walk into their local electronics stores inebriated with these untruths, I wanted to take the time out to build a comprehensive guide to buying and finding the right set for you.

The Technological Difference

Plasma and LCD panels look rather similar, but the flat screen and thin profile is where the similarities end.

Plasma panels, as its name suggests, uses a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells charged by electrical “shocks” to create a picture.

LCD panels (liquid crystal display) are sandwiches made up of liquid crystal pushed in the space between two glass plates. Images are created by varying the amount electrical charge applied to the crystals.

The Need for Picture Quality

For over 50 years, there has been one true leader in terms of picture quality when it comes down to Television viewing. This is called CRT, or cathode ray tube television. To simplify this for you we will just call them “Tube TV’s.” Simply put you’ve been watching these for the majority of your life. Even though CRTs produce the best overall images because of the overwhelming need, plasmas and LCD sets are quickly catching up in picture quality.

1. Plasma displays do have a slight edge over LCD’s. This is because plasma screens can display blacks more accurately than LCD’s can, which means better contrast and detail in dark-colored television or movie scenes.

2. The nature of LCD technology, where a backlight shines through the LCD layer, means it's hard for it to achieve true blacks because there's always some light leakage from between pixels. However, because of the profit margins associated with LCD sets, manufacturers are steadily improving the contrast ratios to make their sets more competitive with their cheaper cousins.

Pros and Cons (of each)

Plasma Pros (In comparison to LCD)

• Price - Because of the way that plasma are made as well as the overwhelming availability of them. Plasma tends to be nearly half the price of comparably sized LCD’s.
• Contrast - As I noted earlier, a plasma panel can produce a much more realistic picture over currently available LCD panels. Since Plasma’s light source is actually the gas cells inside the panel, there is not issue of light “leakage” like in LCD’s.
• Viewing Angles - Simply put, Plasma can be viewed at greater angles than their LCD counterparts can. If the room you are thinking about putting your set into use in is rather wide, then plasma is certainly your best bet (at least if you want everyone to see it)
• Weight - a Plasma set is a boat anchor, weighing in at nearly 20 pounds heavier than their LCD counterpart does. Weight is issue when it comes down to shipping and installation. If you plan on installing your set on a wall, or any other surface where it’s weight is an issue, you may want to think carefully about what is best for you.

Plasma Cons (In comparison to LCD)

• Placement flexibility - Since Plasmas use glass as their covering surface, those owners with large windows or other uncontrollable light sources may find glare to be a big problem.
• Power Consumption - Anything this sexy must have a downside and with plasma’s the biggest con is their power consumption. While it’s not like having two refrigerators in your home, you can expect to see slight rise in your monthly electric bills with the set. Expect about a $5 - $9 raise.

LCD Pros (In comparison to Plasma)

• Speed - In the specification list of most LCD sets, you will likely see a spec called “Refresh Rate.” This the speed at which the set can change from light to dark scenes without having the previous image sticking around at this speed. This number is typically noted in milliseconds
• Resolution - Since LCD’s have been around for much longer than their plasma cousins, they have the ability to produce higher resolution images easier than plasmas. (please note each model is still held to their own resolution limits)
• Life - When dealing with a flat panel set, there is one number that sticks out on specification sheets and that is something called Half-Life. Half-life is the point in which the brightness for the set is greatly reduced (sometimes to half) from the original capability. The typical half-life for an LCD set is around 80,000 hours. To put that in real numbers for you if your family watches 6 hours of TV a day (not sure why you’d want to, but hey who knows maybe TV programming will get better next week) it will take 36 years and several months before the brightness of the set is greatly reduced. Plasma (on average) have a half-life of 60,000 hours (27 years +)
• Image Retention - Like the Refresh Rate, spec I touched on earlier, Image retention (or as you may know it - Burn-In) is all about speed. Burn in occurs when a static image is left on the screen for an extended period. This is one reason why your computer uses a screen saver. Plasma’s have long been susceptible to burn in, LCD's on the other hand because of their refresh rates are not.

LCD Cons ((In comparison to Plasma)

• Price - Because of the cost of manufacture, a quality LCD set will typically cost double what a comparably sized Plasma will (didn’t I say that earlier?).
• Size - Even though some manufacturers have recently pushed this issue to a new level. Historically, LCD’s have come in various sizes below 37”. If you wanted a larger set, your only choice was Plasma.

So there you go, I hope I was able to disseminate all the madness and give a simple and uncluttered view of the two. Comments are always appreciated. If I left something out, then tell me, I promise to be nice.