Plasma TV

In LCD TV vs. plasma TV screen size, the plasma have the advantage, they’re currently size champions, and however, the developing LCD TV technology is catching up. They have sizes from 32″ to 63″. Panasonic makes this kind that’s 103″, but not for sale to consumers.

In comparing angles for viewing, LCD vs. plasma screens, the latter has an advantage. Viewing angles for plasma TVs are up until 160 degrees, while viewing angles for LCD TVs are until 175 degrees.

The screen’s refresh rates vary slightly with LCD and plasma TV screen’s technology. The former produces refresh and handles rapid movements like CRT televisions. The latter has improved refresh rates.

For weight, LCD televisions are lighter, cheaper to ship and more portable. With screen durability test, LCD win, they’re less fragile. On the other hand, plasmas are fragile that they’re tricky to ship plus to install. Their installation must be done by professionals, which makes them more of a hassle in installing. It means that you’ll need a separate budget for installment apart from the original budget you need to set for the price of the television alone.

In plasmas vs. LCD TVs, screen lifespan isn’t an effective way in differentiating them. The former is reported to have half life at 30,000-60,000 hours. Average CRT TVs which most of us use at home have half life at 25,000 hours.

Whether one is cheaper than the other, or better than another, in the end, it would be up to you to weigh things out and decide.

By: Dylan A. Vince

About the Author:

Flat screen TV is one of the most popular and exciting TV technologies today. At only a few inches thick, flat screen TVs offer unparalleled flexibility and convenience. Older conventional TV’s, in fairness to them, did offer crisp and vibrant images. However, these TV’s, which operate through a cathode ray tube (CRT), suffered from one major drawback, they were bulky. As screen size increased, so did the bulk and weight. However, the TV of old has reached its twilight years. New television technologies have enabled TV manufacturers to create TVs with wider screen size yet still only a few inches thick. Thus, flat screen TVs usher home entertainment into the 21st century.

Flat Screen TV basically refers to two technologies: Plasma and LCD. The advances in these two technologies have enabled TV makers to build thin, lightweight TV screens with a large picture area. Plasma and LCD both offer similarly large, lightweight, flat screen TV’s but the similarities are skin deep for their inner workings are different.

Plasma or LCD?

Plasma and LCD TVs generally look similar however they use very different technologies. Plasma utilizes a grid of tiny cells of gas plasma that light up and create a picture when charged by precise electrical voltages. LCD (liquid crystal display) screens on the other hand are made of liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates and create images by varying the amount of electrical charge applied to the crystals. Both Plasma and LCD offer excellent picture quality. The following are their strengths and weaknesses and edge over the other.

1. Plasma screens can display blacks more accurately compared to LCD. Thus, pictures in a Plasma TV have richer contrast and better detail especially in dark TV and movie scenes. LCD TV’s are catching up however.

2. Plasma TV has better viewing angles than LCD TV. How far you can sit on either side of the screen before the qualities of the pictures are affected is what the “viewing angle” is. In LCD TVs, brightness and color tend to shift when angled too far while that of Plasma TVs remain solid.

3. Plasma TV can produce brighter color while light leakages in LCD screens affect the color saturation.

4. Plasma TVs are priced relatively less than their LCD counterparts especially in the large screen segment. Plasma TVs offer much larger sizes than LCDs, yet are still priced lower.

5. LCD has a higher native resolution than plasma TVs of the same size. This results to sharper images and makes LCD TV the better choice for HDTV.

6. LCD TVs consume almost 30% less power than Plasma TVs.

7. LCD TVs are generally lighter than similar sized Plasmas.

8. Among the two, LCD screens have a longer life span than plasma screens. LCDs can last up to 60,000 hours compared to Plasma that average from 30,000 to 60,000 hours.

9. Plasma TVs are more prone to screen burn-ins compared to LCDs although newer plasma technology are less susceptible to these.

If you are looking for a large flat screen TV, Plasma TV is recommended. Plasma TVs can give you better value for your money. The price difference between Plasma TVs and LCD TVs is big. However, if you have money to burn, then LCD TV is the better choice especially if you want the sharpest images. For smaller flat screen TVs at the range of 15″ to 36″, LCD is the way to go. Ultimately, both technologies are still evolving and new innovations and improvements are definitely in the works.

By: Mitchell Medford

About the Author: