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Are you still
using that dated old "tube" television set? Are
you drawn to the electronics section at your
local Best Buy where you walk slowly down every
aisle fantasizing about watching an action
packed thriller on one of those crisp, gorgeous
devices? Are you baffled by the price ranges,
and confused over the qualities? If that's
what's keeping you from buying the television of
your dreams, it's time to do your homework. The
two biggest questions about the television
market today is, "what's the difference between
the plasma television versus the LCD?"
Plasma Television Versus The LCD
There are a few important things to compare when
deciding which type of set to purchase. Plasma
TVs are the current size champions, particularly
when comparing TVs that consumers can easily
purchase. Screen size, viewing angle, screen
refresh rates, burn-in or stuck pixels, and
product life-span are all areas that you want to
pay close attention to when shopping.
When comparing the plasma television versus the
LCD, start with size options. With a plasma,
screen sizes range from 32 inches to 63 inches.
Larger plasmas, like a 103 inch unit, are in
production, but are still expensive for consumer
use. The LCD sizes range from 13 inches to 45
inches. As with plasma, there are larger LCD TVs
made, like a 100 inch display, but they are not
readily available or affordable at the consumer
level. Moving on to viewing angle, 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 LCD's
were originally meant for single person computer
monitors. Plasma displays refresh and handle
rapid movements in video well. LCD TVs were
originally designed for data display, and not
video.
In essence, 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. 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
orbiter,' 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
what they call, "retained pixel charge" which
may also produce ghosting. Stuck pixels are also
possible with an LCD display. Taking into
consideration the latest plasma technology, this
is less of an issue than ever before. If you
plan to use a plasma TV for video gaming, some
games with permanent 'dashboards' may still
cause burn-in. Check user-manuals for available
solutions by model. Another option to weigh when
comparing plasma television versus the LCD, is
the 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 tube 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 easily over 16 years of use.
Fortunately, when comparing plasma television
versus the LCD, They are both great options, so
find the one that suits your lifestyle.
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