by Ian Tham
For those seeking to buy their first flat panel TV display device, it is easy to be confused with conflicting and counter claims by different interest parties. So what is the truth in the competition between LCD and Plasma TV?
Here are some pointers before you rush out and buy your flat panel TV on impulse
. Just consider and keep them in mind when choosing.
Actually, both types of technologies have their pros and cons. Lets start
with various factors.
Picture Quality
Plasma TVs have better contrast ratios and show better blacks than an LCD TV.
That means in a dark scene, you are able to see images more clearly defined.
This is because in LCD technology, liquid crystals are unable to shut off all
the light completely due to the presence of the backlight resulting in light
leakage and therefore it is impossible to get absolute black.
I understand plasma TVs are able to produce better color saturation
than LCD TVs. Generally, the native resolution of LCD TVs are higher than that
of plasma TVs so you may get greater details when watching your programs
especially in high definition video sources.
Screen Size
If you looking for a really big screen, then you have to go for
plasma TV as they are available in sizes up to 60 inches. LCD TV on the hand come in maximum sizes of up to 40 inches. If you compare prices on both technologies for the same screen size, you will also
realize LCD TVs are more expensive.
Life span
You may also want to factor how long your new display device can last. LCD
TVs have a greater life span than plasma TV. They have a life span of 60,000
hours compared to about 30,000 hours for plasma TVs.
Power consumption
Again
LCD TV have this advantage over plasma TV. Power consumption for LCD TV is 30% less than plasma TV. With rising oil prices, maybe it is better to get an LCD TV. Further more, plasma TV generate more heat and if you live in an airconditioned
home, the air con usage will definitely rise too.
Viewing Angle
If you are going to invite many guest to your homes, a plasma screen will do
better. It has a wider viewing angle than LCD TV. Guests can easily view on
either left or right side of the Plasma screen without fear of the loss of
image which is inherent of LCD TVs.
Response Time
If you enjoy action movies or sport programs, plasma TV offer a better deal
as it can handle fast moving images better than LCD TVs. Traditionally, Viewers
see a blurry moving images for LCD TV . However, this may no longer be the case
as the response time for LCD TV has come down to as low as 12 milliseconds.
Burn in effect
Plasma TV suffers from this particular effect called burn in. You get a
permanent ghost like image stuck on your screen. This is the result when you
have static display over a long period of time.
The writer is the webmaster of
Buy Home Theater which covers the various aspects about buying a home theater.