Plasma TV or LCD TV? What’s REALLY the difference?

It’s no doubt that there’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation when it comes to the differences between Plasma TV and LCD TV. So how do you know which technology is right for you?

Well, it’s not a simple matter of Plasma TV is better, or LCD TV is better. It really depends on your circumstances and preferences. Let’s talk about the differences and the pros and cons for each, as well as some of the misconceptions regarding these TVs, and hopefully that will help you in your decision making process.

Many people confuse Plasma TVs and LCD TVs because at a quick glance they look the same…they’re both flat screen TVs, with a thin profile, which can be mounted on a wall. They’re definitely both very cool technologies. They share other similarities, of course, such as screen resolution, input types, and a few others, but Plasma TVs and LCD TVs are totally different technologies, and there are differences that you should be aware of.

The purpose of this article isn’t to explain the technical operation of Plasma TV and LCD TV, but rather to talk about the practical, real world differences that will help you in your decision making process. A very brief explanation of the basic operation, however, might help in your understanding of why the differences exist.

The pixels in a Plasma TV consist of phosphor lined cells filled with xenon and neon gas. Each pixel consists of a red, green and blue component, which combine to reproduce the full spectrum of colors. Plasma TVs are an “emissive” display technology, which means it’s self-lighting.

LCD TVs are different in the sense that they are a “transmissive” display technology. Meaning the light is not produced by the LCD crystal, but rather from a light source behind the panel. A diffusion panel is used to redirect and scatter the light from behind the LCD panel. The LCD Panel itself is formed by two transparent panels with a liquid crystal solution between them. Each crystal is a like a shutter that either allow a predetermined amount of light to pass through, or block light from passing through.

So with that very basic explanation, and all of the information and misinformation out there, how do you decide which is better for you? Each technology has its pros and cons, so let’s talk about those now. Keep in mind that within both technologies, there is a huge range of quality, so our comparisons will be comparing Plasma TVs and LCD TVs which are of equal quality.

What are the advantages of Plasma TV?

Probably the three most notable advantages Plasma TVs have over LCD TVs are their ability to produce very good black levels, their wide viewing angles, and a faster response time.

Better black levels mean that when you’re viewing a black image, the Plasma TV reproduces closer to a true black than an LCD TV, and you’ll also see better contrast in the black images. If you’re viewing a dark scene in a movie, you’ll notice the color on a good Plasma TV appears black, whereas on even the best LCD TV is appears to be a very dark gray or dark blue. You’ll also notice more detail in the Plasma TV on dark scenes. This is because of the LCD TVs are transmissive, and when they’re reproducing a black image, they’re blocking the light from passing through. A tiny amount of light is able to leak through, which is why LCD TVs are not able to reproduce as good of a black level as Plasma TVs. LCDs have made big improvements in their black levels, but Plasma TV is still better in this area.

For the same reason, Plasma TVs have a wider viewing angle. This means if you’re viewing the TV from the extreme side, or above or below, the Plasma TV pictures will remain bright and sharp. LCDs will display some loss of brightness and become harder to view from extreme angles, although their viewing angles have improved significantly so that this is not an issue for most people.

The response time refers to the time it takes a pixel to go from black to white, then back to black. Plasma TVs have a better response time than LCD TVs, which means that they do a better job with fast motion images, such as sports and video games. LCD TVs have been know to produce what’s know as “ghosting” because of a slower response time. As with black levels and viewing angles, this also has significantly improved in LCD TVs as many are now rated at under 8ms, and many think it’s a non-issue now. Some, however, still think complain about slight ghosting effects with LCD.

Some of the common misconceptions with Plasma TVs are that they will only last 5 years, the plasma gas leaks and needs to be replaced, and if you leave an image on the screen for a couple of hours you will “burn in” the screen.

The early generation plasmas were not rated to last very long, but over the last few years the life expectancy of the plasma panel is usually around 60,000 hours…which translates to 20 to 25 years for most people. This is now very much in line with the life expectancy of LCD TVs, and your electronic components of both your Plasma TV and LCD TV are far more likely to go than the plasma panel itself, so this really isn’t a practical concern for either technology.

Although not heard so much anymore, the question of gas leaking still comes up from time to time. The gas inside of the plasma panels is sealed in during the manufacturing process and there are no issues with the gas leaking and having to be replaced. If something goes wrong with the panel itself, it must be replaced. It cannot be refilled, recharged, or repaired, so this is a misconception.

Since the Plasma TV is a phosphor based image, it is susceptible to screen burn in, meaning if you leave a static image (CNBC Ticker symbol, video games, etc) on the screen for long periods of time, it will become permanently ingrained into the TV, effectively ruining your TV. Manufacturer’s Warranties do not cover this and this was a concern in the early Plasma TVs. While it’s a very real issue, in my many years of retail sales, I’ve only seen this in a small handful of cases. The Plasma TV manufacturers have taken steps to almost eliminate this as a concern for most users. With that said, if you are taking things to the extreme and only watching one channel every day for three weeks, there’s a good chance it will be an issue. In this case you’re better off with an LCD TV, which does not have this issue.

So what are the advantages of LCD TVs?

Some of the advantages to LCD TVs are they are more energy efficient than Plasma TVs, they are physically lighter, they produce a brighter picture, and most LCD TVs have an anti-reflective screen.

Being more energy efficient doesn’t just save on the electrical bill, but also saves on the life of your electronics. The hotter electronics run, and the harder they work, the shorter they last. Plasma TVs tend to be less efficient and produce more heat than LCD TVs.

LCD TVs are lighter than Plasma TVs, because Plasma TV panels are made with two glass panels, which add quite a bit to the weight, particularly in larger sets. It’s nice when you have to hang your TV on the wall, or move it, but you must still take the same care when you’re mounting it, as they’re still heavy and awkward to deal with.

For the same reason, LCD TVs are often a better fit in bright rooms. The glass that’s used on Plasma TVs is most of the time very reflective, which means if you have a lot of direct light, then you’ll experience a lot of glare with your Plasma TV. Most LCD TVs have a flat-finish, or anti-glare screen which deflects glare making it almost a non-issue. There are some LCD TVs that use a reflective screen over the panel, so if this is an issue, be sure to check before you purchase your TV.

LCD TVs are also brighter than Plasma TVs, which can be an advantage, but not always. In bright rooms, this will help with viewing but in low light situations, often times a TV with lower brightness will display a better picture.

LCD TVs were priced quite a bit higher than Plasma TVs even up to a year ago, but their prices have rapidly declined as manufacturers figured out how to manufacture larger panels, which means they can “cut” more of the smaller LCD panels out of a larger panel. This has driven the prices down significantly and now prices are much more in line with Plasma TVs.

LCD TVs have also gotten the jump when it comes to the newer 1080p resolution, which displays a progressive 1920 x 1080 resolution. There are more LCD TVs available in 1080p, although in the last 6 months there have been more Plasma TVs coming out with this resolution.

So what do we think?

It’s hard to say definitively which technology is better, or which technology you should invest in. In my opinion, Plasma TV still has the better picture. But of course, that’s subjective, and I know many people that think that LCD TV has the better picture. To me, the Plasma TV picture is more natural, with a more accurate color reproduction, and it still has much better black levels than LCD TV.

But it’s a tough decision, because LCD TVs have dropped in price quickly and the outstanding issues with LCD TV have been greatly improved so that the two are very close. Of course, the picture quality verses the price will influence your decision, but now you can get either technology for a great price.

So what things should you consider when making your decision? Keep in mind your viewing situation. Are you in a very bright room? Will your TV have direct light shining on it? Are you mostly watching a single channel or playing video games all day? If so, I’d say an LCD is probably the way to go.

If you’re watching a lot of sports, strictly concerned about picture quality, and you’re in a light controlled environment, I’d recommend a quality Plasma TV.

Either way you go, both Plasma TV and LCD TV have gotten so good I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

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