Should I buy Plasma or LCD flat screen TV?

Similar questions: buy Plasma LCD flat screen TV.

Of course, both solutions have their own problems. Plasma screens work by lighting up tiny cells of rare gases (xenon and neon) sandwiched between two plates of glass, so it is fairly straightforward to make large screens. These screens are very bright and have good contrast with deep blacks.

They also have wide viewing angles, so you still get a good view from the side. LCD screens use columns of liquid crystal molecules controlled by a matrix of transistors (in TFT or thin-film transistor designs). Some of these transistors are likely to be defective, which leads to dead pixels, and the larger the screen, the harder it is to avoid them.

LCD screens are lit from behind, so they are not as bright or as contrasty as plasma screens, and may look less bright if you are off to one side. Also, they don't react as quickly as plasma screens, and may smear fast action. However, LCD screens have made dramatic progress during two decades of laptop PC development, and these problems have largely been overcome.

LCD screens also have some useful advantages over plasma screens. They are thinner, lighter and more robust, which makes them much easier to move around. For those with ecological concerns, LCDs use little power, whereas plasma screens use lots.

Further, an LCD should last roughly twice as long as a plasma screen, which may have a "half life" of only 30,000 to 40,000 hours. (The "half life" is when the screen has degraded to half its brightness, and you may well throw it away.)As always, different buyers value different features. If you want a really big wall-mounted screen and money is no object, go for plasma.

If you want a small or medium-sized screen that you can move around, go for LCD. Either way, look for a gh Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and an "HD ready" logo, so you will be ready for high-definition TV. CNET has this:Update: If you're in the market for a flat screen television, then you probably have one big question you want answered: plasma vs LCD, which is right for me?

The two different camps of flat panel display standard will, of course, gladly spruik the advantages of their own standard and the deficiencies of the other. But which type of display, plasma or LCD, is better? And which will give you more bang for your buck?1.

Plasma and LCD - what's the difference? | 2. Picture quality | 3.

Plasma's advantages over LCD | 4. LCD's advantages over plasma | 5. Which is better value?1.

Plasma and LCD technology - what's the difference? Plasma and LCD panels may look similar, but the flat screen and thin profile is where the similarities end. Plasma screens, as its name suggests, uses a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells charged by precise electrical voltages to create a picture.

LCD screens (liquid crystal display) are in layman's terms 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. Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses, as you'll read below.

Samsung's 32-inch LA32M51B LCD TV2.Is there a difference in picture quality between plasma and LCD screens and normal CRT TVs? It's not what's happening behind the screen that's important - it's how the screen performs as a television that matters the most. In that regard, both plasma and LCD sets produce excellent pictures, although many home entertainment specialists and gamers still say CRTs produce the best overall images (although plasmas and LCD sets are quickly catching up in terms of quality).

Those same home entertainment specialists will tell you that for basic home theatre-like usage, plasma screens have a slight edge over LCDs. This is because plasma screens can display blacks more accurately than LCDs can, which means better contrast and detail in dark-coloured television or movie scenes. 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.

This is steadily improving with every new generation of LCD, however.3. What advantages does plasma have over LCD? Apart from better contrast due to its ability to show deeper blacks, plasma screens typically have better viewing angles than LCD.

Viewing angles are how far you can sit on either side of a screen before the picture's quality is affected. You tend to see some brightness and colour shift when you're on too far of an angle with LCDs, while a plasma's picture remains fairly solid. This is steadily changing, however, with more and more LCDs entering the market with viewing angles equal to or greater than some plasmas.

Plasmas can also produce a brighter colour, once again due to light leakage on an LCD affecting its colour saturation. Plasma pundits will also tell you that some LCD screens have a tendency to blur images, particularly during fast moving scenes in movies or in sports. While that was true for older generation LCD screens, newer models have improved significantly - so much so that the differences in performance between LCDs and plasmas in this regard is almost negligible (here's a tip -- if you're shopping for LCDs, check the refresh rate.

The lower it is, the better the image quality in fast moving scenes). A new 42" plasma from tachiPerhaps the biggest advantage plasmas have now over their LCD cousins is price, particularly in the large screen end of the market. Plasmas typically come in larger sizes than LCDs at a cheaper price.

Plasmas being sold in Australia generally run between 42-inches and 63-inches wide, with the cheapest 42-inch selling for approximately AU$3,000 (although you can expect to find sets cheaper than AU$3,000 in real world prices). 60-inch and above plasmas can go for as much as $20,000. LCDs, on the other hand, top out around the mid 40-inch mark, and are more expensive than similar-sized plasmas.

Sharp's high end 45-inch LC45G1XSYS LCD, for example, retails for AU$8,999, while Pioneer's top of the line 43-inch PDP-436HD plasma goes for AU$5,999. 4. What advantages does LCD have over plasma?

It's not all doom and gloom for LCD though, as it has the edge over plasma in several key areas. LCDs tend to have higher native resolution than plasmas of similar size, which means more pixels on a screen. If you're a true high-def junkie who's keen to see every pixel of a high-res 1080i/p image reproduced pixel-by-pixel (providing you have a source that high, of course), then LCDs are the way to go.

LCDs also tend to consume less power than plasma screens, with some estimates ranging that power saving at up to 30 per cent less than plasma. LCDs are also generally lighter than similar sized plasmas, making it easier to move around or wall mount. LCD pundits also point to the fact that LCDs have a longer lifespan than plasma screens.

This was true of earlier plasma models, which would lose half of their brightness after more than 20,000 hours of viewing. Later plasma generations have bumped that up to anything between 30,000 and 60,000 hours. LCDs, on the other hand, are guaranteed for 60,000 hours.

You might have also heard that plasmas suffer from screen burn in, an affliction not as commonly associated with LCDs. Screen burn in occurs when an image is left too long on a screen, resulting in a ghost of that image burned in permanently. Newer plasmas are less susceptible to this thanks to improved technology and other features such built-in screen savers, but we still hear anecdotal reports here of burn-in with new plasmas.

Sharp's Aquos LC-32AF3X5. Which is better value for me right now: plasma or LCD? If you're in the market for a big screen television -- and we're talking 42-inches and above -- then we'd suggest plasma as a safe bet.

Plasmas give you more bang for your buck at the big end of town, and while LCDs can give you better resolution, the price difference is currently too wide. However, if money's not an issue and you want the sharpest image in town, then a large LCD is for you. At the smaller end of things (15" to 36" TVs), LCD is the only way to go if you want something slim and tasteful.

And the best thing is that LCDs are getting cheaper all the time. Sources: CNET, Opinion .

Neither, get a DLP. If youre going for a large screen, go for a DLP. Plasma's are nice to look at while they work.

But they suffer from burn in and the picture quality goes down considerably in a couple of years. LCDs cant do blacks nicely to save their lives. The best they manage is a darkish gray.To really tell,put on a dark scene and look at an LCD side by side with a DLP or Plasma.

Once you see the difference, its hard to go for an LCD. DLP monitors are great for a large screen size and the picture is fantastic.An issue with DLPs is that it uses a bulb inside and if the bulb conks out, replacement is expensive. Check out http://www.highdefforum.com/ to do detailed research.

Kingzorghh's Recommendations Mitsubishi WD-73727 73" 1080p DLP HDTV Amazon List Price: $5,799.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 2 reviews) Mitsubishi WD-62627 62" 1080p DLP HDTV Amazon List Price: $3,499.99 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 (based on 1 reviews) Mitsubishi WD-52627 52" 1080p DLP HDTV Amazon List Price: $2,899.99 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 1 reviews) Close Out Special! - Mitsubishi WD52725 52 inch HDTV DLP Projection Television Amazon List Price: $3,499.00 I find the Mits to have the best DLPs. Check out Samsung too.

I find the Mits have very deep natural colors whereas a Samsung has bright and gaudy colors Google Map View Larger Map But no better way to decide than to go and look at them side by side. Magnolia has a good collection of large screen HDTVs Google Map View Larger Map This store has a good collection too.

LCD TV is probably a better choice unless you're very picky... LCD TV is generally preferrable: LCD TV gives you more in a buck. It also works better if you want to use it to display stuff rom computers, say, a photo slide show. It's also more enegery efficient.

But LCD TV cannot display the real black (stare at your own LCD monitor and you'll know). Some people would find it annoying, espeically for watching movies. Last but not the least, LCD TV has lots of momentum in development.So they keep getting cheaper and better.

For example, the difficulties in rendering real black is becoming less of an issue. So if you can wait for some time, you could get an even better deal!.

LCD for smaller screen sizes and bright rooms I have a 30" Sony LCD and it's awesome for the sunny western exposure I have. Even with the sun right on it, I don't see a glare and it's still a very bright picture.

LCD TV Plasma Vs. LCD: Retail Collision Course by Steve Kovsky Senior Analyst, Digital TV Industry December 21, 2005 As flat-panel TV prices continue to glide downward, more and more consumers are finding themselves in the happy position of being able to afford one of the coveted items. However, now that the problem of being able to pay for one of these slender video marvels is receding, a bigger question looms: Should they buy plasma or LCD?

Consumers are challenged, and so are the manufacturers and retailers that are desperately trying to divine which way the market will go. From a technological standpoint, there has never been a clear winner in terms of video display performance. Both flat-panel technologies have their strengths and weaknesses, and manufacturers have been working feverishly to level the playing field.

Plasma manufacturers have sweated to add longevity to the products while reducing the risk of burn-in. Simultaneously, LCD panel makers have been toiling to speed up response times and increase contrast ratios. Most important, perhaps, have been the increasingly successful efforts to produce LCD TVs in sizes and price ranges that directly challenge those of plasma offerings.To illustrate this impending technology collision, it is worthwhile to look at the three primary screen size bands in which plasma and LCD TVs currently compete for U.S. Retail consumer dollars.

These are the 37-inch category, the 40- to 42-inch range, and the larger 43- to 46-inch segment. Anything smaller belongs to the LCD category as the sole flat-panel choice. Anything larger is still the domain of plasma when it comes to thin screens in major U.S. Retail chain stores.

In the 37-inch segment, plasma is barely hanging on. The only models we detected in U.S. Retail distribution in November were single SKUs from Sony and Panasonic. Samsung and Philips both began 2005 with their own 37-inch plasma offerings, but withdrew them from retail stores last spring.

On the LCD side of the equation, no fewer than ten manufacturers are now selling 37-inch TV products. Sharp alone offers three different 37-inch models. One look at the pricing trends in the 37-inch flat-panel category makes it clear why LCD now runs the board.

From an average selling price of $4,674 last January, 37-inch LCD TVs have plummeted down to the November level of $2,519â? A difference of a mere dollar from the $2,518 ASP charged for a 37-inch plasma screen in November. Offering the same level of price competitiveness has been more elusive for LCD TV makers in the larger screen sizes, but once again, itâ?

S clear that plasma is under pressure. The largest LCD TVs currently available in U.S.Retail channels are 45-inch and 46-inch models from Sharp and Samsung, respectively. Comparable plasma TVs include 43-inch models from Pioneer and 46-inch offerings from Daewoo and V Inc.

In this 43- to 46-inch size category, LCD TVs have made enormous strides in cost reduction, forcing plasma makers to take evasive action earlier this fall. While these large LCD TVs began 2005 with an ASP of $7,724, they entered the holiday shopping season at $4,857, a precipitous 37% drop. During the same period, plasma prices stayed essentially the same, with a November ASP of $3,943 that was only 2% lower than comparable January tags.

However, average plasma prices had run up during the year to as high as $5,124, but succumbed to LCDâ? S pricing pressure in October, forcing a 1-month average price cut of 14% in order to maintain an advantage over LCD. Of course, the most hotly contested area is the 40- to 42-inch category, which has been plasmaâ?

S traditional stronghold. Availability problems in the spring prevented LCD makers from achieving a completely smooth line of price reduction to intercept plasma; however, the march downward is still clearly evident. LCD TVs in this size range started the year at a 47% price premium over comparably sized plasma screens.

By November, the price gap had shrunk to only 18%, or just under $1,000. While the rapid reductions in LCD pricing are evidence of a strong determination to overtake plasma, a $1,000 price delta between products that many perceive as functionally equivalent is still a big step for consumers to take.It is true that the gap is narrower if you exclude lower-resolution ED plasma screens, which represent a significant performance hit compared to 720p plasma and LCD offerings. Alas, consumers are only just starting to wake up to the difference.

How has this pricing warfare between LCD and plasma TVs affected retailers? Inventories of LCD TVs with screen sizes of 37 inches and above have been a limiting factor, but production volumes are growing, and the toll on plasmaâ? S domination of the 37- to 46-inch TV segment is clearly evident.

At Best Buy, LCD TVs now make up half of all flat-panel offerings in the 37- to 46-inch category. Circuit City has been a little slower to jump on the large-screen LCD TV bandwagon, but shelf share of the liquid crystal displays climbed from 14% of all 37- to 46-inch flat panels in January to 36% in November. To sum up the situation, LCD TV is on the march, quickly and effectively infiltrating the portions of the digital TV marketplace where plasma has generally held sway.

Plasma manufacturers have responded by dropping prices in the 37- to 46-inch sector, where the two technologies currently compete, while simultaneously scaling the screen size ladder as quickly as possible, hoping to stay out ahead of the LCD onslaught. For consumers, the holiday outlook appears both merry and bright. TV makers are warring for their business, slashing prices, adding features, and improving product quality.

For manufacturers and retailers, the developing situation may be a bit less joyous.As the overlap between LCD and plasma TVs becomes more pronounced, the decision of how to balance promotional and product development resources promises to become increasingly thorny in the coming months. Sources: http://www.currentanalysis.com/news/detail.asp?id=100409 .

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I want a big screen tv, but can not decide between Plasma and LCD. Any advice?

Will it ruin a plasma tv if you lay it flat.

Vertically compressed video image on plasma or lcd TV's.

Getting a new TV. I know I want a "flat panel". I don't know the terms LCD, HDTV, plasma, etc.What do I need to know?

How can I use my flat screen tv (not lcd or plasma) as a monitor to watch audio from my labtop.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.