Plasma and LCD Televisions - A Side-By-Side Comparison

Want to know if a plasma television or an LCD television would be best for your needs? Here's a side-by-side comparison that will help you make an informed decision ...

What's the difference between plasma and LCD TVs?

Plasma TV screens are made up of hundreds-of-thousands of gas-filled, colored light cells. When an electrical current passes through those cells they light up and produce a picture.

LCD TV screens consist of a layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates. When electricity passes through the crystals, an array of tiny color pixels light up and produce a picture.

Which one has the best picture?

Plasma TVs produce a slightly more colorful picture than LCD TVs. This is due to the fact that plasma TVs display blacks better than LCD TVs, which creates better color contrast, and produces brighter colors.

LCD TVs produce a sharper picture than plasma TVs due to their higher resolution.

What sizes do plasma TVs and LCD TVs come in?

Plasma TVs range in size from 42" to 65" wide, while LCD TVs are as small as 2" wide and go up to 65" wide." LCD TVs are thinner and lighter than plasma TVs.

Which one is better for video games?

Plasma TVs can experience screen "burn in." This happens when a still image is left too long on a screen, resulting in a ghost of that image burned into the screen. LCD TVs do not have this problem and are therefore a better choice if you play lots of video games on your TV.

Does a plasma TV or an LCD TV last longer?

Plasma TVs have a screen life of 30,000 to 60,000 hours, whereas LCD TVs have a screen life of 60,000 hours or more.

How much do they cost?

I recently ran a price check for plasma and LCD TVs. The cheapest large-screen plasma TV was a 42" inch model for $999. The cheapest 42" LCD TV was $1,367.

The cheapest 27" LCD TV I found was $550, and the cheapest 32" LCD TV was $619. There were no plasma TVs smaller than 42."

So what's the bottom line?

If you're in the market for a 42" flat-screen or larger, a plasma TV will give you the most bang for your buck. If you want a smaller TV, or if you're really into video games, then I'd recommend an LCD TV.

Visit the http://thesatellitetvguide.com/ to get more information, to compare prices, and to get consumer ratings for plasma TVs and LCD Tvs.

The author, Brian Stevens, is the senior editor for TheSatelliteTVGuide.com and has written a number of articles on plasma TVs and LCD TVs.

Plasma Television Myths and Facts

SilkRoad Networks Inc.

Myths about plasma television persist even though these flat panel entertainment wonders have been around for a while and are widely used in home, offices and public areas.

Like all decisions in life, the decision to purchase a plasma television has both pros and cons. But that is not this article. This article is about the debate about what those pros and cons are to help you sort out the raging shouting matches on the technology forums.

Like any good, religious technology debate the debate between plasma televisions and LCD screens is as hot as between PC and Mac fanatics.

Anything I say here will be seen as wrong, even with the numbers to back it up, by one of the camps. Since I have worked at the electronics department of a major department store before, I have seen the ups and downs of both camps. Which is why there is a CRT in my living room. Now that all biases have been aired, let's try to see the debate:

1. Stupid Myths. If it sounds like something your father came up with (like needing to refill or recharge your plasma television) it is probably stupid.

2. Burn In. Remember the original reason for screen savers? Well, it is still alive and well today. While it is true that a plasma television used a certain way will not have burn in, there have been enough examples of toddlers burning the screen. For the price of a plasma television, any example is too many. The manufacturers either need to fix the problem or issue rebates.

3. Fade. Yes, they both do it. The only debate is in how long it takes to do it. Unfortunately, my last CRT was over 30 years old and still had a perfect picture. Again, there is not much excuse for any television wearing out.

4. Picture Quality. The manufacturers would have you believe that it is impossible to get as good a picture quality on a CRT as a plasma television or an LCD screen. They are lying. There are CRT's with comparable picture quality, they are just hard to find.

5. The Myth of the Clean Room. Manufacturers love to advertise the image of a plasma television screen in a picture frame and no other electronics in the room. Yeah, right. First of all, plasma televisions are hard to hang. Then you still have all your other stuff that needs to be connected, like VCR's and cable boxes and game systems.

What they never show on advertisements is the nest of cables, cords and power strips! Plasma televisions do not have anything built into them to help cut down the clutter.

6. Durability. Plasma televisions are fragile. Once you decide where they are going, then they are staying there because you probably had to have them professionally installed. And if you want one over your fireplace, then you will need special carpentry to hold it in place.

Okay, most writers about plasma television myths assume that you are stupid. You probably are not. Therefore, you are not looking for questions on obvious myths, but the real possible problems that you might have with a plasma television. I hope that you feel more confident in your decision now.

New technology is always exciting and mysterious. Plasma televisions are no different. However, if you question closely owners of plasmas to find their experiences, you will have a better idea of their performance and if these new televisions are for you. At the price, you want to be right!

Ready for plasma? Louis Zhang provides jargon-free, relevant information on plasma televison technology, selection and installation. For more on plasma television myths, go to http://www.cool-plasma-television.com/recommends/plasmatv-myths

Secrets to Buying a CRT, LCD or Plasma Television

There are so many different types of televisions on the market today how do you decide which one is right for you? Available today are LCD, plasma television, DLP, CRT, flat panel, rear projection, HDTV, wide screen and more. With so many to choose from it's important to understand the basics of each type before making an expensive purchase.

Each type of TV has positives and negatives. Before purchasing a possibly expensive piece of furniture for you home it would be wise to learn a little about each technology. This may prevent you from making a big mistake when you are ready to buy. Once you understand which type of television is right for you it's a lot easier to take the plunge.

If you are more than 10 years old you probably grew up watching television on a CRT type of TV. CRT stands for cathode ray tube. These televisions are still very popular due to a few advantages they still hold over the newer plasma televisions and other newer types.

If you've ever watched a plasma or LCD TV from the side you have probably noticed that the picture is darker from that angle. One of the great things about CRT televisions is that they are still bright even when viewed from the side. Sure, the LCD or plasma television has a great quality picture from the front, but if you plan on placing your TV in an area that will be viewed often from the side you should be testing out all of the different models in that regard. It would be very disappointing to see the great plasma picture quality at the dealer and then get it home and have a darker picture from your viewing point of view.

Another positive with regard to CRT displays is their price. They are more inexpensive than the more modern types of televisions while still producing a very clear and bright picture. They also show the color black truer than most newer models and have no danger of burn-in. On some of the newer models it's possible to have a bright picture burn into the screen and be faintly visible for the life of the TV.

With all of these positives why are the CRT displays diminishing in popularity? There are two main reasons. One, these television sets are usually bigger, bulkier and heavier. And two, if you want a large wide screen TV that is 42 inches, 50 inches, 60 inches or larger you just cannot find a CRT display that big. So if you have a big wide screen TV in mind you won't be able to go with the older CRT units.

The last deciding factor about CRT televisions concerns whether you should buy a flat screen or curved screen model. The flat screen versions can be viewed from the side better than the curved screens. The curved screens can distort the picture while the flat screens let you see the picture as it was intended to be seen. The difference may not be apparent when viewed alone, but put them side to side and you will certainly see the difference.

The next type of technology we will look at is the flat panel LCD displays. These come in HDTV (high definition television) or wide screen. If you want to see your DVD movies as you saw them in the movie theater you need to purchase a widescreen TV. LCD is a liquid crystal display and is not only used in televisions, but in computer monitors as well.

LCD displays have a flat screen and are relatively thin in width and lightweight. They have an exceptional picture viewing quality and as with the CRT displays will not produce burn-in. These TVs have high resolution that creates a superior picture.

The biggest problem with LCD flat screens is the fact that their viewing angles are lessened when compared with traditional CRT models. If you get too far off to the side the picture becomes extremely dark. They are also incapable of creating true blacks, another disadvantage when compared to older CRT models. Plus, the larger models can become rather expensive. However, if money is not your major concern and you plan on viewing the TV from directly in front you may decide that this is the best choice for you.

Plasma television sets, also known as plasma HDTV displays, have come way down in price over the last two years. Their prices used to exclude people from buying them, but their prices are now comparable to LCD models.

These TVs have become popular because not only can you get it in a very large screen size, perfect for your favorite movie or sporting event, but it has an excellent picture quality that is also viewable from wide angles. This is a plus over the LCD technology. This TV will give you the perfect "movie experience" at home in your own theater room.

Plasma television displays are great when it comes to picture quality and viewing angles, but their prices may still be slightly higher than other types. They also have a small potential for burn-in. But the big negative is their life span. They are basically not repairable when their bulb burns out. Depending on how much you watch TV you could end up with an expensive unit that will only last a few years. Once the bulb has burned out the TV is generally history. This is not the case with an LCD display where the bulb may cost in the neighborhood of $200, but it can be changed.

Rear projection models also have their positives and negatives. Rear projection CRT HDTV's are cheaper than the larger plasma and LCD displays, plus they have a flat screen and great picture. The negatives are their size and weight and smaller viewing angles. They are too heavy to hang on a wall and are much wider than the more narrow plasma and LCD units. Also, in a well lit room their picture can seem a little less bright than what is considered ideal.

There are other types of rear projection HDTV units too. The most popular are the LCD and DLP models. Both have flat screens with wide viewing angles, are thin and lightweight which means they can be wall mounted, will not produce burn-in and have terrific picture resolution and quality. Also, when the bulb burns out they can be replaced, unlike the plasma television models. However, they can both be a bit on the expensive side.

Now that you know the differences it's time to go down to your local electronics store and try them out. A little bit of viewing can go a long way in your determination of what's best and what's not. One more piece of advice: when looking at the varied assortment of models at you local store you'll notice that some have bright pictures and some do not. Do not base your opinion solely on that one thing. The store models will not have their brightness controls all set the same and it's possible that a dim picture on one of their televisions could easily be adjusted into a magnificent picture.

This article is brought to you by Best Plasma Television, an online source for quality plasma television sets. For more information please visit Best Plasma Television.