Friday, August 7, 2009

LCD vs Plasma HDTVs

The two main technologies currently available in flat screens are LCD and plasma. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. LCD has the better picture overall but cost more and is only available up to a certain size. Plasma tvs tend to be a bit cheaper but the price will go up pretty fast as you increase the screen size.

The plasma tv has a screen size anywhere from 42"-65". The viewing angle is excellent and the picture contrast is up there too, considered nearly excellent or excellent. I have no complaints about the video motion either - that is also excellent in my book. The pros to owning a plasma tv comes down to the excellent picture contrast and the black levels, the smooth motions and the extremely rich colors. The cons are that, older models especially, are vulnerable to "burn-in" (image retention on the screen - a still image that you can see the outline of, even after the image has left the screen), and plasma tv screens tend to reflect room lights (this is less of a problem for the high-end plasma tvs).

The LCD tv screen sizes vary from 19"-70" and have a "good to very good" viewing angle rating. The picture contrast and video motion have the potential to not quite be as good as a plasma tv, but again, this varies depending on the model. The pros to owning an LCD tv is that the plasma tvs tend to use less energy (for the environment-conscious people) and they tend to weigh slightly less than the plasma tvs do. Burn-in is not an issue for an LCD tv. The picture, however, seems to be slightly less "natural" than top-end plasmas.

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