EmailWhat's the difference between plasma and LCD?
Plasma TVs are great at delivering high-definition TV in a stylish case that's thin enough to hang on a wall. LCD TVs can do the same, but there are some fairly important differences between the two:
- Plasma TVs are available in fewer screen sizes than LCD. Though more screen sizes are available than before, the smallest current plasma TVs are 40 inches, while the biggest ones sold to consumers are 65 inches. LCD TVs, on the other hand, can have screens that measure just a few inches, and manufacturers have demonstrated LCD TVs with screen sizes of up to 108 inches. For home theaters, LCD TVs with screen sizes from 32 inches to 65 inches are most popular.
- Plasma TVs work better in dimly lit rooms. Though plasma TVs often do a better job in creating deep blacks and displaying details in shadowy areas of the picture, most can look washed out in rooms that are brightly lit. That's less of an issue for LCD TVs, which produce more brightness. Additionally, many LCD TVs have an adjustable backlight so brightness can be dialed up or down to accommodate a variety of room-lighting conditions. Some high-end LCD TVs substitute LED backlighting for the more common cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlights. These LCD TVs do a much better job in producing blacks, and some are even competitive with the best plasma TVs in that regard.
- Plasma TV screens are more prone to glare. That's because many use a screen that's more likely to reflect any light sources that are in the room. On the other hand, some do a better job with ambient light, while some LCD TVs now use a more reflective screen.
- Plasma screens have good viewing angles. With an LCD TV, you often need to sit more or less directly in front of the screen to see the best picture. That's not an issue with a plasma TV. Even those sitting a bit off to the side will enjoy the full picture quality that the set is able to deliver.
- Plasma TVs are more energy efficient than they used to be but still trail LCD TVs. Despite improvements in the latest generation of plasma sets, LCD televisions are at least 40 percent more efficient to operate and in some cases more so.
Important Features
Choices among plasma HDTVs have been reduced of late, but there are still plenty of options to consider and lots of decisions to make. Here are just a few to point you in the right direction:
- The more HDMI inputs, the better. Virtually every HDTV is equipped with at least one HDMI input, and better models have multiple inputs. Most modern home theater equipment -- including HD-capable cable and satellite TV boxes, upscale DVD players, Blu-ray Disc players and many home theater audio receivers -- uses this connection, which makes it possible to route video and audio on a single cable, minimizing signal loss and cutting down on cable clutter. In addition, this input, which supports HDCP (a system intended to prevent people from making copies of high-definition movies), is required for watching Blu-ray movies or standard-definition DVDs at full 1080p resolution.
- Match TV size to the size of your room. Because HDTVs have much higher resolution than conventional TVs, you can sit closer than you normally would. That means you can get away with a bigger screen in a smaller room.
- Decide on the resolution. While there's been lots of buzz about HDTVs that have 1080p resolution, many experts say that at screen sizes below 50 inches, most people can't see the extra detail at typical seating distances. If you sit 10 feet or more away from the screen, and/or your screen is less than 50 inches, a 720p HDTV can be a sensible and economical choice.
- Shop around for prices. In our research, we often found large price differences from retailer to retailer, so it pays to look around. Note that the lowest prices sometimes come from unauthorized dealers, which, depending on the manufacturer, can cause warranty problems if something goes wrong; see below.
- Verify that the plasma TV comes with a stand or mounting hardware. Most plasma TVs come with a basic table stand. Wall-mounting hardware is an option (usually costing about $200).
- Check the manufacturer's policy before buying online. Some manufacturers have strict policies regarding authorized dealers. In those cases, if you buy your plasma TV from an unauthorized dealer you'll probably violate the terms of the manufacturer warranty, though the retailer may offer a substitute warranty. While there can be a substantial difference in price between authorized and unauthorized dealers, if you plan on buying from the latter, be sure to calculate your threshold for risk on such a large purchase, and ask the dealer about warranty coverage.
Burn-in no longer an issue for plasma
Burn-in, caused by damaged pixels that leave a permanent ghost of a static image on the screen, was a problem with early plasma models. However, new technology reduces the risk of burn-in, and analysts at PCMag.com say it's no longer a concern with most plasma TVs. LCD TVs have no burn-in risk.
Temporary image retention is a similar problem but is less severe. In this case, a static scene leaves behind an annoying ghost that takes several minutes -- or more -- to completely disappear. Some plasma TVs include anti-image-retention features such as an eraser function that removes image retention quicker or a pixel shifter or pixel orbiter, which imperceptibly move an image around the screen by a pixel or two. Image retention can be a problem with all plasmas, but budget choices seem to be more susceptible. Reports say that temporary image retention seems to decrease as a plasma display ages.
Plasma TV panels contain a gas that loses brightness over time. Because of that, some buyers have been concerned about the life expectancy of a plasma TV. However, the latest sets have panels that last up to 100,000 hours before they lose half their brightness. By then, most buyers will have long since replaced their TV.
All plasma TVs today are high-definition (HD), with screen resolutions of 720p or 1080p. Note that for manufacturing reasons, most 42-inch 720p plasmas don't quite display the full horizontal resolution of 1,280 horizontal pixels. By industry convention, however, these are still called HD because they do display the full 720 vertical pixels in an HD image. Additionally, experts say that at typical viewing distances, most won't notice the slightly reduced horizontal resolution of these displays.
Analog TV is now history
On June 12, 2009, all analog broadcasting in the U.S. (aside from low-power and repeater stations designed to serve limited areas and rural populations) was replaced by a digital broadcast standard. All new TVs are equipped with a digital tuner, so you need no additional equipment aside from an antenna to receive digital signals. For cable subscribers, if the digital tuner is QAM-capable, you will also be able to receive nonpremium, unscrambled HDTV and other digital content. (QAM is the transmission format cable companies use to distribute digital TV signals.) For premium programming you will still need an external decoder, usually a cable box.
Some true monitors -- displays with no built-in tuner at all -- remain available. This type of tunerless plasma display can be a good choice for those who get all of their programming from cable or satellite TV (the cable or satellite box acts as the tuner), but they won't work for getting digital TV (or analog, for that mater) with an antenna. If you subscribe to satellite or cable, however, a plasma monitor will work just fine.