Compare - LCD vrs. Plasma flat screen digital televisionsKeywods - compare,lcd,plasma,flat screen,digital televisions
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There are two kinds of flat panels and both have their pluses and minuses.
First, there is price. Neither LCD or plasma TVs are bargains however plasmas currently have a slight edge on a cost per inch basis. For example, a 42-inch plasma gives you approximately 30 percent more screen area than a 37-inch LCD panel, but they both go for about the same amount of money. Today, 26 inches LCD screens are about the smallest the mainstream manufacturers sell however 32 inches is the lower limit of Plasma.
As for performance, the general rule of thumb is that plasmas deliver better home theatre performance than LCDs. The difference is due mostly because LCD TVs typically can't display black as well as plasmas. That shortcoming decreases the amount of detail you can see in the shadows and ultimately leaves the picture looking less three-dimensional. The picture quality of both LCD and plasma panels is improving each year, but it can vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
The lifespan of a flat-screen before dimming to half brightness used to be one of the biggest advantages LCD has over plasma. Though the numbers vary among the different brands, they now generally last up to around 60,000 hours regardless of the technology. Plasma technology's known issues is called burn-in. It happens when your television shows a still image or an icon for so long that its "ghost" remains on the screen. The same applies to watching an excessive amount of standard TV (4:3) on a widescreen (16:9) model; the vertical bars to either side of the picture could become permanent. Manufacturers have taken steps to prevent burn-in, building in screensavers and other technologies. And you can virtually eliminate the danger by not leaving still images on the screen and reducing your contrast setting below 50 percent for the first 100 hours of usage.
To their credit, LCDs don't suffer from burn-in, nor do they have troubles at high altitudes where the air pressure differential causes plasmas to emit an irritating buzzing sound. So, if you live in mountainous regions, we don't recommend that you get a plasma, though some manufacturers are selling special sets they claim are immune to the problem.
Most plasmas and LCDs can display a high-definition signal however, you'll need a model with a resolution of at least 1,280 x 720-pixel to enjoy the full effects of HD. Most 50-inch plasmas and nearly all 32-inch and larger LCDs offer this resolution. Several new 42-inch plasmas now do, but when you're watching HD feeds on a lower-resolution television of that size or smaller, you'll have to sit much closer to notice much of a difference between HD and what you're seeing.
Most plasma and LCD TVs can double as computer monitors; some even offer a DVI or D-Sub port for optimal video quality. They'll also hook up to a game console without any problems. So which technology is better for these purposes? From a performance standpoint, it's hard to pick a winner, but because of plasma's burn-in risk, LCD is the safer choice for computer work and gaming.
