Tell me again, what is the difference between an LCD and plasma TV?
When these flat panel sets are turned off it’s hard to tell the difference between the two, but they are two very different display technologies. LCD (liquid crystal display) is comprised of little crystals squeezed between two panels of glass.
They create a picture by sending different amounts of electricity to the crystals. Plasma sets are made up of tiny gas plasma cells that get activated with levels of electricity that makes the picture. In the past, LCDs were the smaller sets (under 37”) and Plasma sets were the bigger sets (42” and up). That’s changing with LCDs manufacturers able to make bigger LCD sets.
Liquid crystal display (LCD) is backlit and that technology means the lights are always on, whereas plasma is able to segregate the light. The result is that LCD screens don’t have the great black levels that plasma provides, but that gap is narrowing and LCD manufacturers are addressing that issue. Having said that, I must add that LCD is very appropriate for rooms with a lot of ambient light, such as sunlit kitchens. Plasma is better for darker situations such as Home Theater spaces or rooms that can be effectively darkened. In those situations, Plasma shines with its better black levels. The basis of all color is black level; a good black level is the key to a vivid, colorful picture. Other things to note is LCDs aren’t great at wide viewing angles. At angles they lose brightness and have some color shift. Plasmas have a much wider viewing angle.
With screen savers and image shifting the new Plasma sets avoid burn-in. If on the outside chance you do get burn-in it’s not permanent and will disappear in a few days. Also, there was a concern about high energy consumption with Plasmas, but that also isn’t an issue anymore. Nowadays most Plasmas are running between 230 - 240 watts which is the same or close to LCD displays.
Other concerns were that the life expectancy is shorter on Plasma. There is no data to support that claim. Plasma sets were always more expensive (one reason is that they are bigger) and that helped LCD gain market share. Plasma prices have come down and now inch for inch they are relatively close to LCD. According to “Display Search” LCD has about 80% of the market. In 2008 there were 30 million LCDs sold verses 4 million Plasma panels sold in North America. In spite of those numbers we don’t think that Plasma is going away.
One of the problems attributed to early model LCD screens was motion artifacts which would show up in fast moving scenes like sports or action movies. To combat that, LCD manufacturers have been increasing their refresh rates to 120Hz and in some cases even 240Hz and while that doesn’t solve all the motion issues, it goes a long way toward correcting the problem.
Here are some flat screens that will make you happy for years to come:
The Samsung 8 860 comes in the 50” and 58” and is considered one of the world's slimmest 1080p plasmas. The screen has anti-glare technology and UltraBright Filter Plus which reduces the luminance in black levels by 50% over previous Samsung models. It makes for deep blacks, rich whites and vibrant colors. Other new features include Samsung’s CinemaSmooth for playback of 24fps Blu-ray discs and other movies via satellite that is 24fps.
The Media @2.0 provides for Internet and TV content service developed with Yahoo. Additionally, there is Flickr, news, weather and USA Today. The widget interface scrolls along the bottom of the screen. The media is wired and wireless DLNA-compatible for networked PC on the TV. The 8 860 meets energy star guidelines. There are 4 HDMI 1.3 rear inputs, one rear component input, two rear USB inputs and one Ethernet connection and PC input both in the rear. The MSRP for the 58” is $3,399.99 and the 50” is $2299.99.
The LG LH50 uses LG Core technologies which includes 24p Real Cinema (5:5 Pulldown). It is a full HD 1080p LCD with a fast refresh rate (TruMotion) 120Hz. The LH50 is LG’s first HDTV with Ethernet connectivity and it uses Yahoo, widgets and has access to Netflix instant streaming movies. The 50 also has Vudu movie service without the need for a Vudu download set top box. There are four HDMI V.1.3 with Deep Color and are energy efficient with Smart E energy Savings Plus technologies.
The Panasonic TC-P54G10 is a full 1080p Plasma. The G10 has its own Internet configuration, called VIERA CAST, with Web menu. Among VIERA CAST services offered is Amazon’s VOD streaming video service. The G10 includes a THX-certified display and has a VEIRA Image Viewer for playback of pictures and AVCHD videos recorded on SD memory cards. It boasts a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1 and full time 1080 TV lines of motion resolution. I mention that because most 1080p sets lose some lines of resolution during motion and playback and the reality is that for the most part you’re not seeing 1080 lines of resolution. This year Panasonic has created the Neo-PDP line for a brighter panel, double luminance efficiency. Panasonic is very committed to Plasma technology. Available in 46”, 50” and 54”.
The price difference between name brands and off name brands is getting closer and closer, so we strongly recommend that you only buy name brands. Firstly, because of the quality of these sets, the big boys use excellent image processors and parts, but as important is their support and the way they stand behind their product with warranties and repairs. We’ve seen and heard some smaller brand sets that have no parts or support available. So if the power supply (fly back transformer) burns out or if the set blows a capacitor, you are simply out of luck. These cheaply made sets have terrible refresh rates not to mention other quality issues. At the end of the day, if you’re going for a smaller set, then LCD is the only choice. At midsize sets 37”-52” it depends on the room, light, viewing angle and usage. For large screens (52” and up) you have to go Plasma. In fact if Plasma is right for you then by all means buy it.
What is the right size for you? If this is your first flat screen and you are replacing a 27-inch television in a wall unit then a 32-inch flat screen will fit in that space. Below are some viewing ranges. We calculated these ranges by multiplying the screen size (measured diagonally) by 1-1/2 and 2/2 inches.
26” 3.25 – 5.5 feet
32” 4.0 – 6.6 feet
37” 4.63 – 7.71 feet
40” 5.0 – 8.33 feet
42” 5.25 – 8.75 feet
46” 5.75 – 9.5 feet
50” 6.25 – 10.5 feet
52” 6.5 – 10.8 feet
55” 6.9 – 11.5 feet
58” 6.9 – 12 feet
65” 8.13 – 13.5 feet
70 8.75 – 14.75 feet
