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.
