LCD TVs VS. Plasma TVs

Ive wanted to do a write up on plasma and LCD for some time now, I always get the question which one is better so I went and did a little research and this is what I have come up with. This will be a two part entry.


Plasma screens, as its name suggests, uses a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells charged by precise electrical voltages to create a picture. LCD screens (liquid crystal display) are in layman's terms sandwiches made up of liquid crystal pushed in the space between two glass plates. Images are created by varying the amount of electrical charge applied to the crystals.

Plasmas have more viewing angles, there are some differences when you sit too far to the side of an LCD. Plasmas also produce brighter colors when compared to LED. One thing plasma has over LCD is that the price is usually cheaper

Let’s talk a little about LCD tvs. LCDs have a higher resolution and use less power when compared to plasma sets. Some LCDS have “eco” or “green” mode where they use half the power of comparable plasmas.

For a while it has been said that LCDs last longer than plasmas, this is no longer true due to the advancements made in field. Newer plasmas have higher life spans the ones sold now can last for 7 seven years if left on for 24 hours a day.

Let’s talk about LED backlighting, no this isent those nice ambient colors on the back of the Sony’s that inspire mood. LED backlighting is a new technology to enable LCD tvs to produce the bright colors the that most plasmas can create. There are two types of back lighting direct and edge lighting. Direct offers higher contrast and is considered better than edge lighting. Edge lighting are banks of LEDs on the side of the LCD screen that is spread evenly by mirrors. These are referred to as “LED tvs”, so an LED tv is just an LCD with LED backlighting.

Plasmas downfall are the burn-in possibilities. Burn-in occurs when an image is displayed on a screen for too long and the image is “burnt-in” to the screen. This does not happen with LCDs.

When comparing which one is better it is said that plasmas own the market in sets over 50 inches but LCDs are the best bet for smaller sets.