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LCD Vs Plasma Televisions
by Jennifer Claerr
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Overview
Plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) flat-screen televisions may look very similar, but there are significant differences between them. If you're considering upgrading your television, it's important to weigh the costs associated with each type of television before making your purchase. These costs include not only the upfront price of the television, but also other costs that might not be readily apparent.
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Cost
Plasma television sets are expensive. They also consume massive amounts of electricity. LCD televisions can also be quite expensive, but in some cases are cheaper than plasma. Many are backlit using a light emitting diode (LED) light source. Overall, LCD televisions use significantly less power than plasma televisions. Also, all televisions draw power even when deactivated. Some newer LCD televisions comply with the new Energy Star 3.0 specification devised by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Features
Both plasma and LCD televisions typically contain digital tuners and support high definition (HDTV) resolution. They are generally flat panel televisions with a wide screen. They may also come with stereo speakers, surround sound, game ports, an S-video port, a USB connector and picture-in-picture (PIP). The typical lifespan of newer plasma and LCD televisions is around 60,000 hours.
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Benefits
Plasma has a slight edge on LCD in terms of picture quality. However, LCD televisions are less subject to burn-in than plasma televisions. Burn-in can cause ghost images to appear on the screen after the image that created them has been removed. These ghost images will continue to appear on a plasma television for the rest of its lifespan. Lately, LCD televisions have been decreasing in price and improving in screen resolution. LCD televisions over 50 inches are considerably less expensive than plasma TVs of a comparable size. LCD televisions are also lighter weight than plasma.
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Considerations
When viewed at an extreme angle, the picture quality of LCD televisions may decrease. Also, some LCD TVs can blur fast moving scenes. However, the technology is continually improving, so newer models will likely resolve these issues. Plasma televisions may not be easy to view when operated in bright daylight. Older plasma televisions may have a shorter operational lifespan than newer models.
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Effects
As the technology improves, LCD televisions will continue to improve in picture quality and reliability and drop in price. Also, LCD televisions are easier to get with a 1080p display, which is the highest resolution currently available. The picture on an LCD screen typically looks better in a brightly lit room than plasma. The energy efficiency of LCD also will likely improve over time. Overall, LCD may be a better option than plasma, both for the pocketbook and for the planet.
