| |
|
Plasma TVs vs.
LCD
TVs. Who wins? An informative, easy-to-read report. |
Who Wins? No-Spin Report. The Good & the Bad. |
| |
|
|
Size:
Both LCD TVs and plasma TVs are
thin as you could hope for. In screen size plasmas usually run
larger though don’t usually come in smaller sizes, which is
sometimes needed.
Viewing Angle:
Plasma have a wider viewing
angle. Life Span:
Both have good lifespan.
Issues:
Plasma sometimes suffer from
“burn in” effect. LCD TVs are sometimes susceptible to a delay that
causes the outline of figures or objects to appear jagged.
Color:
LCD TVs are renowned for a sharp picture and vibrant
color. Plasma TVs are known for a wide range of colors and accurate
color reproduction. Brightness: LCD TVs are said to do slightly
better in bright-light conditions. Black Levels: Plasma TVs
generally produce very black blacks whereas an LCD TV will produce a
very dark charcoal gray. Contrast Levels: Plasma TVs, technically,
are said to have greater contrast levels.
Cost:
Prices for both types of TVs
are decreasing rapidly. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Both LCD TVs and Plasma TVs have a good
expected life span. On top of that, they are both still
improving their life span. That said, LCD TVs ultimately win
this part of the battle due to the fact that their light
source can be replaced. Once a plasma TV has lost its
luster, that’s pretty much all she wrote.
Plasma TVs are said to continue for up to at least 30,000
hours before noticeable fading occurs. Some manufacturers
say their plasma TVs are testing up to 60,000 hours before
any quality is lost. The questions a potential buyer should
ask, then, are obvious: How much TV do I watch? And when
will I be buying another TV? Even at the low-end mark of
30,000 hours, if you watched TV 10 hours a day, 365 days a
year, you would go a little over 8 years before seeing major
picture depreciation. If you lowered that number down to 4
hours a day of TV time, 365 days a year, you would get over
twenty years from your set before seeing depreciation.
(Your mileage may vary, as they say.)
As was said before, an LCD TV can theoretically last longer
than a plasma TV because the light source can be replaced.
Replacing the bulbs on an LCD, however, can be somewhat
expensive (a few hundred dollars). By the time most people
would be ready to replace the light source, they would
probably be ready for a new TV anyway. However, if not, an
investment of a few hundred dollars would get the look of
your old TV back.
|
|
|
|
|
LCD vs. Plasma TVs: Overall Picture
Quality
|
|
Color, Brightness, Black Levels,
& Contrast
Picture quality is certainly the most subjective of all the
areas. It's also probably the most important too. A person's
taste is going determine what he or she considers to be a
good picture. Picture quality, or the the characteristics of
the picture will probably determine more than any other
which type of TV you end up with. Because so much of it is
based on taste, it's really about saying one is “better”
than the other, but instead, it’s about saying one has a
certain type of quality and characteristics and the other
has different qualities and characteristics.
The Characteristics of Color
In general, most people agree that LCD TVs produce “sharper”
pictures with colors that seem more vibrant. Of course that
automatically sounds like a winner, but not necessarily.
With plasma TVs, people generally agree that you get not
only more realistic colors, but a wider range of colors.
With an LCD TV, when you walk into a room it's very likely
to wow you. However after you've been in the room for some
time, you might prefer the depth and warmth of a plasma TVs
colors. LCD TVs, you could say, give you a sharp, primary
colors type of feel. Plasma TVs give you subtler, warmer
colors, but possibly more realistically accurate.
The Brightness of the Two TVs
As for brightness, most agree that the numbers and
statistics that manufacturers quote you are practically
worthless. The numbers, even if you could understand them,
aren’t achieved in real-life conditions with the various
types of ambient light that occur in a normal house at
different times of the day. Obviously your own particular
viewing area will factor into this greatly. That said, most
people report LCD TVs doing a little better in bright-light
conditions. Again, going with the general theme here – LCD
TVs tend to be brighter and more colorful; plasma TVs tend
to be warmer with more accurate color reproduction.
Black Levels of LCD TVs and Plasma TVs
The one area of this section that would seem to go against
the generalizations made above is the area of “black
levels.” You might think that LCD TVs, having the reputation
for being “sharper,” would produce deeper, darker blacks.
However most viewers agree this isn’t true. Achieving a
deep, dark black on an LCD TV is a complex process.
Therefore, instead of producing a dark black when required
to, a very dark gray is produced instead. For many, this
small distinction goes unnoticed, especially after becoming
used to the set’s colors.
LCD vs Plasma Contrast Levels
As for contrast levels, you will see a number of ratios,
numbers like 3000:1. This ratio is a measure of the darkest
black compared to the whitest white. Because of plasma TVs’
ability to produce blacker blacks, they usually win in this
area. That said, most people see LCD TVs as being more
“vibrant,” which would seem to be at least partly related to
contrast. So, as was said in the beginning, really it's all
about personal taste and how you react to the picture you
see.
|
|
|
|
On to >>
Page
4 - Prices/Summary |
|
Add LCD vs Plamsa to your favorites for future reference
Plasma vs. LCD TVs - The Battle Continues
|
|
LCD
vs. Plasma TVs Home - Tech Info & Size |
Page 2
- Issues: Burn-in, Delay, Dead Pixel Problems |
Page 3 - Life Span, Picture Quality |
Page
4 - Differences, Prices |
|
Trade Links |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © lcdvsplasma.com
Material on this website is original and may not be copied
or distributed.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|