LCD or Plasma TVs?

[Twinkie]

From my research, mainly 5 minutes of googling, Plasma TVs give a much richer, natural look in the picture. Darker black pixels and wide angled viewing makes it great for movies and thrives in a darker environments. LCD TVs is your leader in gaming with brighter colors, higher resolution, faster refresh rate like a computer monitor but with an artificial look and saturated colors.

My family is going to pitch in money to buy a new TV for ourselves on Christmas, budget around $1500 (small family). My mom, the frugal one, is looking for the cheapest buy and I am looking for the best resolution, contrast, ect. I was thinking plasma since I play most of my games on the computer. Not going into specific TVs, which is the best and the cheapest?

 

[adamlinux]

Get an LCD for sure, I saw LCDs side by side with plasmas and the difference is hardly noticeable, and I'm pretty sure it was the LCD that looked better. Plus, plasmas burn up way more power, and I think they cost more too. thats my 2 cents, hope it helps.

 

[naerey]

There are two types of Plasma TV's actually.
The cheap ones, the ones that are most common now on the market, which have a much worse quality than LCD, but are also cheaper and bigger in dimensions (a 50" one costs around as much as a 32" LCD...)
And then there are the Good expensive Plasma TV's. Those cost more than the LCD by not too much, and those are the TV's that have the true black color.
I don't know what's the price for TV's in USA now or whatever country you're from, but because of personal reasoning I prefer LCD's for they have quality for a relatively cheap price.
Look out for LG/Sharp ones, they should start to get cheaper now...

Cheers

 

[galaxyAbstractor]

LCD because I heard that on plasma TVs, sharp things (Really white objects) can get burned into the screen. Also, You can't see the screen if you look from the side, you need to sit infront all the time. I don't have a LCD TV tho, but I do have a LCD computer screen

 

[Sohail]

They both have their advantages, I would prefer HD LCD TVs though because they look good in the day and night.

 

[sunils]

Plasma and LCD panels may look similar, but the flat screen and thin profile is where the similarities end. 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 electrical charge applied to the crystals. Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses.
both plasma and LCD sets produce excellent pictures, although many home entertainment specialists and gamers still say CRTs produce the best overall images (although plasmas and LCD sets are quickly catching up in terms of quality).


Those same home entertainment specialists will tell you that for basic home theatre-like usage, plasma screens have a slight edge over LCDs. This is because plasma screens can display blacks more accurately than LCDs can, which means better contrast and detail in dark-coloured television or movie scenes. The nature of LCD technology, where a backlight shines through the LCD layer, means it's hard for it to achieve true blacks because there's always some light leakage from between pixels. This is steadily improving with every new generation of LCD, however.

Beacuse of variying factors, i vote for crt

 

[Smith6612]

I'm an LCD TC person. I've heard that the first generation plasma TVs were known to wear out after a few years. I don't know how they cope with today, but considering how sharp of a picture LCD screens typically have and the fact that a lot of people I know have LCD TVs, I'm voting for this.

I honestly don't even like many of the CRTs. Sure they look nice and all, it's the high pitched noise I hear from those that irritates me >.<

 

[Twinkie]

LCD because I heard that on plasma TVs, sharp things (Really white objects) can get burned into the screen. Also, You can't see the screen if you look from the side, you need to sit infront all the time. I don't have a LCD TV tho, but I do have a LCD computer screen

LCD's are the ones with the viewing angle problems because the light is emitted from strait in back of each (like a laptop monitor) and plasma TVs noble gasses generate their own light that can be seen without distortion at an angle of about 160 degrees, with LCD's only about 90.

I honestly don't even like many of the CRTs. Sure they look nice and all, it's the high pitched noise I hear from those that irritates me >.<

CRT monitors are not only annoying in their humming and low quality, they are dangerous! They emit radiation, the flickering gives headache and seizures. Due to the vacuum and radioactive gasses needed to manipulate the light, it's a potential imploding grenade that spews poisonous gasses should the screen ever break. Also made will toxic materials such as heavily leaded glass, they are considered in some states toxic waste. Not to mention anything you are viewing can be remotely replicated because of there radioactive emissions :naughty:

They both have their advantages, I would prefer HD LCD TVs though because they look good in the day and night.

I am not sure how plasma's work in daylight, but I know that LCD's work best in daylight because their color saturation is visible at night. Their reflective screens might be a problem though...

LCD because I heard that on plasma TVs, sharp things (Really white objects) can get burned into the screen. Also, You can't see the screen if you look from the side, you need to sit infront all the time. I don't have a LCD TV tho, but I do have a LCD computer screen

Yes, that happens much easier on plasma's than LCD's, but that is only a problem when you leave the same bright image on for a long time, like if you leave a video game paused over night and forget to turn it off, and it's only temporary.

People have been scared away from plasma's because of their past instability. Plasma's today are almost as stable. In all the comparisons, plasma seems to have slightly better quality. I guess that LCD's are just much more practical in handling crystal than plasma's with actual gas, and the cost of plasma screen replacements :/

I found a nice comparison at: http://reviews.cnet.com/4351-12658_7-6583301.html.

 

[galaxyAbstractor]

LCD's are the ones with the viewing angle problems because the light is emitted from strait in back of each (like a laptop monitor) and plasma TVs noble gasses generate their own light that can be seen without distortion at an angle of about 160 degrees, with LCD's only about 90.

But my LCD screen has no such problem, I can see it as great from every angle.

But 160 degrees, are you standing behinf the TV then? Because if you see from front and say that is 0 degrees, if you look from straight left, it's 90 degrees, straight right is also 90 degrees from the original angle(when you sit in front)

I am not sure how plasma's work in daylight, but I know that LCD's work best in daylight because their color saturation is visible at night.

I have never seen anything difference about my LCD in both day and night...

Yes, that happens much easier on plasma's than LCD's, but that is only a problem when you leave the same bright image on for a long time, like if you leave a video game paused over night and forget to turn it off, and it's only temporary.

Or you watch any channel with a white channel icon. A swedish channel got sued because their icon was to bright so it burned the icon into many plasma TV's, but I think the sue never went anywhere

 

[scottnj]

LCD because I heard that on plasma TVs, sharp things (Really white objects) can get burned into the screen. Also, You can't see the screen if you look from the side, you need to sit infront all the time. I don't have a LCD TV tho, but I do have a LCD computer screen

LCD's are the ones with the viewing angle problems because the light is emitted from strait in back of each (like a laptop monitor) and plasma TVs noble gasses generate their own light that can be seen without distortion at an angle of about 160 degrees, with LCD's only about 90.http://reviews.cnet.com/4351-12658_7-6583301.html

But my LCD screen has no such problem, I can see it as great from every angle.

But 160 degrees, are you standing behinf the TV then? Because if you see from front and say that is 0 degrees, if you look from straight left, it's 90 degrees, straight right is also 90 degrees from the original angle(when you sit in front)

I have never seen anything difference about my LCD in both day and night...

I just read Twinkies entire post from 70 degrees right of center on my LCD TV/Monitor just fine, giving me/it a 140+ degree viewing angle.

The only thing that I notice when using the LCD TV/Monitor at night is that it is very bright. Even black screens. But a lot of that can be changed with the display settings on the TV.

 

[Twinkie]

But 160 degrees, are you standing behind the TV then? Because if you see from front and say that is 0 degrees, if you look from straight left, it's 90 degrees, straight right is also 90 degrees from the original angle(when you sit in front)

The measurement is from the TV, not from the viewer. Imagine that there is a circle, and that the TV is in the middle.

The viewing angles is set from any decrease in quality. You would still be able to read text from almost any angle, but black scenes would look purplish and so on. I just know technically, I have not seen any of this for myself.

It the burn-in effect really that bad??

 

[Smith6612]

The measurement is from the TV, not from the viewer. Imagine that there is a circle, and that the TV is in the middle.

The viewing angles is set from any decrease in quality. You would still be able to read text from almost any angle, but black scenes would look purplish and so on. I just know technically, I have not seen any of this for myself.

It the burn-in effect really that bad??

It can be bad depending on how far burned in it is. There are many times where if you watch the TV for a little bit the Burn-in Effect on the TV will disappear, but that's only if it's mild. If it starts to get severe it'll start to burn in more. This happened with my friend's Xbox 360 when he left it viewing the pause screen for an hour on his HDTV.

 

[Twinkie]

Is is worth buying a new TV now when SED technology is coming out soon?

Plasma does not work in high elevations like Denver

 

[xPlozion]

lcd. we picked up a 1080p 42" sharp for around $600 just last week. lcd doesn't burn in, but i believe plasma can burn the picture in, just like the classic crt's

just a though

and 160 degree viewing angle is 80 degrees on each side from the center of the tv (which a 160 degree viewing angle is great!)

found a great image on viewing angles for each type

 

[John Klyne]

lcd. we picked up a 1080p 42" sharp for around $600 just last week. lcd doesn't burn in, but i believe plasma can burn the picture in, just like the classic crt's

just a though

and 160 degree viewing angle is 80 degrees on each side from the center of the tv (which a 160 degree viewing angle is great!)

found a great image on viewing angles for each type

The viewing angle may be a lot more for LCD, but let me ask you this...

I thought it was a plasma television where you can see the picture more clearly in it's highest angle this case 160...and that if it was LCD, at the angle you saw the Plasma, the lcd would not show a great picture or be darkened out, like one of my televisions in my home....

How can you all say, LCD? Plasma has to be better with that example I just used. Or am I getting my facts turned around?

 

[Twinkie]

It depends on the TV as well. Maybe some of the articles I read were a bit old , but I know plasma has the upper hand in viewing angles. Just like burn in is not as big an issue as it used to be 5 years ago.

 

[MuRRe]

I voted Plasma, even though I have a LCD.
I bought my LCD about 1.5 years ago. It's not a big issue but I would like a Plasma since I really feel my LG LCD lacks alot of contrast comparing it to my brothers Plasma.
But, will have to stick with LCD for a while now. Hopefully I will get a job soon so i can exchange it.

 

[brilliantbro2000]

Sure, plasma TVs give a deeper richer picture, but many LCD TVs are coming quite close, and even passing plasmas in the same price range. Plus, do you really need a TV that uses the same amount of power as your refrigerator? LCDs are the way to.

 

[istore_admin]

As far as I knw LCD TVs last longer, have a better image but are more expensive than Plasma. Eventhough Plasmas are cheap, they deteriorate quite quickly and dont last too long. They also loose image quality over time. Personly i would actually choose a back projection TV which is also known as the DLP HDTV over both LCD and Plasma.