| pappylap |
10-20-2009 10:26 AM |
LCD vs Plasma who rules?
I still see in post after post that myths still prevail in a large number of new postings to this forum and since the Mods seem reluctant to create a Sticky addressing the pros and cons of each technology here is a summary of each techs strong and weak points as seen by an owner of both techs and a long time fan of HDTV...
LCD
Pros
lightweight, smaller screen sizes available, good in brightly lit rooms, considered safer when used as a computer monitor, non glare matte screens...Maybe slightly more energy efficient unless the majority of your viewing habits are movies, no break in period, take less consideration to set up and use.
Cons
Glare will still be a consideration if buying a high end LCD/LED as these also use glass screens to render better blacks and higher contrast ratios, cost more than larger Plasma esp the high end sets, more likely to be damaged as the plastic matte screens are not resistant to even small impacts, shorter life span backlight will eventually need to be replaced, Plasma will dim over time but will still be functioning long after the LCD is in the trash bid, viewing angles even with the new LED/LCD off axis viewing is still a large concern (fighting for that sweet spot directly in front of the screen), motion blur with fast moving images even with 240 hz processing is way behind the the speed of Plasma. Black level detail while LCD is getting better at producing black level the fine detail contained in these darker images is lost. Unnatural color processing in the non high end sets life like skin tones are nearly impossible to attain. 240 hz processing causes film to appear as though shot in video ( I can't imagine watching the "Godfather" and having it appear as if it is a soap opera)
PLASMA
Pros
Large screen size virtually no screens less than 42" in size. Deep black levels and fine dark area detail. Good natural color processing with great skin tone reproduction. Long time investment although plasma will dim over time it will take around 100,000 of use to get to half life of the panel. Durable heavy glass screens are much more injury proof than the LCD matte screens (Dont believe it? you can punch a hole in the LCD matte screen with your finger!) Virtually no motion blur image processing is approximatly 1000 times faster than LCD. Off axis viewing is a non issue with plasma ( no fighting for the sweet spot) Cost less a good 50" plasma will be cheaper than a 46" 1st tier manufactured LCD. Actually can be more energy efficient if properly calibrated.
Cons
Glass screens have glare issues in brightly lit rooms. Burn in plasma can still suffer from this problem, static images for long periods of time can be damaging (neglect from the consumer is the major contributing factor here) Weight heavier than the matte screen LCD because of the additional weight of the glass. Large size only available in 42" or larger (not good if space is a concern) Break-in period for proper aging of the plasma cells this is still strongly recommended during the first 200 hours of use. (some videophiles consider this a perk kinda like pampering your new "baby")
Well there you have it hope this highlights the good and bad points of each technology for current and future owners of HDTV
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