There is a lot of consumer confusion when it comes to LCD TVs and plasma TVs. While both technologies are suitable for high definition television, this document is intended to help you understand the difference and help you select a television that is right for your room or application.
Comparison |
Plasma televisions |
LCD televisions |
Advantage |
| Screen Size | Screen sizes range from 32 inches to 63 inches. Larger plasmas, like a 103 inch unit from Panasonic, are in production, but are still prohibitively expensive for consumer use. | Sizes range from 13 inches to 45 inches. As with plasma, there are larger LCD TVs made, like a 100 inch display recently released by LG, but they are not readily available or affordable at the consumer level. | Plasma TVs are the current size champions, particularly when comparing TVs that consumers can easily purchase. LCDs are catching up in size with their developing technology, however, and may surpass Plasmas in the near future. This may be due to difficulties in producing glass large enough for larger plasmas. |
| Viewing Angle | Up to 160 ° | Up to 130 ° on the best LCD TVs. | Plasma TVs have the advantage here. A Plasma display holds the black levels from off axis, while LCD TVs lose black level intensity more as the angle off axis increases. This usually occurs after around 90 degrees. |
| Screen Refresh Rates | Plasma displays refresh and handle rapid movements in video about as well as CRT televisions. | LCD TVs were originally designed for data display, and not video. Therefore refresh rates had to be improved. LCD TVs with refresh rates below 16 ms or lower (5-15 ms) show very few noticeable artifacts. LCD TVs are now available with refresh rates as low as 2ms. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. |
| Burn-in or Stuck Pixels | Plasma TVs can suffer from burn-in produced by static images. After extended periods, stationary images "burn in" and produce an after-image ghost which remains permanently on the screen. With technologies such as 'pixel orbitor,' new plasma TVs have addressed burn-in and significantly reduced the issues of older models. | LCD TVs do not suffer from burn-in, but can have a "retained pixel charge" which may also produce ghosting. Stuck pixels are also possible with an LCD display. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. | Fast Moving Images | Plasma TVs gets the nod here because of their excellent performance with fast-moving images and high contrast levels. There are still some 2nd tier manufacturers whose plasma product displays some phosphor lag, a drag time in scenes changing from bright to dark. | While the "response time" of LCD TVs has markedly improved in the last couple of years, they still suffer from a slight "trailer" effect, where the individual pixels are just slightly out of step with the image on the screen. During fast moving sports scenes, the most discerning eyes can detect this slight motion response lag. | Plasma TVs have the advantage here. |
| Product Life-span | Plasma TVs have a reported half life of 30,000 to 60,000 hours. Half-life is the time it takes the lamp to fade to half its original brightness. | LCD TVs typically have a lamp life of 50,000 hours, and it is also replaceable. | Both Plasma and LCD technology should more than adequately satisfy most consumers. The average CRT TV (the kind most of us have at home) has a half-life of around 25,000 hours. If the average American household watches an average of four to six hours of television a day, even a 30,000 hour lamp would give you over 16 years of use. |
| Weight | Plasma displays are fairly heavy, and may need additional supports to be mounted onto a wall. | LCD TVs weigh less than comparably sized plasma TVs. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. LCD TVs are considerably lighter, more portable, and cheaper to ship. |
| Durability | Plasmas are very fragile making them tricky to ship and install. Unlike the commercials where plasmas are mounted on the ceiling, plasmas are best installed by a professional, and should be installed on a wall that can bear a good deal of weight | Much more durable than plasmas. End users can easily mount an LCD TV themselves if desired. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. LCD TVs are far less fragile than plasmas. |
| Installation | Plasmas are heavier, use more power, and run hotter than LCD TVs, and therefore require more planning when mounting them. Plasmas are generally best installed by professionals. | End users can easily install LCD TVs themselves, or can use them just as they use a traditional TV using a stand. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. LCD TVs are much easier to install than plasma TVs. |
| Brightness/ Contrast | Plasma TVs report higher brightness and contrast levels than LCDs. Under ideal conditions (no ambient light) this is a true advantage of plasma technology, because LCD TVs are backlit and therefore light must be blocked to create blacks. Plasmas have individual pixels that either on or off, creating deeper blacks and better contrast. | LCD TVs can often look better in 'real-world' situations. Plasmas are made with a special glass surface that can reflect light, which dulls the brightness and contrast of the image. LCD TVs reflect very little light, allowing them to maintain levels in well-lit rooms. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. Both LCD and plasma TVs will meet the brightness expectations of most consumers. However, in 'real world' situations with ambient light, LCD TVs will generally look a little brighter. |
| Black Levels | Plasma TVs tend to have darker black levels which lends itself to better cinematic expereince. | LCD TVs have a backlight which henders the ability to produce black. | Plasma TVs are the clear winner. As technology changes LCD TVs may pick up ground here, but the ground that Pioneer is treading, it doesn't look good for LCD. |
| Color Reproduction | Plasma have good color reproduction as it's based on Phospor technology. The colors on a plasma tend to be softer especially in a low to mediam lit room which is more appealing for longer viewing periods. | LCD TV's have the ability to very precisly reproduce color since the Color filters can be manipulated to precise wave lengths. Newer backlight technologies such as pulsating backlight, full spectrum lamps, LED backlighting and Lasers can further enhance the NTSC color Gamut to more than 90%. | Both LCD and plasma TVs will meet the color expectations of most consumers. LCD TVs will generally look a little bit more vibrant but the softer colors of a plasma may be more attractive in a non-retail floor situaltion. |
| Resolution | Both Plasma and LCDs can produce true 1080p resolutions. | LCD TV's have are available in a multitude of resolutions, depending on application. LCD TV's are available to consumer with resolution up to 1920 x 1080, resulting in more than 2 million active pixels on the screen. | Their is no advantage between Plasma and LCD |
| Thickness | As thin as 3 inches deep. | As thin as 1.5 inches deep. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. LCDs TVs are just a bit thinner. |
| Performance at High Altitude | High altitudes can affect the performance of plasma displays because the gas held inside each pixel is stressed, and has to work harder to perform. Some manufacturers make plasmas that are specifically designed for high-altitudes, but they may be priced higher than standard models. | LCD TVs are not affected by high altitudes. | LCD TVs have the advantage here. |
| Power Consumption | Plasma technology requires substantial power supplies that can be noisy at times when a lot of transitioning video content is displayed. | LCD TVs typically consume more than 30% less power than equal screen sized Plasma TV's | LCD TVs have the advantage here. |
From a professional's perspective here are a few things to keep in mind:
In a room where you can control the light and you want to get the most out of television viewing experience where you watch high definition movies or other media that requires critical viewing, the ideal display is a high quality plasma television.
In room where there is a lot of direct sunlight, video games are in high use, or the primary purpose is sports viewing, the ideal display is a high quality LCD television.
Please keep in mind that not all plasmas or LCDs are created equally. We recommend that you consult an expert before buying any TV for critical viewing for your best experience.
As of this writing, the Pioneer Elite Kuro is rated as the best high definition television for its extraordinary black levels and accurate colors (c|net).
Other Helpful information found on Allwired.com: