Plasma TV V/S LCD

The idea of television has changed from a small ordinary box kept at corner to large high definition flat panel display which serve multipurposes with advanced features. While selecting a flat panel display, we have two options to choose from, whether to opt for plasma TV or for LCD. With many pros and cons to weigh, to decide which flat panel TV to select, we need to consider the features of both.

Image Formation

Plasma TV has numerous pixel cells containing natural gases like neon and xenon, which gets excited to glow and produce electromagnetic radiation(  UV) . Behind these cells, there are red, green and blue phosphors which emit light when activated. Invisible UV light produced by the cells activates phosphors to produce appropriate colors.

In LCD, a liquid crystal is sandwiched between two sheets of polarized glass. When an electric charge is allowed to hit, the crystal rotates, resulting in the change of polarization of light passing through it. LCD reproduce light by a process of subtraction. They block colors wavelengths from spectrum of white light until they get the right color.

Color Accuracy - Plasma TV can create 16.77 million colors and thus exhibits richness in color. LCD produce colors by subtracting colors from white light. Hence, LCD are not as good as plasma Tv in color accuracy.But disadvantage of plasma TV is that, its display dims over time.

Lifespan - Plasma TV has a lifespan of about 20,000 to 30,000 hrs, whereas LCD has a lifespan of abt 50,000 to 60,000 hrs.

Contrast Ratio - Contrast ratio is the measurement of brightest white against blackest black. If contrast ratio is higher, details on screen will be more clear. In plasma TV, if we review independently, contrast ratios is 200:1, whereas in LCD it is 350-450:1.

Screen Size - Plasma TVs as big as 50 inches and above are available. But no plasma TV lesser than 32 inches are available. LCDs are available in screensize between 13-46 inches.

Viewing Angle - Plasma TV has large viewing angle than LCD TV of about 160 degrees. So it is possible to view Plasma TV clearly from any angle.

Burn-in - Burn-in occurs when image stays on screen for some period of time. Plasma TV has slight potential for burn-in. LCDs might show ghost images ( blurred images) while displaying fast moving images like in sports.

Plasma Tv has advantage over color accuracy, burn-in, viewing angle and screen size than LCD, Plasma TVs are much costlier. Though there is a problem of lesser viewing angle for LCD, it can be clearly avoided as we view our TV from prearranged seats in the room. Better contrast ratios of LCD also helps to overcome the lesser color accuracy unless we are using only HDTV standard compliant files ( HDTV compliant media are rare in market). Affordability and lifespan also playing a crucial role, LCD can be preferred over plasma unless you are planning to have full fledged theatre experience at any cost.