Plasma TV vs LCD TV - Which Flat Screen TV is Better?
There is a lot of confusion and misleading information
available on plasma tv's, LCD tv's and DLP Tv's Everyone and
anybody you talk to claims to have the answer and they are always bias
depending on what the store wants to move or what their factory makes. The
truth is that each has advantages and disadvantage depending on your use.
Please note: in this we discuss name brand
and no name . Please don't be fooled by the fact it may come from a well
known computer maker, It will still be considered "no name". We consider
name brand plasma screens as NEC, Pioneer, Hitachi , LG/Zenith, Panasonic,
Samsung and secondary name brands ( based on name
brand chassis) such as JVC, Sony, Philips, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Sharp,
Studio Experience
"No names" include but are not limited to
Norcent, Sampo, Gateway, Monovision, SVA and a pile more that you
have never heard of and are usually Chinese based.
NOTE: LCD TV refers to a LCD flat panel,
DLP tv also includes DILA and LCD video projector based rear projection
tvs.
This chart shows a very simplified summary,
Please refer to more detailed explanations below
Usage
Under 30 Inch
30 to 35
40 to 50
55 to 63
Computer use only
LCD TV
LCD TV
Lcd up to 40 inch plasma above 40, use screen
saver or screen wipe, expect burning and expect shorter life
DLP TV or Video projector, Plasma screens show well but
expect image retention *See note 2
Video Only ( TV and DVD)
LCD TV
Plasma Tv 37 inches plus, LCD Below
Plasma screen
Plasma screen *See note 1
Mostly Video and some Computer
LCD TV
Plasma Tv 37 inches plus, LCD Below
Plasma screen
Plasma screen *See note 1
Mostly Computer and Some Video
LCD TV
LCD
Lcd up to 40 inch plasma above 40, use screen
saver or screen wipe
Plasma screen, Use saver or screen wipe *See note 1
Note 1: Although in long run Plasma
screens are economically best choice, Lower initial outlay on DLP TV in 60
inch plus area may be attractive, please consider operating costs,
see more below
Note 2: If you are using the plasma for
digital signage such as Airport Terminals arrivals signs, the image
retention will not be a factor until you plan on using the screen for a
different application.
LCD TV disadvantages :
One problem with LCD tv screens is that they have a
inherent delay problem. This is something that cannot be overcome. " It is
the nature of the beast" When a fast moving object moves across a
LCD screen the delay of LCD technology causes "artifacting"
Basically there are trails or blockiness of the image since the screen
cannot keep up. There are newer LCD panels that have lower m/s (
millisecond) times but there still is a delay. The good news is that
with a good name brand LCD tv the artifacting is minimal and really wont be
noticeable until you get a screen over 30 or 35 inches. At that point the
delays will be noticeable and in some cases extremely annoying.
Expect severe artifacting on "no name" units to the point of making the tv
basically unwatchable .
Black levels: A LCD display has a backlight which shines
through the lcd panels. The panels allow or block light depending on what is
required to produce an image or a color. Most , if not all, LCD tv's tend
to have difficulty going fully "black". Blacks tend to have a very
very dark grey. This is especially true on no name units.
Field Of Vision: Even the best LCD tv has field of vision
problems. When you look straight on the picture looks great, as you move
to either side the picture quality diminishes and eventually disappears.
Some LCD tv makers claim up to 170o field of view. This
is a complete lie. To quote one major manufacturer " well it doesn't
mean you have a great picture for 170 degrees, but you do have a picture"
. Realistically a good LCD tv such as a Sharp Aquos will have a a 90
degree (45 each side) usable picture.
Single Usage: There are many LCD screens on the
market but very few have good video processing. If a LCD screen is made as
a computer monitor, it is usually very poor as a video display. If you are
planning to use the unit as a tv, do not buy a computer monitor with a
tuner upgrade. Stick to a unit designed for video such as a Sharp Aquos.
For dual purpose, buy a lcd tv with a computer input, not a computer
screen with a tuner
Extremely expensive over 35 inch,
Unbelievable amounts of no name junk units
on market. Stick to name brands with proper warranties
16/9 widescreen units expensive
Cheaper no name LCD tv's have very poor
picture quality and generally poor video performance
Pixel failure: This can be a problem with
no name LCD screens. All the major brands have pixel policies which may
allow one or two dead pixels. These are not noticeable unless you are
right in front of the screen. A 20 inch lcd screen has over 300,000
pixels. so one or two dead could not be seen. No name lcd screens have
extremely poor policies which can allow higher then 10%. This would make
the unit unwatchable.
Digital looking picture: Many LCD screens
tend to have a "digital look " to the image and therefore don't seem to
reproduce colors naturally.
LCD TV Advantages:
Good for still images such as computer
display, Fairly reasonable pricing below 30 inches.
Quality units have good brightness levels
No real estate: A LCD tv screen hangs on a
wall and takes as little space as a picture.
Low operating cost per hour ( over 35 inch
extremely expensive acquisition cost)
Long Life. Expect 30 to 50,000 hours
bulb life according to Sharp ( Please note that the picture can fade over
time on a LCD TV. I would expect prime performance to last closer to 20 to
30,000 hours maximum ( 13 years at 6 hours per day). Expect substantially
less on a no name.
Plasma TV Screen Disadvantages:
Image retention: Plasma screens
can suffer image retention ( burn in) if a still image is left on the
display for a extended period of time. For example, you would not want to
use a plasma screen for a computer display constantly. If you were to use
a Plasma tv for Video Display and occasional use it for computer, burn in
would not be a factor. Also if you were to leave the plasma tv screen on a
station such as CNBC, which has constant ticker tape across the bottom,
for 24 hours a day, there would be noticeable burn in when you switched to
a different channel. If by error you were to burn your screen, proper name
brand plasma screens do have a "white flash" utility which eliminates the
burn, however it will shorten the life of the plasma. If your primary use
of the plasma screen is for TV viewing and dvd, image retention will not
be a factor.
Size: Plasma screens are not available
below 37 inches. There were some 32 inch units available but have been
discontinued. Also 60 inch and above can be very pricey but prices are
coming down. For example a Zenith 60 is below 7500 now.
No tuners: Most plasma screens do not have
tuners and if they do they are expensive upgrades. Some cheaper plasma
tv's have optional tuners however they usually are not the best.
This is not a disadvantage in most cases. Almost everyone who can afford a
plasma will be using satellite, digital cable or external HD boxes. So the
built in tuner would be redundant and a waste of money.
Many no name junk units on market. Stick to
name brands.
Pixel failure: This can be a problem with
no name plasma screens. All the major brands have pixel policies which may
allow one or two dead pixels. These are not noticeable unless you are
right in front of the screen. A 50 inch screen has over 983,000
pixels. so one or two dead could not be seen. No name plasma screens have
extremely poor policies which can allow higher then 10%. This would make
the unit unwatchable. If the plasma screen has a orbiter function, this
will greatly reduce the chance of pixel failure. We have sold tens of
thousands of Plasma tv screens and can count the number of units which we
have had pixel problems with on one hand. It should be noted we do not
sell no name units.
Early models had poor contrast. the first
generation plasma tv screens had poor contrast and brightness. Do not buy
a used plasma screen from a online auction such as Ebay. The units that
have been out for the last two years outperform the older units by miles.
Plasma TV Screen Advantages:
Long life: the average name brand plasma tv
will last 30 to 50,000 hours to half like ( brightness is 50% of original,
it will still be 2 to 3 times brighter then a regular tv) This is around
20 years at 6 hours per day. Expect substantially less on a no name
Field of vision: A plasma screen tv has a
field of vision of almost 180 degrees without loss of picture quality.
From any angle you will have a great picture
Brightness: Plasma screens are very bright.
4 to 5 times brighter then an average tv.
Great contrast: The last two generations (
two years or so) of name brand Plasma screens have great contrast ratios.
Look for a rating of 1000 to 1 or more Please note: certain manufacturers
claim levels of 3 or 4000 to 1, That is a false rating and is achieved by
using non standard measurement methods.
Low operating cost: A name brand plasma is
cheap to operate due to long life with virtually no maintenance ( No you
cannot recharge a plasma, and they don't leak gas). The cost of a nice
EDTV 42 inch is well below 3 k and a 50 inch is around 5 k. 60 inch plus
are still highly priced per inch. This is substantially less then a LCD
TV. 42 inch plasma tv screens cost almost half of a 40 inch lcd.
Instantaneous picture response: There is
virtually no delay in any name brand plasma and therefore no artifacting
that is experienced on LCD screens.
Natural looking picture: A plasma screen
reproduces a picture in a similar manner to a standard tv .Name brand
plasma tv colors tend to be natural looking and more accurate. Mo names
can tend to be weak or soft on colors.
No real estate: A plasma screen hangs on a
wall and takes as little space as a picture
.
Wide screen, All but one or two plasma tv
screens are 16:9 wide screen. format
Upgradeability: Many plasma screens have
upgradeable video cards that "future proof " your plasma
DLP rear projection tv disadvantages:
High operational costs: The dlp tv
is simply a DLP video projector in a box. The projectors use a replaceable
bulb which can cost between 200 to 400 US dollars. The life on the bulb
varies but generally expect around 6 to 8000 hours. However some will last
substantially less. Realistically you can expect to be buying a bulb
every 2 years and possible sooner if you watch a lot of tv. Add the
acquisition cost of the unit and a DLP tv can actually cost twice as much
as a plasma over 5 or 6 years of normal use. In the expected life of a
unit it can cost 3 to 4 times as much as a plasma. Consider a DLP tv like
a computer bubble jet printer. Cheaper to acquire, way more
expensive on ink
Example based on 10 hours a day use. DLP
costs become even more expensive if your viewing is more then 10 hours a
day
Cost of 42 inch NEC plasma
2500. Additional costs over 10 years 0 Plasma costs per year
for 10 years $250 Cost per year for 15 years $ 166
42 inch DLP TV 2000. Cost of bulbs
based on 6000 hour life. 300 per bulb ( this presumes bulb makes full
life) $1825 Yearly of cost of DLP tv based on 10 years 382.50
Average cost over 15 years $315
(not factoring increasing costs of bulbs due to inflation)
Large foot print: Even though a DLP
tv is substantially thinner then a old style rear projection tv, they are
still a minimum of 12 to 13 inches deep
.
Not wall mountable: units cannot be
hung on wall
Field of vision. Although greatly
improving, DLP tvs still do not have as good of a field of vision as a
plasma tv
Picture quality. Although improving, the
picture quality varies on DLP tvs. Some have very poor to medium quality,
none have spectacular. Many people still complain about artifacting and
blockiness in some units
Diminishing bulb brightness: When a bulb
gets older in a dlp Tv the brightness level reduces. When the bulb is
replaced, the tv becomes bright again.
Early bulb failure: The bulb in a DLP can
fail instantly well before its scheduled replacement. Availability of
replacement bulbs very with manufacturer. If you do purchase a DLP tv I
would suggest getting a spare bulb right away. Its murphy's law that the
bulb will fail 3 minutes before the Superbowl kick off
DLP rear projection tv advantages:
Initially low acquisition cost.
Generally offset by high operating costs. Still cheaper then
a plasma or LCD in the very large size, 42 to 50 are not much cheaper then
a plasma screen and definitely not cheaper over the long term.