TV's: LCD vs. plasma. Learn me something.

[democracyindanger]

What're the comparative advantages/disadvantages. Anyone?

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. I'm told there's a difference in anti-glare properties

With an LCD TV you can watch from any angle and there's minimal or no glare, whereas with a plasma TV there may be glare. Other than that, I don't know. There's another new technology, the name of which escapes me at the moment, that's supposed to be even better than either of these.

[democracyindanger]

2. Interesting. Thanks. Anyone else? nt

[Deja Q]

3. LCD = limtied angle of viewing, dead pixels, expen$ive.

Limited angle of viewing - wanna see from the sides? Not really.

Dead pixels - a pixel remains lit one color or is solid black. This can be annoying.

Expensive. Need I say more? Rear projection HDTV sets are 75% lower in cost and look darn nice.

Conversely, LCD sets use less electricity... but the benefits don't outweigh the negatives.

[Reverend_Smitty]

4. I heard that plasma TV's...

are prone to "burning" images onto the picture. I think it has to do with the letterbox format that you get with some HD stations. Over time the letterbox gets burned onto the screen. I don't think that happens with LCD

[tuvor]

5. Wake me when there's a winner. n/t

[Thurston Howell IV]

6. Comparisons from Consumer Reports

Conventional picture-tube TVs
The familiar sets with CRTs (cathode-ray tubes).
Quick take: Still tops for picture quality, these offer wide selection and the best value.
Typical sizes: 13 to 40 inches.
Price range: Less than $100 to $3,000.
Pros: Least expensive type of TV, still the standard for best picture quality. Mature, reliable technology.
Cons: Not available in jumbo screen sizes. Big and bulky, larger sets weigh more than 100 pounds.


LCD TVs
Like flat-panel computer displays, these thin sets have a backlight and thousands of red, green, and blue pixels that open or close to let light through, creating colorful images.
Quick take: Trendy flat screen with decent picture quality, but inch for inch, more expensive than other types of TVs.
Typical sizes: 14 to 46 inches.
Price range: $500 to $11,000.
Pros: Thin and light. Can be wall-mounted. No risk of burn-in of static images. Some can double as a computer display.
Cons: Maximum screen size limited--for now at least. Larger models are very costly. Image may dim as you angle away from center of screen, especially up and down. Not as good as picture-tube sets for displaying deep blacks and fast-moving images. Unknown reliability.



Plasma TVs
Flat-panel, big-screen TVs with thousands of red, green, and blue pixels that are activated by "plasma"; these work somewhat like fluorescent lights, creating very bright images.
Quick take: Big, bright screens with a real wow factor, but expensive.
Typical sizes: 32 to 63 inches.
Price range: $3,000 to $15,000.
Pros: Thin and light enough to be wall-mounted. Big screens with vivid color look impressive. High brightness and contrast.
Cons: Power-hungry. Generate lots of heat. Some lack speakers and tuner. Burn-in of static images a concern. Fairly heavy in bigger sizes. Wall-mounting can be costly. Unknown reliability.



Rear-projection (CRT-based)
Jumbo sets that beam images onto a screen from three small CRTs inside.
Quick take: The lowest-cost big screens, but they're space hogs.
Typical sizes: 38 to 61 inches.
Price range: $1,000 to $6,000 (for digital models).
Pros: Low price, wide selection, plentiful features. Decent reliability.
Cons: Picture quality ranks lowest overall among all TV types. Big, bulky, and heavy--more than 200 pounds for largest. CRTs need periodic realignment. Image may dim as you angle away from center of screen. Burn-in of static images a concern.


Rear-projection microdisplays
Newer, pricier big-screen sets, most of which use LCD, DLP, or LCoS technology that allow for fairly slim cabinets.
Quick take: Relative slimness makes them an attractive big-screen alternative, but still fairly expensive.
Typical sizes: 40 to 70 inches.
Price range: $2,800 to $7,000.
Pros: Thinner and lighter than CRT-based siblings. Cost less than comparably sized plasma sets. No risk of burn-in of static images. Higher resolution and often better picture quality than CRT-based projection units.
Cons: Pricey, especially for bigger-screen models. Image on some sets may dim as you angle away from center of screen. Backlight bulb may require periodic replacement. Not as good as picture-tube sets for displaying deep blacks. Some DLP and LCoS models suffer from rainbow effect--flashes of color seen by some viewers. Unknown reliability.