Shopping for a Plasma or LCD TV
Review by C. Combs
Shopping for
a Plasma or LCD TV can be a daunting task.
Ok, so you know you want a flat screen tv but what kind... a plasma tv or
an lcd tv?
Well, what's the difference and how much do they cost?
Plasma TV vs. LCD TV
Ok, let's get
to the bottom of this and find out what the differences are...
First of all, both Plasma TVs and LCD TVs are flat panel displays but plasmas
are made with glass and lcds are made with liquid crystal
This brings up one big differnce... plasmas are heavier and more fragile than
lcds.
You could probably mount an lcd yourself but you might need to have the plasma
tv installed which will cost you a bit more.
However, with that being said, plasma tvs have larger screen sizes.
In general, screen sizes for plasma tvs range from 32 inches to 60 inches,
and lcd tvs range from 20 to 45.
This is quickly changing and by the time you read this the numbers may
be way off :)
One other thing about the size... LCD TVs are thinner, usually around 2 inches
and plasmas depending on the quality can be much thicker.
What does this mean? LCDs are more flat, take up less space, aren't near
as heavy and certainly not as fragile.
So that's the size and durability, but what about the technology and the quality
of the picture?
Both technologies are excellent and are way better than the CRT sitting in
your living room now!
If I had to say that one was better than the other, I would again choose
the LCD TV and here's why...
The LCD has a larger viewing angle than Plasmas.
Not in all cases but overall, lcd tvs are brighter and stay brighter longer
than plasmas.
And one other thing about the picture... LCDs have better contrast than Plasmas.
The differences in the over all picture quality are small and you will find
that some plasmas are better than some lcds.
But, if I could buy the best LCD, I think it would be better than the best
Plasma.