Plasma VS LCD Television Set

In the past, plasmas held the advantage over LCD TV when it comes to sheer picture quality. Having said that, as LCD TVs improve as technology advances, the gap now is minimal at best. That's why to make a decision on plasma VS LCD, you should look at how you are planning to use the flat screen HDTV.

If you plan to play a lot of console games on your new flat screen HDTV, you should choose an LCD TV over a plasma. Even though not as serious a problem as it was before, plasmas are still relatively prone to screenburn and image retention that could be easily brought upon by a long gaming session.

Also, LCD TVs tend to be brighter and boast a higher resolution than plasmas within the same price bracket, which make the games look more vivid and detailed, resulting in an immersive gaming experience.

You should also opt for an LCD if you are going to use a home theater computer (HTPC) with your flat screen HDTV. The higher resolution of LCD TVs will make sure that the text on the screen are well-formed; and the increased brightness level (compared to plasmas) is essential to mimic a computer monitor. Also, if you sit closer to your flat screen HDTV you may notice pixel noise on plasmas due to the fashion the pictures are rendered through pulse width modulation (PWM).

On the other hand, if you watch fast paced sport programs, a plasma TV should be a strong contender in your shortlist. While much improved compared to previous batches, LCD TVs continue to suffer from motion blurring as a result of the sample-and-hold phenomenon which is inherent in the LCD TV technology. More advanced LCD TVs powered with frame interpolation technology (100Hz and above) are better in this respect, but because the technology is still in its infancy, it is generally limited to smaller screens (less than 40-inch), and side effects like shimmering and frame breaking are intermittently noticed.

I know I mentioned in a previous paragraph that there's not much difference in the picture quality of plasmas and LCD TVs these days, but taken as a whole, the blacks and gray gradation on plasmas are better than those on LCD TVs. So if you are an avid fan of films with a lot of dark scenes (such as Batman Begins and The Prestige), you should seriously consider a plasma over an LCD.

By evaluating how you will use your new HDTV, and what you will use it for, you can get the best HDTV for your needs.