How to Find the Best Plasma TV and Best LCD Tvs

If you're ready to just start shopping, here are the basics you need to know!

Size Matters
Your room will determine what screen size you need. Seriously - get out a tape measure and measure from where the TV will sit to where you will sit. You don't want a TV so small you can't see the detail and you don't want one so large it gives you a headache. You really don't want to have to set up a TV just to re-pack it and haul it back to the store.

LCD vs Plasma TV - What Is the Difference?

To make a long story short, it comes down to size again! Plasma TV ratings are slightly higher than LCD TV ratings. However plasmas have not kept up with LCD TVs. Plasmas are only available in larger screen sizes (42 inches and up), so they may be too big for your space or too big for your budget. There are a lot of comparable or better LCD TVs, and they are available in more sizes.

Let me repeat - look at what size is best for your room and then get the best TV you can afford. The difference in a plasma vs LCD TV is basically negligible these days.

What is DPI Anyway and How Much Is Enough?
DPI refers to resolution. (When looking at specs, you'll typically see resolution measured as 720p and 1080p.) Resolution is the main reason high definition TVs look so much better than regular televisions.

Going from regular TV to high def is a massive jump. Once you get there, going from high resolution to higher resolution is negligible. Unless you have a super sized TV, you really won't be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. So, dpi is not the be all, end all measure even though this is what everyone talks about.

Once again - size is the most important factor!

So, there's the information you need in a nutshell to start shopping now. Recommended viewing distance is noted for each television listed for easy reference. If you want more information before shopping, scroll on down for more details.

To find the best plasma TV or best LCD TVs to fit your needs and that you'll enjoy, you need to determine how far away you'll sit from the TV. How do I know? I wasted an afternoon trying to return a TV so big it gave me headaches! (It looked fine in the store!) Believe me, you'll do yourself a favor if you take out the tape measure now.

TV screen sizes are determined by measuring diagonally across the screen. Most HDTVs are wide screen, so that's what we'll focus on here.

Wide Screen TVs - How to Find the Best Viewing Distance

Wide screen TVs have a longer diagonal across the screen than standard televisions. These TVs are more rectangular than standard square sets and look like small movie screens. With wide screens, you want the distance between you and the TV to be roughly 1.5 - 3 times the size of the diagonal.

For example:

1.5 x 30 inch TV = 45 inches
45 inches / 12 inches = 3.75 feet

3 x 30 inch TV = 90 inches
90 inches / 12 inches = 7.5 feet

Now that you understand this, you can find the size of the television that's best for you.

When looking at televisions, you'll have LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma screen options. There are good and bad things about both. In the end, however, the differences between an LCD vs plasma TV aren't that great. Your decision will once again ultimately come down to screen size.

Plasma Screens

The Good
- Wide viewing angle so the TV looks good from any point in the room
- Best home-theater image quality
- Best option for larger screen sizes (50 inches and up)

The Bad
- Slight potential for burn in
- Lower resolution than LCDs of the same size
- Limited screen sizes are available (42 inches and up)
- Plasma screens reflect light so you'll have screen glare in bright rooms
- Expensive (average price is $1600)

Summary on Plasmas
Plasma TVs are best if you are considering a large screen and want home theater quality images. Otherwise the LCD TVs are just as good. One thing you do need to watch out for is burn in on the screen. If an image is static on screen for too long, it can actually burn a shadow onto the screen. This can happen if you have something like a stock ticker running or leave an image paused for too long. If you can avoid this for the first 100 hours of using your new TV, you should be able to avoid any burn in from there on out.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Screens

The Good
- LCD televisions are available in more sizes (19 inches and up)
- Higher resolution than plasma TVs of the same size
- No burn in
- LCD screens reflect less light than a plasma so they're better in very bright rooms
- Less expensive than plasmas (average price is $930)

The Bad
- Image quality is not quite as good as a plasma
- Low viewing angle so you need to be more or less in front of the TV to see an optimal picture
- Larger screens (65 inches and up) are more expensive than plasma counterparts

LCD Summary
The image quality of a plasma is only very slightly better than LCDs these days. That being said, only the most discriminating viewer will notice the difference. The advantage of the LCDs is that more screen sizes are available giving you more options to fit your budget or your space. However, if a screen over 65 inches is the best option for your room, then plasmas will be much cheaper.

Final Thoughts on the LCD vs Plasma TV Question
In the end, the difference between an LCD vs plasma TV is a slightly better image quality with a plasma. However, plasmas don't make sense for everyone since they are only available in larger screen sizes (42 inches and larger.) If a screen this size is too big for your space, you're better off getting the best LCD you can buy.

LCD televisions are just as good as plasmas these days and offer a wider variety of sizes. If push comes to shove, your budget and viewing distance (which determines the best screen size for your room) will ultimately determine the "LCD vs plasma TV question" for you.

In the end, don't worry about an LCD vs plasma TV. You really can't go wrong with either option.