If you are about to make a Plasma or LCD purchase, there are a few things you should be 
aware of. Some factors you should consider before making your purchase will be listed here for your convenience.
Will your new flat-screen television burn-out or burn-in? What does this even mean? How long will your new television last before you should replace it? If you buy a plasma, will the gas leak out of it? Also, does sunlight harm an LCD television?
Facts About Plasma
Something you should know. In the plasma market, only a select number of companies actually manufacture plasma screens. Naturally, these companies tend to offer the highest image quality and the larger variety of available products.
Certain plasma sizes are unique to specific companies. Pioneer, for example, is the only company to offer a 43 and 61-inch monitor, while Hitachi is the sole provider of 55-inch units. Samsung, likewise, is the only manufacturer of 63-inch monitors.
Another important consideration, is the fact that true HD resolution cannot be found in plasma televisions smaller than 50-inches. Therefore, if HD capability is important to you, you should not be considering monitors that are smaller.
If you are looking for a TV 42-inches or less, you would be better served to purchase a less expensive plasma EDTV rather than waste money on an HD plasma counterpart.
Plasma TVs will offer about a 30,000 hour lifespan without any noticeable decline in picture quality. This equals 8hrs per day, seven days per week, for 10 years, if this sounds like a long time, it is.
At high altitudes, some plasma TVs emit significant noise. This noise is created by the mechanical processes during the on-off imaging cycles. At lower altitudes, their is significant air pressure that suppresses the vibration of the glass, which eliminates the noise.
LCD Facts
Most LCD televisions will come from one of the following companies: Sharp, Samsung, Hitachi, NEC, Kyocera, Sanyo and Panosonic.
Similar to plasma, the companies producing the largest number of televisions will typically offer the highest image quality. These “name” brands will also carry a higher price tag than the brands that you’ve never heard of.
This does not mean you should avoid the “unkonwn” brands. Many of the lesser known brands can offer very competitive quality and performance for a significantly lower price tag. This could be an important consideration depending on your financial situation.
Unlike their plasma counterparts, all widescree LCD screens greater than 15-inches have true HD resolution. Larger models of 46-inches or more offer tremendous resolution but carry a hefty price tag currently.
LCDs are not victim to ‘burn-in’ and ‘burn-out’ like plasmas, but they sometimes develop ‘dead’ pixels that are quite annoying. Getting a proper warranty is a good way to safe guard against such an occurrence.
LCDs typically produce less glare from indoor and outdoor light. This is a stark contrast to plasmas which suffer greatly from glare produced by natural and artificial light alike.
LCD TVs will also excel under normal lighting. While plasma TVs tend to perform better in darker conditions.
LCD televisions offer up to 60,000 hours of picture life, which is double that of most plasma units. This is usually how long it will take for the backlight of and LCD unit to burn out.
Another nice thing about LCD TVs is that they come in a variety of sizes so you could get a suitable television for practically every area you could think of. They also use less power (up to 25% less) and are noticeably lighter and more maneuverable than plasma sets.
Conclusion
What ultimately should determine which type of flat panel you buy, should be your personal needs. Consider where and what you will use your television for and also consider the type of media you will be watching the most. If you take the time to think about it, a decision should be fairly simple to make.
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