Are you in the market for a new flat panel television? If so, there is one major decision you 
will have to make: Plasma or LCD?
Advocates of each type will, predictably, boast of the advantages of their standard while pointing out the deficiencies of their competitor. The question still remains, which type of display is a better match for you?
The Technology
Although plasma and LCD televisions look similar, the flat panel and slim profile is where the similarities stop. Plasma televisions make use of a matrix that is composed of numerous tiny gas plasma cells. The cells are in turn charged with precise electrical voltage which creates the picture or image. LCD screens, on the other hand, utilize liquid crystals that are squeezed in between two glass plates in a “sandwich” type manner. Images are then produced by a varying amount of electrical charge applied to the crystal. Both technologies offer their own unique advantages and disadvantages.
Picture Quality
Regardless of what is going on behind the screen, what really matters is how the television performs and the quality of the images. The general consensous is that both LCD and plasma televisions produce excellent images, however, most home entertainment specialists and gamers prefer the quality of a CRT in terms of image quality. Both technologies are quickly advancing and gaining ground on the CRTs.
For home theatre purposes, most specialists agree that the slight advantage goes to plasma panels. Plasma panels have the ability to display blacks more prominently than LCDs, which results in clearer contrasts and increased details in darker colored television and movie sequences. LCD technology is limited in this aspect due to the backlight which shines through the LCD layers. This makes it more difficult to produce true blacks due to the fact that there is always some level of light leakage from between the pixels. Each generation of LCD televisions has improved this aspect of LCD technology.
Plasma Advantages
Besides improved contrast for the reasons mentioned above, plasma televisions typically provide better viewing angles when compared to LCDs. A viewing angle, is how far one can sit on either side of a television before there is a visible reduction in picture quality. Typically, you will see more color and brightness shifts in LCD televisions when viewing from angles than compared to a plasma screen. Recently, however, more LCD televisions are being manufactured with viewing angles equal to or greater than most plasma screens. Plasma screens also tend to offer greater levels of brightness than LCDs, once again due to the issue of light leakage regarding LCD technology.
Advocates of plasma televisions also note that LCDs can sometime blur images during fast moving scenes and sporting events. Typically the pixel response time of plasmas are regarded as faster than most LCDs.
Finally, plasma televisions have traditionally been noticeably cheaper than their LCD counterparts. Recently, LCD manufacturers have made an effort to offer more competitive prices so this has become less of an issue.
LCD Advantages
Aside from being competitively priced, LCDs hold several key advantages over plasmas. First, LCDs typically offer greater native resolution compared to similar-sized plasmas. The result is more pixels on the screen.
LCDs are also more power efficient than most plasma televisions. Some figures have suggested that LCDs use up to 30% less power than a comparable plasma. LCDs also tend to lighter and easier to maneuver and mount than plasmas.
LCD models have also traditionally offered longer lifespans than plasma televisions. LCD screens are guaranteed for a minimum of 60,000 viewing hours without and any loss of brightness.
Best Value
If you have decided that you are in the market for a large screen, and by large we mean 50+ inches, plasma is the smartest choice. They offer a greater bang for your buck and have the edge in terms of picture quality.
If a smaller screen is more your style - anything under 42-inches - LCD is the clear choice. They are slimmer and have a cleaner appearance. The best part is that LCDs are getting cheaper every day.
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