Plasma Vs Lcd: Which Is Best For Hdtv?
This LCD vs Plasma debate has been happening for a while now, but now might be a good time for us to take another look. With the new high definition TV standard, and with a load of new High definition televisions in the shops, you might not know which is the best choice for you. This article will explore both sides of the debate, so that we can better understand the advantages of both. Im going to start by outlining how LCD works. Then Im going to discuss how plasma works, and also look at the benefits of plasma. I will then end the article with a summary of the main points, to help you come to a decision about which type of TV you want to buy.
How LCD Screens Work
LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. These crystals are not really liquid, but they do behave more like a liquid than a solid, and this is how they got their name. Think of them as being somewhere between a liquid and a solid. They can remain in one place like a solid, but they can also move and change shape like a liquid.
To generate a picture, LCD televisions utilize the same kind of polarizing technology as sunglasses. At the back of the display there is a bright light. In front of the light is a horizontal polarizing filter blocking all light waves apart from horizontal ones, so that only the horizontal light can get through.
The pixels of the screen are made up of lots of tiny liquid crystals. Behind each pixel is a transistor which controls the amount of electricity flowing through the liquid crystal. Every crystal is twisted, and placed in front is a vertical polarizing filter only letting vertical light pass through. As electricity passes through each crystal, it becomes straight, stopping all light, but when this electrical current is turned off, the crystal twists and lets the light out vertically.
LCD Benefits
- Brilliant for showing still pictures.
- Full color detail.
- No flicker or screen burn-in.
- Available in a broad range of sizes.
- Long life – Liquid crystal display televisions can last for up to 100,000 hours!
- Exceptionally energy efficient.
Disadvantages of LCD
- Not so good for smooth fast scenes.
- When the backlight ages, this can cause the white balance to go slightly wrong.
How Plasma Works
Inside a plasma screen there are thousands of sealed, low pressure glass chambers that are filled with “plasma”, which is made out of xenon and neon. Every one of these tiny chambers has a set of colored phosphors behind it: one red, one blue, and one green. The plasma chambers, when energized, give off an invisible UV light which hits the various colored phosphors, making them emit visible light.
Plasma’s Benefits
- Reacts well to a truly digital image source.
- Fantastic for fast moving action.
- Superb contrast.
- Comes in larger sizes than Liquid crystal display.
- Costs less, particularly with larger models.
Plasma: the Bad
- Can suffer burn-in (not great for static images)
- Brightness of screen gradually fades with time (although this occurs very gradually, over many years).
- Consumes more electricity than LCD.
Plasma or LCD: Which is Right For You?
Right, so which type of TV is the one for you?? LCD or Plasma? To decide, you should take a moment to think about about what you will want to use it for. If you want a screen that is very big, and is great for displaying very smooth fast action scenes at extremely high contrast, then Plasma is the one for you. This is especially true if you enjoy watching fast action films or if youre an avid .
However, if you’re more concerned with longevity, rich colors, and energy efficiency, and you’re not really into the fast action films or the games, then LCD is right for you. This is particularly true if youre planning to use your TV for viewing any static images, for example if you wanted to plug in your digital camera and browse through your photos, or if you wanted to also use your TV for browsing the internet (some LCD TVs have an internet TV mode).
