LCD Plasma
Differences

Just looking at TV sets can be deceiving when it comes to the question of LCD Plasma differences. Although it's true that both sorts of television are flat and thin, they actually use different technology in order to deliver their results.

Plasma TV:

Plasma television is based on the fluorescent lightbulb. The display is made up of many, many cells. In each cell are two glass panels which are separated by a very narrow gap in which neon-xenon gas is injected and sealed in plasma form when being manufactured. The gas is electrically charged at specific intervals when the Plasma set is actually in use. This charged gas strikes red, green, and blue phosphors, and then creats a television image. Each group of red, green, and blue phosphors is known as a pixel (that is one picture element).

Even though Plasma television eliminates any need for a big and deep picture tube and the electron beam scan in normal analogue TV's, because it still uses burning phosphors to make an image, Plasma TV's still retain some of the drawbacks of traditional TV's, like heat and static screen-burn images.

LCD TV:

LCD TV's have a quite different technology.

LCD panels are made of two transparent layers, which are polarized, and are "glued" together. One of these layers is coated with a polymer that holds the individual liquid crystals. Current is passed through individual crystals, which allow the crystals to pass or block light to create images. LCD crystals don't have their own light, so an external light source, such as fluorescent bulb is needed for the image made by the LCD to be visible.

LCD TV's (as opposed to standard CRT and Plasma TVs) have no phosphors that light up. Less power is needed. The light source in an LCD television makes less heat than a Plasma or traditional television. Because of the nature of LCDs, there is no radiation from the screen itself.

Summary of LCD Plasma differences

Plus points - Plasma:

Larger screen size

Better contrast ratio and ability to show deeper blacks

Better colour accuracy and saturation

Better motion tracking (motion lag in fast moving images)

Minus points - Plasma:

Plasma TVs are more likely to burn-in of static images

Plasma TVs generate more heat than LCDs, due to the phosphors used to create the images

Does not work so well at higher altitudes

Shorter display life span (about 30,000 hours or 8 hrs of viewing a day for 9 years) than LCD. It can vary depending on environment and actual use.

Plus points - LCD:

No burn-in of static images

Cooler running temperature

No high altitude use problems

Increased image brightness over Plasma.

Longer display life (about 60,000 hours - after that you may need to replace the light source, not the entire set). This can vary according other environment and use factors.

Minus points - LCD:

Lower contrast ratio, not as good at deep blacks

Not as good at tracking motion (fast moving objects may have lag artifacts)

Not as available in as large screen sizes

LCD TVs don't have burn-in, but it is possible that individual pixels on an LCD TVs can burn out, and cause small, visible, black or white dots to on the screen. Individual pixels can't be repaired. The whole screen would have to be replaced, if the individual pixel burnout becomes too bad.

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