How To Decide If You Should Choose A Plasma Or LCD TV

Two main types of flat screen TVs rule the high definition arena at the moment: LCDs and plasmas. Even though these HDTVs are slim, aesthetically appealing and capable of spectacular pictures, most people still cannot decide on the type of flat panel HDTV they should purchase. This article will attempt to guide you in making the correct decision by analyzing your viewing requirements.

In the past, plasma TVs held the advantage over LCD TVs in terms of picture quality. That said, as LCD TVs become better as technology advances, the difference is now minimal at best. To decide on whether you should get a plasma TV or LCD TV, you should analyze how you are going to use the flat screen TV.

If you intend to play a lot of console games on your new flat screen TV, you should choose an LCD TV rather than a plasma TV. Even though not as big an issue as it was before, plasma TVs are still considerably susceptible to screen burn and image retention which could be easily caused by an extended gaming session.

Also, LCDs are generally brighter and have a higher panel resolution than plasma TVs within the same price bracket, meaning that the games would look more detailed and vivid, leading to an immersive gaming experience.

You should also opt for an LCD if you are going to use a home theater computer (HTPC) with your flat screen TV. The higher panel resolution of LCDs will make sure that screen text are legible; and the enhanced brightness (compared to plasma TVs) is necessary to mimic a PC monitor. Also, if you sit close to your flat screen TV you may see pixel noise on plasma TVs because of the manner the pictures are rendered through pulse width modulation.

On the other hand, if you enjoy fast action sports, a plasma TV should be on top of your shortlist. Although much improved compared to previous batches, LCDs still suffer from motion ghosting due to the sample-and-hold effect that is inevitable in the LCD TV technology. Newer LCDs powered with motion interpolation technology (100Hz and above) are better in this aspect, but because the technology is still in its early days, it is usually limited to smaller screens (less than 40”), and unwanted effects like shimmering and frame breaking are intermittently noticed.

I realize I mentioned in a previous paragraph that there's minimal difference in the picture quality of plasmas and LCDs these days, but taken as a whole, the black level and shadow detail on plasma TVs are better than those on LCDs. So if you are a big fan of movies with lots of dark scenes (for example Batman Begins and The Prestige), you should seriously opt for a plasma TV over an LCD TV.

By examining the way you are going to use the flat screen TV, you are more likely to arrive at the right decision on whether to get a plasma TV or LCD TV. Happy hunting!

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Vince Teoh writes for HDTVTest, an online magazine which carries out HDTV review. For further info please visit his website.