LCD TV Plasma TV Comparison

we can compare the main qualities a TV shopper seeks before a purchase:

Contrast

Brightness

Longevity

Quality of colours

Viewing angle

Animation quality

Burn-in

Price & Production Size

Screen Sizes and Weight, and

Power Consumption

Altitude

Category 1: Contrast

Firstly, it is good to point out what we mean by contrast ratio. Contrast ratio is the measurement of the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black. The higher the contrast ratio the better the colour information will appear against a darker background. For example 1000:1 contrast ratio gives a better colour representation against a darker background then say 500:1 contrast ratio.

Modern plasma TVs boast contrast ratios of 3000:1, Panasonic for example. Much technology goes into these plasma screens to block light from emitting from pixels which should be black. In comparison LCD displays must block the the white backlight to create blacks. In LCDs more energy is typically consumed to create black pixels. Any backlight passing through an LCD pixel causes black level degradation. This effects LCD contrast ratio. For example 500:1 to 700:1 in sharp LCD TVs, lower than most good plasma TVs.

Conclusion: Plasma

Category 2: Brightness

Brightness is important to help ensure optimal viewing under varied daily lighting conditions.

All AQUOS LC-TVs have a brightness rating of 430 cd/m2. Plasma TVs are measured based on a different standard than LCD panels. When compared under the same circumstances as LC-TV, plasma display brightness is typically about 100 cd/m2.

Conclusion: LCD

Category 3: Longevity

Typically plasma TVs, like CRT TVs, lose their brightness over time. A Fujitsu white paper states that if you watch 6 hours of TV for 14 years you lose 50% of the brightness. For most people, this does not pose a problem. For an LCD TV the back-light is filtered by the liquid crystal substrate. This means there is nothing to burn out except the backlight. The backlight may be replaced! For a plasma, the light originates from the pixels which cannot be replaced when it begins to lose its brightness.

Plasma TVs may come with some faulty pixels out of the box. From then additional pixel failure after installation is quite rare. For a plasma, no circuits, switches or gates are present with each individual pixel. The electronic operations take place outside of the panel itself on a video board. This means if there is failure these components may be replaced by a qualified service expert. For LCDs dot electrodes situated on every sub-pixel red green and blue. These, by contrast, are prone to failure over the life span of the LCD TV. They cannot be individually replaced.

Lastly, burnin does not occur in LCD TVs, which you may consider as increasing the longevity of the TV. LCD manufacturers claim 55000 to 80000 hours for LCD monitors/TVs. Plasma manufacturers claim 30000 to 35000 hours. This allows LCDs to be used quite readily in commercial environments.

With the Hitachi PD5000 series and the Fujitsu A30 series (I.e P42HHA30 etc), the manufactuers claim life expectancies of 60000 hours for these plasmas. This is mainly because these plasmas use ALiS technology, where alternate sets of pixels are driven, reducing the load on each pixel, increasing pixel life.

Conclusion: LCD

Category 4: Colour Reproduction

Colour reproduction of a plasma TV is somewhat more accurate than that of an LCD display. Why? Colours (Red, Green and Blue) on a plasma TV are produced directly from the RGB sub pixels in an omnidirectional manner. This means you see the colours "from the source" with full brightness from anywhere in the room. LCD sub pixels create colour by filtering (or subtracting wavelengths from) a white backlight. Note: White light is a combination of all colours. Further to this, black levels are reduced, with colour and black level degradation at angles more than 25 degrees off axis. Blacks on a LCD TV are produced by blocking the white backlight. Any passign of this light also reduces the 'blackness' of blacks, one reason for the lower contrast ratios seen in LCD TVs in comparison to Plasma TVs.

Conclusion: Plasma

Category 5: Viewing Angle

Plasma TV have typically a 160 degree viewing angle. This is primarily because light is emanated directly from the sub pixels whereby in an LCD TV light is eminated from the backlight. The backlight is then polarized by the sub pixels to produce colour, in effect causing degradation at angles more than 25 degrees off axis. However with new substrate materials and improving technology LCD TVs can only get better.

Conclusion: Plasma

Category 6: Animation Quality

Its very important for TVs to be able to display fast paced action movie scenes with no blury, smearing afterimages. For LCD TVs the switching speed within subpixels for for display content is quite slow, making blurring a common problem. The switches need time to cycle through the on-off sequence, typically 1/30th second. This is more time than it takes to display two video fields - so rapidly moving LCD images leave trails behind them, or the images seems like its blurred.

While LCD technology has come a long way, there is still room to improve in this department. Hitachi attempts to remove blurring by adoption of the super impulse method. This method inserts black colouring based on internal processing each time the display content changes. This increases the speed of response to gray levels.

Ther are new LCD TV s to be released in late 2004 which have a grey to grey response rate of 8ms. This means LCD TVs will improve, removing any of the smearing afterimage that is seen in todays LCD TVs. Todays LCDs typically have a response time of 16ms.

Conclusion: Plasma, with LCD TV quickly catching up

Category 7: Burn-in

LCD has no image burn-in problems to consider. The fluorescent backlight of LCD TVs send light through its sub pixels which polarize and filter the light. Plasma displays do have burn-in problems. An issue which is problematic for plasma display technology. Burn-in is not so much of a problem when watching TV or movies because the images being displayed change often. However playing video games, displaying static information in displays or use as a computer monitor will cause burn-in for a plasma TV. In such situations, LCD is clearly the superior choice. Burn-in can be washed out somewhat by using gray images or a series of full colour images over many hours.

Conclusion: LCD

Category 8: Price and Production Size

LCD TVs are difficult to produce in larger sizes while minimising pixel defects. This is seen by the fact that there are no displays greater than 32" available. For now, the plasma TV is enjoying economies of scale and will remain cheaper for at least the next few years. However, expect LCD prices to near plasma TV prices and eventually become cheaper. Also expect larger LCD TVs to enter the market soon. It will not be too much longer before the 50" LCD TVs hit the market.

LCD-TVs come in a variety of sizes: 13", 15", 20", 22", 30" & 37". AQUOS LCD-TVs offer screen sizes to fit nearly every room and budget.

Conclusion: Plasma

Category 9: Size and Weight

LCD panels are lighter and more manageable. Most customers can easily mount an LCD panel. In addition, all AQUOS models come with a built-in table stand. In addition, they also offer versatile installations with use of mounting brackets and articulating arms. The heavier more fragile Plasma TVs can be a challenge to move and have limited installation options.

Plasma TVs are about an inch deeper and are fairly heavy, and may need additional wall support or professional installation.

Conclusion: LCD

Category 10: Power Consumption

Plasma TVs require thousands of sub pixels to be lit while LCD TVs use a fluorescent backlighting technique. In summary LCD TVs typically use half the voltage of Plasma TVs.

Conclusion: LCD

Category 11: Product life AQUOS LC-TVs have a life-span of 60,000 (25 years) hours.Plasma TV have span of 50,000 to 60,000 hours.(23 years)

Conclusion: LCD

Category 12: Altitude

lCD TVs have no altitude limitations.When Plasma TVs are placed in homes at elevations above 6,500 feet, they will often emit an annoying buzzing noise. This is due to the fact that the plasma gas inside the TV is subject to air pressure, and the higher the altitude, the more the TV will be prone to buzzing.