Sep 23, Plasma vs LCD TV - A Detailed Comparative Guide (2): Picture Matters

This is one of those areas in this plasma vs LCD TV shoot-out, which is becoming increasingly difficult to determine where to go. This in view that the latest generation plasma and LCD flat panel displays are both capable of producing excellent picture quality – with bright, crisp clear images. Yet there are still a few significant differences when it comes to plasma vs LCD picture performance - including with respect to LED TVs -  that renders one display technology more suitable than the other under certain circumstances.

Plasma TV sets are generally more suitable for home theater use than LCD TVs, even though the latest LED TVs are capable of achieving exceptionally deep blacks.

However, plasma TVs picture quality characteristics render plasma television sets more suitable for use under controlled lighting. The main reason is plasma's deeper blacks. The gas cell structure within a plasma display is such that there is no light leaking between adjacent cells (or pixels). This enables a plasma TV to display deeper blacks than its LCD counterpart especially when handling mixed content images with predominantly dark content but that still contains small bright areas to be displayed simultaneously over the dark background.

Some may argue that LED TVs are also capable of exceptionally dark blacks in comparison to CCFL LCD TVs but take note that even the more precise LED TVs with full array local dimming are not capable of producing the deepest blacks of the best plasmas when handling bright objects over a predominantly dark background.

Improved black level performance is a most important picture quality parameter as it helps render better those difficult-to-define quality attributes like picture depth, scene detail - especially in television and movie scenes where lots of dark and light content is shown simultaneously, and color richness - more specifically the perceived color saturation. Indirectly, a better black level also leads to better rendering of picture contrast.

In comparison, the nature of LCD technology – where a backlight shines through the LCD layer – makes it difficult to achieve true blacks, i.e. true absence of light. There is always some light leakage between adjacent picture elements in an LCD panel. And this applies even to the latest LED-backlit LCD TVs using local dimming technology and especially edge-lit LED TVs. The latter are basically nothing more than CCFL LCD TVs with the CCFL replaced by a LED backlight. While LED TVs can literally switch the LED backlight off to achieve total darkens say between scenes, yet their overall black level performance with mixed content nowhere approaches that of the best plasma TVs.

In fact, the darkest images on a plasma TV can be as dark as a fraction of a candela. This corresponds to the 'brightness' of the turned-off phosphor. In the case of an LCD television, the 'brightness level' of the darkest picture scenes is significantly higher; in the worst case, it can even reach one candela - at times even more, and this when viewed just right in front of the LCD display. View the LCD screen at an angle, and you will find that its black level performance deteriorates significantly. As stated, LED TVs can achieve total darkens by switching the LED backlight off but you cannot take black level on its own; more important than the deepest black a TV can achieve is the overall black level performance with mixed content.

In other words, when it comes to plasma vs LCD, despite the latest improvements in LCD technology - especially with LED TVs, plasma still enjoys a technological advantage.

In general, the color accuracy of LCD panels is still not exactly on par with that of the best plasma televisions - but the difference between high-end models for both display technologies is just a hair apart and often noticeable only under a test environment.

The reason for the slight plasma edge in this respect arise out of the way color is produced in LCD displays where white light from the backlit source is filtered through micro color filters build in sub-pixels.

This LCD light transmissive method of controlling color is an inherently difficult process to maintain color accuracy and vibrancy - even though most LCD displays manage to do quite an impressive job. Instead, plasma generates color direct at the light source - thanks to the different phosphors used in the individual sub-pixel elements.

In general, plasma displays continue to exhibit more richness in color information and more natural coloration; on the other hand, LCD display panels would normally tend towards over-saturation. This over-saturation, together with the inherent anti-glare technology employed in LCD panels, and their relatively brighter image, render LCD panels more suitable for use in brightly lit rooms.

This does not mean that LCD panels are not suitable for use in the home theater. Some of the latest generation LCD HDTV sets make use of intelligent backlight units that are capable of delivering even greater color freedom, thus yielding more true to life colors. In particular, the latest developments in LCD panel backlights using LED light are capable of more accurate rendering of color detail. LED TVs within this category include the Samsung 46-inch UN46C8000 and 55-inch UN55C8000 edge lit LED TVs with precision dimming, and LG 55-inch 55LE8500 and 47-inch 47LE8500 LED TVs with full array local diming backlight technology. These LED TVs are capable of top-notch performance but this superior performance with respect to other LCD TVs does not come cheap.

The latest energy efficient plasma display panels from Samsung, Panasonic, and LG are also capable of producing relatively very bright images despite their lower power consumption levels. This makes these new 2010 plasma TVs also suitable for use in brightly lit environments. Yet we still recommend using LCDs under bright lighting instead of plasma as apart from plasma's higher power consumption levels, prolonged use of high brightness levels in plasma displays may eventually reduce their phosphor lining performance.

And what about contrast ratio? We are seeing some really high contrast ratio ratings for both plasma and LCD TVs - with the latest trend being the popular mega-contrast ratings. The biggest number we have seen so far averaged 5,000,000:1 for most premium plasma TVs and 10,000,000:1 quoted by LG for its latest LX9500 3D LED TV series.

Yet when it comes to comparing plasma vs LCD contrast performance, the real problem with LCD televisions is not insufficient contrast with respect to plasma TVs. Rather, it is the deterioration in picture quality associated with LCDs due to a noticeable lowering in contrast and black levels with off-axis viewing; this also leads to loss of color saturation. This is especially so with LED TVs due to their restricted viewing angle. This is not the case with plasma TVs.

A word of caution here about high contrast ratio ratings: Manufactures like to impress with excessive high figures. However, keep in mind that it is not possible for the human eye to perceive any difference in contrast between a ratio of say 5,000:1 and 10,000:1, even in pitch darkness. There is also the issue that static (at times also referred to as on-screen contrast ratio), and dynamic contrast ratings are not one and the same thing. Manufacturers tend to quote the latter as it yields a bigger number.

Furthermore, the perceived contrast level by the eye depends on a number of factors. Apart from the level of ambient light - which may very well render even a rating of 100:1 academic, in the case of direct-view displays like plasma and LCD, contrast ratio performance is also dependent on the effectiveness of the screen anti-glare filter in maintaining black levels under bright lighting - more specifically in its effectiveness in blocking external light from entering the display panel. For more information on this issue, please refer to our Contrast Ratio article.

Image uniformity encompasses a number of aspects that range from uniformity of the image brightness across the screen to image smoothness. These are issues that are highly dependent on the display technology but quite a few of these uniformity issues may arise out of problems with the video processing itself and therefore, may vary significantly between brands.

When comparing plasma vs LCD image uniformity performance, plasma enjoys a definite edge over LCD TVs. In particular, plasma seems to be more forgiving when displaying noisy video content. In a similar manner, shadow gradations on plasma looks smoother than on an LCD.

Furthermore, problems related to lack of uniformity in the image brightness across the screen are exclusively LCD related. LCDs often exhibit a sort of a brighter spot - how pronounced varies from make to make, but in general, brightness is not 100% uniform across an LCD TV screen - mainly because of problems with the backlight-diffuser system used to spread light across the full display area. And with edge-lit LED TVs, screen uniformity may get even worse than with CCFL LCD TVs. This is not the case with plasma TVs.

Issues such as banding, clouding, and pillaring are all forms of uniformity issues associated with problems in the LCD backlight. These problems may arise with both CCFL-based LCDs and edge-lit LED backlights. Additionally, LED LCDs using local dimming technology may also exhibit a sort of halo effect - also referred to as blooming - when displaying bright objects over a predominantly dark background.

LCD TV with clouding problem

These brightness uniformity issues in LCDs are often further pronounced with off-angle viewing.

3D has taken a much slower start that what TV makers expected but for those interested in 3D TV, it is interesting to note that plasma and LCDs (CCFL and LEDs) does not perform the same.

Again, it is plasma that takes the upper hand here. It seems that unlike plasma TVs, LCD televisions - whether using a CCFL or LED backlight - are more prone to image crosstalk. The latter is a phenomenon in 3D viewing where a subtle washed-out image intended for the right eye appears as a halo around the image intended for the left eye and vice versa.

This affects the 3D image detail - leading to a subtle double image effect that may at times become annoying with some 3D content. In the worst case, it may even cause eye fatigue.

It is true that 3D Crosstalk can be caused by a variety of factors including lack of accuracy in the synchronization between the TV and the shutter glasses, as well as too high contrast TV settings or a high contrast image. But it is also enhanced by an insufficient pixel response time. Even the superfast (for an LCD) 1 msec response time of the LX9500 LG LED TV flagship series is not fast enough to eliminate crosstalk completely. Mind you, the LG flagship faster response time helps reduce 3D crosstalk over slower LCD TVs - including the Samsung C8000 series, but it is still present on this flagship LED LCD TV.

Instead, reviews of the latest 3D Panasonic plasma TVs show that these plasma HDTVs can produce an exceptionally 3D picture with hardly any visible crosstalk.

But the way, LCD panels have another drawback when it comes to 3D TV! Because of the polarizer layer used on LCD panels - both on the TV display and the 3D glasses, the viewer has to sit in an upright position to get the 3D effect; try to tilt or relax and sit back with the glasses at an angle to the LCD screen and the image would go dark as the polarization of the display panel and that of the glasses cross each other.

Here our thumbs up in this plasma vs LCD analysis goes to plasma televisions, even though both technologies are extremely close in terms of overall picture performance, but...

In general, plasma color richness and naturalness will prevail in rooms with low to normal lighting. Plasma also performs better when it comes to 3D TV due to its less susceptibility to 3D image crosstalk. Instead, LCDs will perform better in brightly lit rooms due to their inherent anti-glare technology and higher brightness levels.

We continue this plasma vs LCD discussion by looking at how picture quality behaves with a change in viewing angle.

The viewing angle represents how far one can sit on either side of the screen away from the center, without experiencing significant deterioration in picture quality mainly because of color shifts and reduced contrast.

Plasma televisions typically have a better viewing angle than LCD TVs as they hold black levels much better with off-axis viewing than LCDs. This usually occurs at around 100 degrees, i.e. at some 50 degrees on either side of a line drawn normal to the center of the screen.

The main reason for this difference between these two technologies arise out of the fact that each pixel in a plasma display panel produces its own light, rather than light being spread across the screen from one central backlight source and then controlled by active polarized elements in the display panel. Hence, each pixel is more readily visible even when viewing at an angle to the screen surface because its brightness is consistent with every other pixel on the screen.

Recent developments in LCD technology mean that this is less of an issue - rather it is becoming a non-issue especially with the latest generation of CCFL LCD televisions. With LED LCD TVs, the situation is somewhat different; these still suffer from a somewhat restricted viewing angle and unless you take the best seat, you would not enjoy the best picture.

What used to be a clear advantage for plasma displays is becoming more and more a non-issue especially with the latest generation of LCD televisions, however...

Do not always assume that viewing angle is no longer important when comparing plasma vs LCD, especially if the viewing angle is not specified. The tendency – in particular with cheaper LCD TV sets - is that the deterioration in picture quality is more accentuated with LCD and in particular LED TVs, than with plasma displays.

The minimum recommended viewing distance for a 1080p HDTV is approximately twice the screen width. Yet, due to the different pixel structure between plasma and LCDs, if the viewing distance is less than 6 to 8 feet, probably you will be better off with an LCD TV. The pixel size and display build up structure of an LCD panel help render a smoother picture than that from equivalent size plasmas for the same pixel count.

For a detailed discussion on TV viewing distance considerations, we advise to check our article here.

None if you are within normal viewing distance for your screen size; this applies as long as your viewing distance is more than approximately 6 to 8 feet away from the TV screen.

If you have a too short TV viewing distance, an LCD television may render itself better as its pixel structure is less visible.

Up to not long ago, LCD panels used to deliver more in terms of pixel count. LCD manufacturers were also the first to come up with 1080p screens and to a certain extent, this was also used to a great extent by LCD TV retailers as a sales advantage over plasma TVs.

This is no longer the case; for anything greater and including  42-inch screens, plasma TVs are readily available in 1080p full HD resolution. This means that the two display technologies are now on par in this respect.

Rather the situation with both plasma and LCDs is that you have more choice for 1080p HDTVs; additionally, 720p LCD TVs at anything bigger than 37-inch have become almost inexistent.

A word of caution: Do not underestimate the picture quality supported by the less expensive 720p display. Keep in mind that the eye would not be able to perceive the additional picture detail afforded by the 1080p pixel count for screens less than and including 50-inch diagonals from what is considered normal viewing distance especially with TV program content. Rather, opting for a 720p instead of a 1080p HDTV for anything between 40-inch and 50-inch would definitely lead to significant savings since the higher pixel count of 1080p plasma or LCD HDTVs comes at a price.

Up to very recent, LCD televisions used to deliver more in terms of pixels for screen sizes up to 50-inch. When comparing plasma vs LCD TV sets, it was only at the extreme larger end of the scale that plasma and LCD display resolutions met.

However, things changed. At screen sizes where collision between the two technologies occurs, plasma and LCD TVs are both available in 1080p resolutions. Rather, the real problem for the HDTV buyer is that 720p LCD TVs are no longer available within the 40-inch to 50-inch screen category.

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Sep 23, Plasma vs LCD TV - A Detailed Comparative Guide to Flat-panel TV Technology

This plasma vs LCD TV debate has been raging on since these two technologies first appeared on the market. Yet for the HDTV buyer, things started to get complicated some four years ago when 40 to 50-inch plasma and LCDs began selling at relatively affordable prices.Unfortunately, with the advent of LED TVs, the whole display technology equation has complicated itself to the point that for many, it is becoming almost beyond understanding.The problem with LED TVs is that few realize these are actually LCD TVs, with the only difference being the use of a LED backlight instead of the traditional CCFL found on conventional LCDs. Admittedly, this leads to a few differences like a slimmer profile and somewhat less uniform screen brightness for LED TVs. But once you know the few differences between LEDs and CCFL LCD TVs, the whole display technology selection becomes once again a plasma vs LCD.This technological dilemma arises out of the fact that both plasma TVs and LCD HDTVs represent a most compelling option for home entertainment. Both come with a slim profile - some three inches deep while the latest ultra-slim plasmas and LED LCD TVs are just an inch thick.And you can literally hang a plasma or LCD HDTV on the wall, on the ceiling, or in that case, anywhere else you feel like watching your new television!Yet there is more to complicate this plasma vs LCD TV selection process than just a similar slim-style package. Both plasma televisions and LCD TVs are capable of similar picture performance, with bright, colorful, crystal-clear pictures. In addition, with the latest energy-efficient 600Hz plasma display panels and superior 120Hz and 240Hz CCFL and LED LCDs, the difference in performance between plasma and LCD TVs is becoming more product dependent than display technology dependent.Despite these similarities, plasma and LCD display panels process the image in a completely different manner. More specifically, there is no relation what-so-ever between the different technologies driving these displays.Plasma displays use a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells that are charged by precise electrical voltages to emit light and create the picture image. In other words, each picture element in a plasma TV display acts as a miniature light source. [More information is available at How-it-Works: Plasma Display Panel.]Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) panels work by trapping a liquid crystal solution between two sheets of polarized glass. When an electric current passes through the liquid crystals, the crystals rotate causing a change in the polarization of the light passing through. This affects the amount of light passing through the polarized glass to reach the face of the display. Unlike plasma panels, LCDs do not generate light - rather they filter or subtract light produced by a CCFL or an LED backlight - to create the image. [More on this in our guide How-it-Works: Liquid Crystal Displays.]It is not the scope of this plasma vs LCD TV article to go into details of how these different display technologies work. After all, what matters in the end is not what is going behind the display panel; more important is how these different display technologies perform as a television screen.At the same time, one cannot be remark that it is these same differences that give each display technology its strengths and weaknesses, and therefore render one more suitable than the other under a different environment. We approach this plasma vs LCD TV debate, or in that case plasma vs LCD vs LED  TVs, by looking at the three main areas of concern, namely 'price and size', 'picture issues', and 'functional' considerations. We believe this should help better bring out the main differences between these display technologies. It should also make it easier to decide where these different display technologies fit best.

To access each of these plasma vs LCD TV discussions, click on the respective link below; a summary of all issues discussed in these Plasma vs LCD TV comparative guides is given here under.

Plasma vs LCD TV: Price and Size Considerations'Screen SIZE' and 'PRICE' represent the two most basic issues one should look at before any other consideration when buying a TV.

Plasma vs LCD TV: Picture Quality MattersDiscussing issues like differences in contrast ratio, black level performance, color accuracy, viewing angle, supported picture detail, 3D, and picture quality in general.

Plasma vs LCD TV: Functional IssuesIs one display technology better than the other when it comes to issues like image retention, computer use, lifetime, bad-pixels, response time, and power requirements? Don't have the time to go through the complete plasma vs LCD TV discussion referred to above? No problem! Here is a summary of the most important conclusions. This summary list should also serve as an easy-to-follow reference when doing comparison-shopping between these two display technologies. Both technologies are playing on level ground. Still, available plasma vs LCD TV options are highly dependent on screen size.You have more choice within the plasma TV domain for screen sizes greater than 55-inch. Though production costs and retail prices have come down for both technologies, plasma still has an edge as far as production cost goes. On the other hand, at anything smaller than and including 40-inch, LCD is at present your only option.Up to not long ago, plasma was the obvious choice for all screen sizes where collision between the two technologies occurred; this is no longer the case. In general, plasma still carries a price advantage - especially with respect to LED TVs. However, plasma's price advantage becomes significant mainly at the bigger screen sizes - 54 inches and upwards, irrespective of whether you are dealing with CCFL or LED LCD TVs. At screen sizes less than and including 50-inch, the price difference starts to become less of an issue - to the point that for CCFL LCDs, it almost vanishes as one approaches the 42-inch. However, this holds true as long as you opt for a 720p HDTV. As pointed out elsewhere on this site, a 720p HDTV would yield a better deal at the 40 to 50-inch domain. Unfortunately, at these screen sizes, 720p LCD TVs are becoming almost non-existent; your only readily available 720p option is a plasma HDTV.Both technologies are extremely close in this respect in that both plasma and LCDs are capable of excellent picture quality - with bright, crisp clear images, high contrast levels, and excellent color reproduction. Yet our thumbs up in this plasma vs LCD TV analysis goes to plasma televisions. Plasma TVs still have an edge over their LCD counterparts when it comes to displaying deep blacks - thus enjoying better contrast and detail in images when dark and light content is shown simultaneously. Some may argue that the latest LED TVs with full array local dimming can exhibit similar deep blacks as the best plasmas. This is true but it is also true that LED TVs suffer from a far restricted viewing angle beyond which black levels - and hence perceived image contrast and color saturation - fall sharply. In addition, when it comes to picture quality, one cannot take the level of black on its own; equally important is the overall black level performance with different content incorporating a mix of both dark and bright areas shown simultaneously. Another issue is screen brightness uniformity, or rather the lack of it across the entire screen area when it comes to LCDs and especially LED LCD TVs.And for those interested in 3D, plasma TVs provide a better 3D experience with hardly any image cross between the images intended for the left and right eye thanks to the faster pixel response of plasma TVs.At the same time... While plasma color richness and naturalness will generally prevail in rooms with controlled low to normal light levels, LCDs will perform better in brightly lit rooms mainly due to their inherent anti-glare technology and a brighter image with respect to most plasma TVs.What used to be a clear advantage for plasma displays is becoming less important with the latest generation of CCFL-based LCD televisions. LED TVs tends to exhibit a poorer viewing angle than their CCFL counterparts though they still support a wide enough angle of view for most home entertainment applications.However, when comparing plasma vs LCD TVs, plasmas still have an edge in this respect. The tendency is that the deterioration in picture quality with off-axis viewing  - mainly in the form of a lowering in contrast and color saturation - is more accentuated with LCDs than with plasma displays.None carries any advantage with viewing distance as long as you are within normal viewing distance for your screen size. [More on viewing distance can be found in our article TV Viewing Distance guide.] Yet... When comparing plasma vs LCD TVs, the overall pixel structure in an LCD TV set tends to be less visible than the gas-cell structure in a plasma display panel. This helps LCDs render a 'smoother' picture than an equivalent size plasma display, thus making LCDs more suitable for closer viewing applications. Up to very recent, LCD televisions used to deliver more in terms of pixels per unit screen size. When comparing plasma vs LCD TV sets, it was only at the extreme larger end of the scale that plasma and LCD display resolutions met. However, things changed; both plasma televisions and LCD HDTVs are readily available with full 1080p screen resolution at screen sizes down to around 40-inch. Rather, you have better choice at 1080p than at the lower 720p resolution. In addition, 720p LCD TVs have become almost inexistent for anything above 37-inch.At the same time... While neither display technology has an advantage when it comes to resolution, yet the pixel structure in an LCD renders LCDs better where high resolution images have to be viewed at close distance - as in the case of PC generated graphics applications.LCD TVs enjoys a technological advantage; they are not prone to burn-in. In other words, you can display a bright image for any length of time without ever worrying about burn-in. Instead, LCD TVs suffer from image sticking; but in the majority of cases, this is completely reversible, and in any case, unlikely to take place under normal home use.At the same time, we have to remark that... Burn-in is no longer much of a concern with most plasma TVs as it used to be up to the recent past, especially for people with normal TV viewing requirements.Despite that plasma panels were originally developed way back in 1964 as computer displays, LCDs are better suited to display computer images. The higher resolution of the latter at smaller screen sizes renders LCDs capable of displaying detailed graphics better. In addition, their non-susceptibility to burn-in makes them better suited to display the relatively static images associated with many computer applications.This is a non-issue with either technology. Both plasma and LCD TV sets come with a quoted display panel half-lifetime of around 100,000hrs. Even if this were just 40,000hrs, it would imply more than 15 years of use at 7.5 hours a day. And this when the average household in the US replaces their TV set every 7 years! In other words, both plasma and LCD TV sets are based on extremely stable and reliable display technologies. Rather, lifetime is more dependent upon product quality and associated electronics inside the set than upon the display technology itself.Plasma televisions have a definite advantage because even though some manufactures are offering a zero bad pixel policy with their LCD TVs, yet when comparing plasma vs LCD TVs, LCD displays still have a higher tendency of developing bad pixels during use.This is another advantage in favor of Plasma - because even though LCD technology has improved to the point that this is less of an issue, LCDs still have some way to go to achieve the same level of pixel response times and complete blur-free images as phosphor-based displays. This also partly explains why plasma TVs perform better in 3D TV applications. [More on LCD TV response time can be found here: LCD Response Time.]A soft buzzing noise is typical of all plasma displays because of the way these operate; this however would be hardly audible even with the sound switched off unless you are with your ears just a few inches away from the panel. In either case, if for whatever reason, you are after is complete quite operation, LCD is the way to go.Thought power requirements of video displays are highly dependent on picture settings, LCD HDTVs carry an advantage especially as one moves towards the bigger end of the scale. It is true that the latest energy efficient plasma display panels have brought about significant improvement, but if one were to compare the latest energy efficient plasma vs LCD TVs, CCFL LCDs still consume at least 20% to 30% less power than corresponding plasma HDTVs. And LED TVs consume even less energy - typically 50% the power of corresponding  plasma TVs for the same screen size.
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Sep 23, Plasma vs LCD TV Technology - A Detailed Comparative Guide (1): Price and Size

Intro: 'Screen SIZE' and 'PRICE' represent the two most basic issues one should look at before any other consideration when buying a TV.

Available budget will determine the available buying options, while the desired screen size may eventually determine the technology to opt for.

These two basic considerations are also interrelated in that price increases as the screen size increases.

Interesting is that when comparing plasma vs LCD, the increase in price with screen size varies from one display technology to another. What may be prohibitively expensive for one, may turn out to be rather inexpensive for the other. 

Up to the recent past, the issue of 'Plasma vs LCD TV' would only arise in the 40-inch to 50-inch screen size range, in that collision between LCD and plasma TVs used to occur only within these screen sizes.

This is no longer the case; both plasma TVs and LCD televisions are coming out larger than ever.

In January 2008, Panasonic unveiled the world's largest plasma, a 150-inch Life Wall TV, an ultra-high resolution display sporting a 2160 x 4096 pixel count! This was Panasonic response to the world's largest LCD - a 108-inch LCD display presented by Sharp during CES2007. And things did not stop there!

It seems that if you were to compare plasma vs LCD, display panel size does not represent a limitation to either technology. Rather, the real major problem for display panel makers is to produce the required giant-size glass substrate. At the same time, one cannot but remark that LCD production calls for more technological challenges. Producing a 100-inch ultra-high definition LCD display panel with 4096 x 2160 pixel resolution without defects implies that the production process should ensure that the more than twenty-six million transistors etched onto the surface of the LCD glass substrate are all fully functional and without defects!

Both plasma and LCD TVs are readily available in screen sizes up to around 65" screens. But with LCD TVs, anything above 60-inch diagonal is too expensive for most home theater budgets. The interesting 65-inch Samsung UN65C6500 has an online price of $4,000 - almost a $1,000 less expensive than 2009 pricing; but it is still pretty expensive.

Move further up to the slightly larger 70-inch model from Sony, the Sony BRAVIA KDL-70XBR7 and expect to pay some $20,000 for a model of this size!

At the big-end of the scale, LCDs become significantly more affordable as long as one remains within the 55-inch size. Sets such as the top-of-the line LG 55-inch 55LE8500 full LED array with local dimming LED TV is selling at just over $2,200. Interesting is that this is possibly the most affordable premium 55-inch LED TV; it has been rated by major review sites as among the best irrespective of brand. Partly the reason is the use of full array local dimming LED technology. But similar pricing also applies to sets such as the 60-inch KDL-60EX700 ($2,450) edge-lit LED TV from Sony and the Samsung UN55C8000 55-Inch 3D LED HDTV (2,850) with precision dimming. The latter LED backlight technology from Samsung introduces some form of local dimming with edge-lit LED backlight; but despite the name, it is far from being as precise as full array local dimming technology.

It is true that at this HDTV size category, you are getting less screen estate. But when considering the big difference in price between 52/55-inch and the larger 60-inch plus LCD models, present pricing renders 52-inch/55-inch LCDs as the most affordable and cost-effective LCD HDTVs within the real  'big screen TV' domain.

The situation with plasma televisions at the larger end is slightly different. You have more choice than with LCDs and this at a substantially lower price.

Interesting products include the latest Panasonic VIERA 50-inch TC-P50G25 and 54-inch TC-P54G25; these premium plasma TVs are selling online at $1,400 and $1,000 respect, and are among the HDTVs most in demand by home theater enthusiasts and videophiles looking for the best picture at a more affordable price.

But equally affordable are Samsung's massive 58-inch PN58C590 ($1,690) and the 63-inch PN63C590 ($2,500), as well as the latest LG high-end 60-inch 60PK750 ($1,460) and the LG flagship, the 60-inch 60PK950, which at $2,150 is one of the most affordable really big screen TVs for the home theater.

Comparing like with like in terms of features and picture performance, these prices render the bigger plasma TVs even more affordable than corresponding 55-inch premium LCDs. Just take the 55-inch LG LE8500 LED TVs; its 60-inch plasma TV counterpart from the same TV maker, the LG 60PK950 is selling at a slightly cheaper price.

But things within this plasma vs LCD TV debate take a totally different direction at the smaller end of the scale. For anything smaller than 42-inch, your only choice is LCD. While during 2008, we have seen a number of 37-inch and even 32-inch plasma TV sets, it seems that plasma TV makers have realized that when it comes to plasma vs LCD TVs, plasma's real edge over LCD arises at the larger screen size of the spectrum rather than at the medium-to-small screen category.

If you were to compare plasma vs LCD TV sets for available screen sizes, it is clear that both technologies are playing on level ground, with a few differences though...

You have more affordable choice when it comes to plasma televisions for screen sizes greater than 55-inch. This is partially explained by the fact that while production costs and retail prices have come down for both technologies, plasma still leads as far as production cost goes.

On the other hand, for anything smaller than 42-inch, your real way forward is LCD as plasma TVs within this screen category are no longer available.

Price is always a big issue when choosing an HDTV. In general, when comparing plasma vs LCD TV pricing, LCD televisions tend to be more expensive than their plasma counterpart - especially at screen sizes larger than 52-inch. And as we have already seen in this discussion, the price difference between these two display technologies shoots upwards as one crosses the 55-inch boundary - with LCDs becoming more expensive than their plasma counterparts.

This higher price tag generally associated with LCD TVs is the result of the production process itself. Production processes for plasma displays still support a better yield and thus carries a pricing advantage, especially at the larger screen sizes.

This contrasts heavily with LCD production process where some 30% of all manufactured panels have to be discarded because of defects leading to what are known as 'bad-pixels'. This also explains why manufactures never guarantee that an LCD display panel is completely free from bad pixels.

Recent developments in the manufacture of LCD displays have led to a substantial drop in the price of LCD panels. The latest prices of LCD HDTVs are more in line with those of plasma televisions of the same size, in particular for screen sizes less than and including 52-inch.

And at 42-inch, entry level 1080p plasma and LCD TVs are practically selling at about the same price. The popular Panasonic 42-inch TC-P42S2 is selling at just $720 while the similar featured Samsung 40-inxh LN40C530 LCD TV is selling at close to $800 - slightly more expensive but the difference is negligible.

Mind you, plasma still carries a price advantage overall and the lower pricing policy adopted by plasma TV makers for 2009/2010 has in fact further strengthened this advantage.

A TV industry market research published by firm Quixel Research shows that plasma television sales overall were up 14 percent from the first quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010, compared to a 6 percent jump in LCD TVs with screens 40-inch and larger. In the first quarter of 2010, plasma represented about 20 percent of all TVs 40 inches or larger, Quixel said.

However, when comparing plasma vs LCD TVs, plasma's real price advantage at the 40 to 50-inch domain becomes significant mainly as one shifts towards the 720p HDTV category.

Lower resolution displays are cheaper to manufacture, yet while plasma 720p HDTVs are readily available, 720p LCDs at these screen sizes have almost vanished completely.

One of Samsung cheapest HDTVs for 2010, the 42-inch PN42C450 720p plasma TV is selling online at just under $540. Instead, the cheapest 40-inch Samsung LCD, the 40-inxh LN40C530, is selling online at some $100 more. And yet, other than the higher screen resolution - something that is difficult to appreciate at these screen sizes - these two HDTVs come with practically the same feature set.

Our best advice at this point is to buy with an open mind and opt for a 720p plasma HDTV if it provides the features you need. As pointed out in our plasma television sales article, a 720p television yields a far better deal at these screen sizes than corresponding 1080p HDTVs.

Do not underestimate picture detail on a 720p HDTV. While a 1080p display delivers more picture information, yet at screen size less than or equal to 50-inch, the eye would not be able to perceive the increased level of picture detail afforded by the higher pixel count of a 1080p display over than of a 720p screen when viewing takes place at the recommended viewing distance.

Unfortunately, 720p LCDs have become almost inexistent at anything bigger than 37-inch. This means that if you want to make the most out of your available budget at the 42-inch to 50-inch screen size, your only readily available option is a 720p plasma HDTV.

You see, the higher resolution associated with 1080p displays has its share in the product price - irrespective of whether this being plasma or LCD. And higher product costs afford higher price markups by both manufacturers and retailers. This explains the drive towards 1080p HDTV sets even at screen sizes where the higher resolution of a 1080p display would not yield any significant image viewing advantage for most content.

Up to less than two years ago, the plasma vs LCD price issue was non-existent as plasma was the obvious choice for all screen sizes where collision between the two technologies occurred.

This is no longer the case and the price difference between plasma and LCDs for anything up to 50-inch is generally minimal. Plasma's real price advantage at these screen sizes arises mainly as one opts for a 720p HDTVs.

On the other hand, at the larger end - 52-inch and above - plasma still leads by a good margin, with this pricing advantage becoming more pronounced as one crosses the 55-inch border.

  Next: Plasma versus LCDs (2) - Picture Matters

...back to: Plasma versus LCDs Comparative Summary

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Sep 23, Plasma vs LCD TV - A Detailed Comparative Guide (3): Functional Considerations

When it comes to comparing plasma vs LCD TV sets, screen burn-in is probably one of the most debated topics by those in favor of LCD display technology.Yet, while many are aware of burn-in in plasma TVs, few realize that even LCD TVs have their own problems - they suffer from what is known as 'image sticking'.Though image sticking and burn-in yields practically the same visual impact on the display panel, yet these two phenomena are completely different in their nature.As with all phosphor-based screens, plasma displays are prone to burn-in. Screen burn-in is a form of image retention and occurs when an image is left for too long on the screen. This results in a ghost of the image burned on the screen. While some brands of plasma TV sets are more prone than others to burn-in, yet in general, plasma screens are more prone to suffer permanent burn-in during their first 200 hours of use. The reason is that fresh phosphors burn more intensely as they are ignited during this period.Burn-in is the result of a damaged pixel whose phosphor has been prematurely aged, and therefore glows less intensely than those of surrounding pixels.The presence of a static bright image for more than 30 minutes may be enough to cause temporary burn-in - often referred to as image retention or image ghosting. Temporary burn-in or image ghosting should not be cause for alarm, as normally this will wash out after several hours of use. In addition, most plasma TVs today come with built-in features to remove image ghosting once this occurs.More preoccupying with plasma displays is the prolonged presentation of black or gray bars, say when viewing 4:3 content in its original format on a wide-screen display. This may easily lead to permanent burn-in. Once permanent burn-in occurs, the damaged phosphors in a pixel cannot produce the same levels of light as that of the surrounding pixels.Recent improvements in plasma display technology have certainly extended the time it takes to burn-in a plasma pixel. The use of improved phosphor material, and motion adaptive/pixel orbiting preventive burn-in technology has greatly reduced the risk of burn-in.  Rather, it has got so much better that in our opinion persons with normal viewing habits have nothing to worry about, especially after the first 200 hours of use. Admittedly, the latest brighter yet more energy efficient plasma panels appear to be more prone to image retention during initial use due to the use of more sensitive phosphors. But as stated, image retention is a temporary state that will become less of an issue with use. In addition, it is easily removed through the use of the provided image retention remedies that come with plasma HDTV.Worth taking note that keeping brightness and contrast levels close to the lower end of the scale - especially during the first 200 hours of use - would help reduce any potential burn-in risks, especially if the application calls for part of the image on the screen to remain static during use.In the latter case, an LCD TV may be a better choice since LCD technology is not prone to screen 'burn-in'. In other words, no premature aging of cells occurs in an LCD TV panel due to the prolonged presence of a static image. This in itself also makes LCD TVs more suitable for computer use.LCDs do not suffer from burn-in but they do suffer from image sticking - a form of image retention that yields similar visual results to burn-in in plasma TVs. The main LCD advantage here is that unlike burn-in, image sticking can often be reversed to the point of total invisibility.Image sticking is an intrinsic behavior of LCD panels. It can occur when a static image remains displayed on the screen for an extended period as a result of a parasitic charge build-up within individual pixels. This 'retained pixel charge' will prevent the liquid crystals to return fully to their 'relaxed' state upon removal of the static image.The result is a faint, visible, retained image that remains on the screen even when the image is changed. The intensity of image retention varies among different brands. It also depends on several factors including operating temperature, image make-up, and time the static image remained on. Similarly, the level of reversing image sticking depends on the causes that led to image retention on the LCD panel. The good news is that image sticking in LCDs is quite rare under a home environment.More information on image sticking, including ways to reverse it and how best to avoid it, is available in our article: Image Sticking in LCD Televisions.

LCD TVs enjoys a technological advantage; they are not prone to burn-in, and image sticking in LCDs is often completely reversible. At the same time... Burn-in is no longer much of a concern as it used to be with plasma televisions up to the recent past, especially for persons with normal TV viewing requirements. Similarly, image sticking with LCD TVs is unlikely to take place under normal home use.

Both the closer pixel built-up structure of an LCD referred to in our second part of this plasma vs LCD discussion, and the burn-in issue of plasma panels just discussed above, help render LCD displays more suitable for computer use.In particular, the pixel build-up structure in an LCD panel makes LCD monitors especially good at displaying large amounts of data even at the sub-40-inch category with exceptional clarity and precision. It is also for this same reason that LCD panels tend to perform better in applications like video gaming.

LCD, partly, because of their non-susceptibility to burn-in, and partly as a result of their ability to display detailed graphics better.

Earlier plasma displays had a quoted half-lifetime of 20,000hrs, following which the image brightness will fall to half its original value. However, the latest generation plasma displays boast of a quoted panel life of 100,000hrs. The latest LCD displays also have an expected panel life of 60,000 to 100,000hrs. It is true that quoted panel lifetime figures by manufacturers tend to be somewhat inflated, but still these figures contrast heavily with the typical 20,000hrs half-lifetime for direct-view CRT TV sets.But what do these half-lifetime figures imply? Statistics show that TVs in an average US household remain on for over 7.5hrs a day. Furthermore, on average, a TV set is replaced every 7 years. Taking a conservative figure of 40,000 hours half-lifetime for either technology, this works out to almost 15 years of daily use before these display panels would ever need replacement.It is thus clear that lifetime is not an issue when it comes to comparing plasma vs LCD display technologies. At the same time, keep in mind that there is no way to regenerate the gases in a plasma display, nor it is possible to repair any ‘dead’ pixels that may develop during use in an LCD panel. The only option in these circumstances will be to replace the display.Note that expected panel life is not the same as the expected lifetime of the whole HDTV set. Expected life of the electronics inside an HDTV set is the same as that of other electronic gear and depends on various factors - including operating ambient temperature and stability of the supply voltage.

This is a non-issue with either technology - rather it is more dependent upon manufacturer quality.

Both plasma and LCD displays may suffer from bad pixels - at times also referred to as 'stuck' or 'dead' pixels. In other words, both technologies may develop defective pixels during the manufacturing process. However, with plasma displays, bad pixels are rare.The interesting thing here is that some manufactures are moving towards a 'zero' bad pixel policy. This means that they will replace your flat-panel TV within (typically) 6 months from the date of purchase should it develop even just one single bad pixel during this initial period of use.The issue of bad pixels within the context of plasma vs LCD mainly arises mainly with LCD TVs. The reason is that even if on day one, you have a perfect LCD display, the switching transistors associated with the pixels and sub-pixels in an LCD panel may still get faulty at some point later in use.

Plasma - because even though some LCD manufactures are offering a zero bad-pixel policy, LCD displays still have a higher tendency with respect to plasma panels, of developing bad pixels during use.

Response time of LCD HDTV sets is surely among the latest battlegrounds between display manufactures. The present de facto standard appears to be the 4msec for 120Hz LCD TVs and 2msec for 240Hz LCD HDTVs; the latter faster response is necessary to enable all pixels to change their state well in time for the next refresh (240Hz implies a refresh every approximately 4msec.) But even 2msec is not fast enough in comparison to the minute fraction of a millisecond it takes to ignite the phosphor of a plasma display panel cell. For this reason, this response time debate is one of those hot topics with those in favor of plasma televisions when comparing plasma vs LCD TVs.For a detailed discussion on this subject, we suggest you look at our article on LCD Response Time. However, for those who would like to go for the short answer, we say that:As things stand today, when comparing the pixel response times of plasma vs LCD TV sets, plasma TVs still have an edge in performance during fast action movies, sports and gaming events even over the latest 240Hz LCD HDTVs. This edge does not arise out of the latest 600Hz sub-field drive plasma display technology - which was mainly developed by plasma TV makers to help combat the incorrect notion that 120Hz and 240Hz LCD TVs are better than standard 60Hz plasma TVs. The truth is that while LCD needs the 240Hz technology to combat motion blur, plasma is inherently less susceptible to burring and the new 600Hz plasma technology real impact on display performance is mainly to improve motion resolution. But this improvement would be hard to perceive without the use of the appropriate test patterns as plasma performance in this respect is already very good even without the use of the new 600Hz sub-field drive technology.

Plasma - because even though LCD technology have improved to the extent that this is becoming less of an issue, LCD technology has still some way to go to achieve the same level of pixel response as phosphor-based displays.

An issue that often crops up with those in favor of LCD in this ongoing plasma vs LCD debate is plasma panel noise. LCDs do not suffer from this phenomenon. Buzzing in plasma panels is normal but the level of buzzing is generally quite low and inaudible from normal viewing distance especially at daytime. In most cases, you will have to sit insanely close to your TV to hear it.This soft buzzing noise is mainly caused by the electrical charges used to create the images on the screen. Buzzing can also result from the high frequency power drive coils in the switch-mode power supply (SMPS) board used to drive the panel. There are many factors that can influence this plasma display panel phenomenon. For example changing the picture mode from say dynamic to a lower power one such as cinema/movie will also reduce the level of perceived noise since this affects how much power the panel is processing and the power levels processed by the SMPS board. This also explains why the perceived buzz noise changes with picture content - a bright overall scene or a too high contrast setting can generate a more audible noise level. Operating the panel at a high altitude also make plasmas more prone to audible buzzing.Equally important is panel installation; a hard wall surface directly behind a wall mounted plasma TV will also serve as a more effective reflector than say walls that are covered in softer finishes.

LCD - even though the level of buzzing noise in plasma is exceptional low. Still, if you are after super quite operation at very close viewing distances and extended use with the volume turned off, like in applications where the TV is also serving as a big PC monitor, then LCD offers a better option.

Up to a year ago, this was one of those few issues in this plasma vs LCD TV analysis where LCD TV sets enjoyed a clear-cut advantage. However, the latest energy efficient plasma display panels from LG, Panasonic, and Samsung have significantly reduced the LCD power advantage. These new plasma panels consume some 40% less power than previous generations for the same brightness levels.LCDs still have an advantage in this area; this arises out of the way LCDs use a backlight source to produce images. Backlighting of a display panel to produce an image requires less power than to light the individual cells in a plasma display.Another major difference between plasma and LCD technology is that plasma displays require more power both with increase in pixel count - i.e. 1080p plasma displays use more power to operate than equivalent screen size 720p plasma sets, and also to display brighter objects. On the other hand, LCD panels generally require more power when handling large areas of dark subjects over a bright background. This in view that for an LCD display to present a dark subject, more pixels will have to be activated to block more of the light produced by the backlight source from reaching the display surface.Actual power requirements in LCDs depend mainly on the technology used for the backlight. LCD panels using standard CCFL-based backlight systems require typically 30% less power than 1080p plasma displays of the same screen size; they also require some 20% less power than equivalent size 720p plasma displays. This difference in power requirement between the two display technologies becomes more pronounced as one moves towards the larger end of the scale, i.e. 55-inch and above. In addition, LCDs using LED backlights are even more energy efficient than CCFL LCDs - with edge-lit LED TVs using even less power than LED TVs using full LED array local dimming technology.  In fact, edge-lit LED TVs use some 50% less power than corresponding plasma TVs. Worth taking note that it is possible to reduce the power requirements of an LCD TV or a plasma television by simply applying the correct settings for the contrast and brightness levels to better suit your home environment. Again, the actual savings are highly brand dependent but the energy savings resulting from proper calibration may very well approach 40%. And if energy efficiency is really a priority, then you have to 'watch' also your TV viewing habits. I suggest you check out the following Energy Efficient TV article at www.Green-Energy-Efficient-Home.com for some interesting tips on how you can cut your energy bill by choosing more efficient habits.

LCD - because despite that the latest plasma display panels are significantly more energy efficient than previous versions, the use of a common backlight source in LCDs is inherently more energy efficient than lighting the individual pixels in the light cell-structure forming a plasma display.

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