Hi! I’m Greg Harper, otherwise known as the LiHD Answerman. And one question I get all the time, “LCD or Plasma? Which should I go for?” Well the answer is, they’re both great technologies. They both get wonderful pictures, they’re both high definition, and you can’t go wrong with either one. But there are some advantages on one technology versus the other and let me see if I can help you out.
First of all LCD, Liquid Crystal Display, they’re really great on the smaller sizes. So anything below 40 inches, LCD is absolutely the way to go. When it goes from 40 to 50 inches, and a little bit bigger than that, it’s a toss up whether you go Plasma or LCD. Above 50 inches though, Plasma has an advantage in cost. Now let’s talk about image quality. So Plasma has a huge advantage in the blacks. The blacks that’s the contrast ratio, that has to do with the difference between the white images and the black images, that’s what makes your picture look really wonderful. Plasma’s, because of it’s technology, because it is a gas that’s either on or off, if it’s off it is black, and that difference between black and white produces a stunning image.
It’s also, for price performance, a Plasma, a large Plasma is going to be less expensive than an LCD. On the other hand, the Plasma is heavier; it also uses a lot more energy than an LCD. LCDs are lighter, but they use a back light, and depending on the type of back light that’s behind them, that decides the cost. So an LCD that has a fluorescent back light, a standard LCD is going to look great but as you start getting a larger, and larger sizes, you’ll see the contrast ratio, the LCD doesn’t match the Plasma. There is a new technology, LED backlighting that improves but this tends to be fairly costly.
Other advantage of LCD versus Plasma, LCD works really great in bright rooms, if you’ve got a lot of light coming in the room, LCD is going to be really quite bright. But that brightness comes with cost, that cost is the contrast ratio. So, if you’re in a really bright room, you want a picture, LCD would probably be better for you. But if you’re in a room with controlled lighting, Plasma will give you better blacks. The other issue between Plasma and LCD is what we call motion blur. The LCD, because it’s a shutter, if the pictures are moving fast, for example if someone running on a football field or move fast motion, the LCD can have some blur, which is why you want to get an LCD with the fast shutter speed like 120 or 240 hertz. Plasma on the other hand, by its nature, is always a faster shutter so that doesn’t happen with Plasma.
So, end of story, and I hope I haven’t confused you too much. LCD, Plasma, both wonderful technologies. LCD for me, I will go for something smaller size 40 inches or lower, I’ll actually buy an LCD. Above 40, and the 50 range it does has one of the other whether you have bright room or not. Above 50 though, right now, best value for your money is Plasma.
Hope this was helpful or if you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to go to LivinginHD.com. Post your questions, I’ll be happy to answer them and if you have any comments, please do that as well.
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