Hi! I am 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 are both great technologies. They both get wonderful pictures, they are both high-definition, and you can't go wrong with either one, but there are some advantages in one technology versus the other, and let me see if I can help you out.
First of all, LCD; Liquid Crystal Display, they are 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, a little bit bigger than that, it's a tussle, 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 is 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 is because of its technology, because it is a gas, you can do on or off, if it's off it is black, and that difference between black and white produces a stunning image. It's also a price performance, a Plasma, a large Plasma is going to be less expensive than a LCD.
On the other hand, the Plasma is heavier, it also uses some more energy than an LCD. LCD is a lighter but they use a backlight, and depending on the type of backlight that's behind them, that times the cost. So in LCD, that has a florescent backlight, a standard LCD is going to look great, but as you start getting larger and larger sizes, you will see, the contrast ratio in the LCD doesn't match the plasma. Now there are some new technologies, LED backlighting, that improves that, but then it's tend to be fairly costly.
Other advantage of LCD versus Plasma; LCD works really great in bright rooms. If you got a lot of light coming into room, LCDs can be really quite bright, but that brightness comes to the cost, that cost is the contrast ratio. So if you have a really bright room and you want a picture, LCD will probably be able to do better for you. But if you are 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, that someone running on a football field, or fast motion, the LCD can have some blur, which is why you'd want to get an LCD with a 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, I hope I haven't confused you too much. LCD, Plasma, both wonderful technologies.
LCD for me, I'll go for something smaller size, 40 inches below, I'll actually buy an LCD. Above 40 and the 50 range, it have -- does one of the other when you have a bright room or not. Above 50 though right now, the best value for your money is Plasma.
So, 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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