Televisions - Making The Right Choice: LCD or Plasma?

So, should you buy an LCD or plasma screen TV? This is the burring question. Some folks swear that LCD is the way to go, whilst others insist that it's those plasma screens that are the bees knees. But, neither are right. When it comes to these screen types, it's all about preference.

Sure, they both have their own list of pros and cons, but the bottom line is, it's what you'll be using your TV for  that will help you choose the right screen for you. Read on to find out more about these screen types, and how to choose the right television for you...

First lets take a closer look at what it is that makes these TV screens so different. With an LCD screen the picture is created with liquid crystals, and with the plasma kind, you'll find that the picture is created from the ionisation of gases. That's the science part, now lets get down to the nitty gritty...

Big Screens

We you see those larger than life screens that are 50" plus, you'll most commonly find that these belong to the plasma family. And this is because plasma screens are usually bigger than their LCD counterpart. You'll see screens on the market that start around the 32" mark, that go all the way up to an impressive 70 inches.

When it comes to the LCD screens, they are often far lighter than the plasma kind, which make them much easier to manoeuvre, and mount on walls. You can find screen from just under 20", but you'd be hard pressed to find a screen that's over 50". Folks will often choose the LCDs for wall mounting, as plasmas may require extra wall support when mounted.

Picture Quality

If it's pixels that you're interested in, then you'll find that LCD screens will generally have more than a plasma screen. This results in a much brighter picture, but there is a down side when it comes to the colours too. LCD screen are some what slower than plasma screens, and this can sometimes mean that some of the colour quality is lost. Plasma screens are particularly great when it comes to colour as they're contrast ratios are much higher than LCD screens. Sometime, they're even as much as three times more.

Viewing Angles

One thing that the plasma does have over the LCD screen is the viewing angle. If the view is at a greater angle than 30 degrees, you will have a pretty tough time seeing what's happening on screen. This isn't the case with a plasma screens, as the viewing angle is much wider. Most folks don't take this into consideration before they buy their LCD screens, and end up having to rearrange their living rooms so everyone can see the screen properly.

Your home environment

Another factor that separates the two is how they fair in different light surroundings. If you're a night time TV watcher and love to watch your favourite movies and shows in the dark, then the plasma screen is going to give you a much better picture in this setting. But, if it's during the day, or you like to watch the screen with bright lights on, then the LCD will be your best bet here, as they often perform better in this kind of setting.

The environment

If you're worried about the electricity, or your environmental inclined, then the LCD screen might be right for you. These screen types will use significantly less power than the plasma kind. Some plasma screens will actually use double the amount of power it takes to run an LCD, and the screens tend to get hot once they have been turned on for a while.

There is no real wrong or right when it comes to choosing a television screen. It's down to each individual user, and I'm sure this debate will go on for many years to come.

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