Plasma and LCD Televisions - A Side-By-Side Comparison

Want to know if a plasma television or an LCD television would be best for your needs? Here's a side-by-side comparison that will help you make an informed decision ...

What's the difference between plasma and LCD TVs?

Plasma TV screens are made up of hundreds-of-thousands of gas-filled, colored light cells. When an electrical current passes through those cells they light up and produce a picture.

LCD TV screens consist of a layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates. When electricity passes through the crystals, an array of tiny color pixels light up and produce a picture.

Which one has the best picture?

Plasma TVs produce a slightly more colorful picture than LCD TVs. This is due to the fact that plasma TVs display blacks better than LCD TVs, which creates better color contrast, and produces brighter colors.

LCD TVs produce a sharper picture than plasma TVs due to their higher resolution.

What sizes do plasma TVs and LCD TVs come in?

Plasma TVs range in size from 42" to 65" wide, while LCD TVs are as small as 2" wide and go up to 65" wide." LCD TVs are thinner and lighter than plasma TVs.

Which one is better for video games?

Plasma TVs can experience screen "burn in." This happens when a still image is left too long on a screen, resulting in a ghost of that image burned into the screen. LCD TVs do not have this problem and are therefore a better choice if you play lots of video games on your TV.

Does a plasma TV or an LCD TV last longer?

Plasma TVs have a screen life of 30, 000 to 60, 000 hours, whereas LCD TVs have a screen life of 60, 000 hours or more.

How much do they cost?

I recently ran a price check for plasma and LCD TVs. The cheapest large-screen plasma TV was a 42" inch model for $999. The cheapest 42" LCD TV was $1, 367.

The cheapest 27" LCD TV I found was $550, and the cheapest 32" LCD TV was $619. There were no plasma TVs smaller than 42."

So what's the bottom line?

If you're in the market for a 42" flat-screen or larger, a plasma TV will give you the most bang for your buck. If you want a smaller TV, or if you're really into video games, then I'd recommend an LCD TV.