High Definition TV: LCD vs. Plasma

High definition televisions are coming down in price every year. They are no longer just for video freaks, the nerdiest of geeks and of course rich people.

Now, I sell these things as my day job, so let me educate you a little before you take the plunge. The most important basic principle is to remember to buy it from me.

I decided to narrow this article to LCD (which stands for liquid crystal display). and plasma televisions, because that’s what I get asked about 99 percent of the time at work, and projection televisions seem to have gone the way of disco, so we will ignore them for now.

The most common question I run into is “What is the difference between LCD’s, and plasma?” Well, they are certainly similar. They are both flat and pretty spiffy looking. The prices are a little terrifying at first glance, but are definitely getting better from year to year. They both are high definition.

So what the hell is the difference and does it even matter which one I get? Yes there are differences, and yes it does.
LCD as a television technology is pretty new compared to the Plasmas, although LCD technology in general has been around for a long time. Have you ever had a digital watch? Of course you have, and that watch uses LCD technology. How about a digital alarm clock or a calculator? Well, those do too.

Now why would you ever want an LCD television over a Plasma? Well for starters they come in many more sizes than Plasmas do. Plasma televisions generally only come in screen sizes of 42 inches and above, whereas LCDs can be as small as a 15-inch screen to as large as a 52-inch screen. So if having a 42-inch plasma on your kitchen counter for a kitchen TV sounds a little outlandish to you, you might want to look into getting a smaller LCD.

LCDs have less screen reflection than Plasmas. Plasmas have a glasslike outer covering over the screen, which will cause reflections in a well-lit room. LCDs have more matted screens, which should be pretty reflection-free.

Now, you might be thinking I am making Plasmas sound kind of shitty. What makes them worth a damn? Well there, hold your horses--I will give you some reasons they are worth more than a damn.

Plasmas are cheaper per square inch than LCDs. You can get a high-end Plasma for around the same price you can get a cheap off-brand LCD.

Plasmas tend to have deeper, richer colors than the LCDs.

Plasmas will handle a lot of fast action better than LCDs because they are a little quicker at refreshing the picture.
Standard Definition (the stuff that you watch that isn’t High Definition) looks a lot better on the Plasmas. Standard Definition can be a little grainy on the LCDs, while on a Plasma it’s going to look more or less like regular television. This is a huge hemungous big deal because as of yet there just isn’t that much high definition out there, so you are going to be spending a lot of time watching stuff in SD even with an HD TV.

And there you have it, The Ultimate Guide to Plasmas and LCDs. Well, not really--if you want some more in-depth analysis, make sure you check out www.cnet.com.

In my humble opinion, the Plasma televisions will give you more bang for your buck, but there are some good reasons to get an LCD too.

Hope I didn’t leave you confused as ever.

Questions and comments: dougnayes@yahoo.com