Plasma or LCD: Choosing the Right Flat Panel TV

When you have little or no floor space for a big-screen TV, then it's time to turn to the latest video display technology: flat panel displays. These displays, utilizing either LCD or plasma technologies, are thin enough to hang on a wall -- and present a full high-definition picture. Flat panel displays are so thin because they contain no picture tubes or projection devices. Plasma displays contain glass, gas, and electrodes in a thin sandwich; LCD displays, like the ones used in laptop PCs, are made from millions of tiny liquid crystals, sandwiched between thin layers of glass or plastic.

The result, for both technologies, is a thin, lightweight, high-resolution device that can display normal television signals, HDTV programming, and even signals from personal computers.

How LCD Displays Work

How Plasma Displays Work

Which Type of Display is Best for You?

LCD and plasma displays are both quite popular today, and they both have their plusses and minuses. Which type of display is right for your living room?

Until quite recently, which type of display you chose depended on how big a picture you wanted. LCD displays were best for smaller picture sizes (40" or under), while plasma displays were best for larger displays (42" or larger). That is changing somewhat, as larger LCD displays become available. Today you can find LCD displays as large as 65" -- the same size as the largest consumer plasma displays.

The "sweet spot" for LCD displays tends to be in the 32" range, while the "sweet spot" for plasma displays is the 42" size. A 32" LCD displays will cost as little as $850; you buy 42" displays for as low as $1,200. In larger screen sizes (50" and up), plasma displays tend to cost a little less than LCD models.

In terms of picture quality, plasma displays tend to be a little brighter than LCD displays, with blacker blacks and more vivid colors. Contrast ratios of 3000:1 are not uncommon on the best plasma displays; LCD displays, on the other hand, typically have contrast ratios in the 1000:1 range.

Technology marches on, however, and newer LCD displays are bridging the gap in picture quality, with much improved black levels and contrast ratios. On the flip side, some LCD displays are still prone to "motion smear" when fast action appears on the screen -- something you don't see with plasma displays.

Plasma displays also have a wider viewing angle than do LCD displays. You can view most plasma displays at up to 80 degrees off center, while LCD displays are best viewed no more than 60-70 degrees off center.

That said, LCD displays don't suffer from the "burn-in" or "ghosting" effect that has plagued some plasma displays. If you leave a static picture onscreen for too long (a half hour or more), that image can burn into the plasma display, remaining ghostly visible while watching other programs in the future. (This makes plasma a poor choice for watching letterboxed or window-paned programming -- or for use as a computer monitor.) Burn-in isn't a problem with LCD displays.

In addition, LCD technology is more adaptable to true high definition resolution. The very highest HDTV resolution is 1080p, which requires a display with 1080 x 1920 pixels. You can find 1080p LCD displays in screen sizes from 37" to 65".

Plasma technology, in comparison, is not easily adaptable to 1080p resolution -- especially at smaller screen sizes. That's because it's difficult to produce individual gas cells small enough for this increased resolution. As a result, you won't find any 42" plasma displays with 1080p resolution, at least not yet; in today's market, you have to get into the 50" size before you find a 1080p plasma display. (And you should beware of lower-priced plasma displays that don't even have basic 720p resolution; these so-called "enhanced definition" displays cannot display true HDTV programming.)

Finally, LCD displays weigh less and use less energy than plasma displays. Big plasma displays, in particular, may be too heavy to hang on a wall without reinforcement.

The following table details the pros and cons of each type of display:

(Note that Panasonic has previewed a 103" plasma display, although it is not yet available for consumer distribution.)

So which type of flat panel display should you buy? There are some specific situations where the choice is easy:

If you want something 40" or smaller, go with LCD displays.

If you want true 1080p high-definition resolution in something less than a 50" size, go with LCD.

If you want a really big picture (50" or larger) and don't want to spend too much money, go with plasma.

If you want to use your TV as a computer monitor, go with LCD.

If you watch a lot of standard definition programming in the original 4:3 aspect ratio (which would be window-paned on a widescreen display), go with LCD.

But in the "sweet spot" of the market -- in the 42"-50" range -- it's a toss-up. Both types of displays are good, and both have their pros and cons. The best thing to do is audition both LCD and plasma sets in your retailer's show room, and go with the set that looks best to your eyes.

Michael Miller is a writer and commentator on technology and digital lifestyle topics.