When shopping for a new TV, there's no question that you should go with a High-Definition set (HDTV). But which is better, LCD or plasma? Both technologies achieve similar end results, but there are definitely some important differences to both types, and knowing what they are will help you when you are shopping for an
LCD TV or a
Plasma TV.
The main difference is of course the technology used in each type of set. Plasma TVs are made up of tiny pixels that display a balance of red, green and blue colours depending on the information they receive, while LCD TVs reproduce colours by blocking out the colour wavelengths to achieve the target colour. Plasma displays colour slightly more accurately than LCD, but there is no significant difference between the two.
One of the biggest considerations with both technologies is the "burn-in" effect, where an image becomes permanently ghosted onto the glass of the TV screen. This is in most part due to an image being displayed on screen for too long (which is why it's recommended to turn your TV screen off if you have to pause a DVD for an extended period of time). LCD TVs aren't prone to this due to the nature of their technology, but plasma TVs are susceptible. However, there have been recent advances in technology to reduce the risk of "burn-in" with plasma TVs, so there is only a slight advantage to buying LCD TVs in that respect. While this remains a huge issue with CRT sets, newer plasma and LCD sets seem to have improved upon this.
The only really big advantage LCD TVs have over plasma TVs is regarding electricity usage and consumption. LCD are far more energy efficient than plasma TVs, because plasma screens have to send electricity to each individual pixel, including darker pixels. If you're looking to save on your energy bill, LCD TVs have the clear advantage.
However if you're basing your TV shopping on image quality, there is no huge advantage to buying either technology. You will get roughly the same amount of life out of either technology, and they cost about the same, so go for the best deal being offered. Unless you're worried about saving money on your electricity bill, you can safely choose either technology.
