Plasmas & LCD's
26/04/07 13:19
What we think on the LCD
Vs Plasma debate - please don't shout at us.
What is best?
Well, this question is opening the biggest can of worms there are. However, there are a few hard a fast rules. If your looking at a screen that is less than 42" your really not going to be able to buy a Plasma. Plasmas cost a certain amount to make and whether it's 32" or 42" it's going to cost a very similar amount to make. There are some 37" ones around but generally it's going to be 42" or bigger for a Plasma. Because, as we know here only too well, some people can be very animated in their argument of why they prefer LCD to Plasma we will try to tread lightly.
LCD & Plasma - a brief explanation.
If you imagine that your LCD is made up of small cells that contain a liquid crystal. Behind these is what may best be described as a long fluorescent tube - or backlight as it is often referred to - this shines through the LCD panel and gives a crisp bright picture. This is particularly effective on smaller screens. As the LCD changes its state then so the colours and shade are produced. With a Plasma the design could said to be similar (we are not trying to teach physics here - just offer an easy to understand explanation) to LCD in as much as it also has cells filled with a substance, but in this case it's a gas plasma. Plasmas do not have a backlight and so do not appear as well as LCD's in bright sunlight. However, Plasmas have a much better contrast ratio than LCD's in working conditions, that is to say they offer better blacks than LCD in practise and not what can be read on paper. LCD also has, just by pure physics, a slower response time. This leads to something called motion blur. For instance as a red snooker ball moves across a billiard table, a blur of other red balls can be seen to follow along behind. This doesn't appear on Plasma as gas changes its state faster than LCD. Also when fast action appears on the screen, the resolution it displays on an LCD drops significantly. So an LCD may have on paper a much higher resolution, but in viewing this is quite often lost.
Myths.
Plasma panels must be re-gased every couple of years. Simply not true at all. It would be impossible to re-gas a Plasma as it is a sealed unit and the gas cannot escape unless you break the screen. This one seems to have come from ill informed Currys employees. I think they must have thought that the screens came with a tyre valve on the back and you just bought a new bottle of gas every now and then for a top up!
Don't buy a Plasma because they don't last as long as an LCD. The length of a panel is perceived as being the time at which the light output will be half of what it was when it was new. This one is partially true in as much as a Plasma display now days may be said to have a not quite as long in some instances of that of an LCD. What isn't said however is that Plasmas sell by date will be at around 60,000 hours. That's 23.5 years of viewing at 7 hours a day. The fact that LCD will last longer seems completely pointless when you know these figures.
Plasmas are much more fragile. This is true from the point of the manufacturers. The rate that Plasmas are broken (with their glass front) during shipping is far greater than the plastic front of an LCD, which is a big reason why manufacturers like LCD so much. Less damages = more profit. However, once installed in your home, providing your not hurling around rocks in your living room, then Plasma and LCD are just as robust as each other. In fact the fault rate on LCD is slightly greater.
The real truth - how brave are you?
Feeling brave and really want to know the truth about LCD Vs Plasma. Then follow THIS link to read an independent report listing the findings. If your a big LCD fan we might advise you not to go any further because you won't like what you read!
What is best?
Well, this question is opening the biggest can of worms there are. However, there are a few hard a fast rules. If your looking at a screen that is less than 42" your really not going to be able to buy a Plasma. Plasmas cost a certain amount to make and whether it's 32" or 42" it's going to cost a very similar amount to make. There are some 37" ones around but generally it's going to be 42" or bigger for a Plasma. Because, as we know here only too well, some people can be very animated in their argument of why they prefer LCD to Plasma we will try to tread lightly.
LCD & Plasma - a brief explanation.
If you imagine that your LCD is made up of small cells that contain a liquid crystal. Behind these is what may best be described as a long fluorescent tube - or backlight as it is often referred to - this shines through the LCD panel and gives a crisp bright picture. This is particularly effective on smaller screens. As the LCD changes its state then so the colours and shade are produced. With a Plasma the design could said to be similar (we are not trying to teach physics here - just offer an easy to understand explanation) to LCD in as much as it also has cells filled with a substance, but in this case it's a gas plasma. Plasmas do not have a backlight and so do not appear as well as LCD's in bright sunlight. However, Plasmas have a much better contrast ratio than LCD's in working conditions, that is to say they offer better blacks than LCD in practise and not what can be read on paper. LCD also has, just by pure physics, a slower response time. This leads to something called motion blur. For instance as a red snooker ball moves across a billiard table, a blur of other red balls can be seen to follow along behind. This doesn't appear on Plasma as gas changes its state faster than LCD. Also when fast action appears on the screen, the resolution it displays on an LCD drops significantly. So an LCD may have on paper a much higher resolution, but in viewing this is quite often lost.
Myths.
Plasma panels must be re-gased every couple of years. Simply not true at all. It would be impossible to re-gas a Plasma as it is a sealed unit and the gas cannot escape unless you break the screen. This one seems to have come from ill informed Currys employees. I think they must have thought that the screens came with a tyre valve on the back and you just bought a new bottle of gas every now and then for a top up!
Don't buy a Plasma because they don't last as long as an LCD. The length of a panel is perceived as being the time at which the light output will be half of what it was when it was new. This one is partially true in as much as a Plasma display now days may be said to have a not quite as long in some instances of that of an LCD. What isn't said however is that Plasmas sell by date will be at around 60,000 hours. That's 23.5 years of viewing at 7 hours a day. The fact that LCD will last longer seems completely pointless when you know these figures.
Plasmas are much more fragile. This is true from the point of the manufacturers. The rate that Plasmas are broken (with their glass front) during shipping is far greater than the plastic front of an LCD, which is a big reason why manufacturers like LCD so much. Less damages = more profit. However, once installed in your home, providing your not hurling around rocks in your living room, then Plasma and LCD are just as robust as each other. In fact the fault rate on LCD is slightly greater.
The real truth - how brave are you?
Feeling brave and really want to know the truth about LCD Vs Plasma. Then follow THIS link to read an independent report listing the findings. If your a big LCD fan we might advise you not to go any further because you won't like what you read!