Plasma vs. LCD: Which TV tech is best for you?

Most current HDTV models fall into two categories: plasma or LCD. These two technologies produce very similar results, and the prices, sizes, and primary features are roughly the same, but there are differences you'll want to know about before you head to your local electronics store and buy an HDTV.

So what sets them apart? Subtle differences in image quality and power consumption, which vary based on the conditions. Here's a quick rundown of the differences to help you make the right choice for your next TV-watching party.

Picture quality: Low light
The most noticeable differences between LCD and plasma TVs come up in extreme lighting conditions — either extremely dark, such as a room with the lights off at night, or very bright, as in a room with large windows exposed to sunlight, or very bright overhead lighting.

In low-light conditions, plasmas win in a landslide. The technology behind LCDs allows the backlight to bleed ever so slightly into pixels that aren't being used, so even where the image is supposed to be totally black, it's not quite. Plasmas don't have this problem — at least, nowhere near as much.

Most plasmas have much higher contrast ratios than most LCDs, but two improvements in LCD technology have narrowed the gap in recent years.

Dynamic contrast technology uses a computer to detect changes in the image and rapidly make minor adjustments in the backlight brightness accordingly, creating the illusion of a greater contrast ratio. It's never as good as a TV that really has true blacks, but the best dynamic contrast systems work well enough to fool most people except in rooms that are totally dark. Unfortunately, many cheaper LCDs employ poor dynamic contrast that makes distracting and ungraceful adjustments, so that's something to watch out for.

LED backlighting is a new technology for the backlight that greatly improves the natural contrast ratio of an LCD, bringing it almost to par with a mid-range plasma, but LED backlighting drives up the cost, so you pay more for better blacks than you would if you bought a plasma.

Winner: Plasma

Picture quality: Bright light
On the other hand, LCDs trounce plasmas in bright lighting conditions. The difference is so dramatic that TV manufacturers and retailers have trouble selling plasmas instead of LCDs in stores because electronics and department stores usually have very bright lighting. Not considering unfiltered sunlight, most people's living rooms are dimmer than those stores, so at the end of the day, they may find that they prefer plasmas.

The same backlight intensity that produces off-blacks on LCDs also produces vivid, bright colors that stand out even in a room flooded with natural light. Meanwhile, plasmas appear dim and usually have glossy screens that reflect light from the room back at the viewer, resulting in poor high-light performance and a less vibrant image.

Winner: LCD

Picture quality: Viewing angle
The second biggest downside to LCD TVs over the years has been the viewing angle limitation. When you look at an LCD screen from an extreme angle, either horizontal or vertical, the image appears washed out and faint, and distinctions between objects become difficult to discern.

This problem affects LCDs much more than it affects plasmas, but over the past few years, LCD manufacturers have managed to reduce the effect with better technology. Most good LCDs are now viewable at close to ideal quality from any angle at which a person would normally position a chair in the living room, and viewers who are pushing the limits will only experience what looks like a slight hit to the contrast ratio.

The problem could nevertheless rear an uglier head during big watching parties at which viewers are sitting at odd places in the room or in homes where TV viewing is possible from multiple rooms.

Winner: Plasma

Screen burn-in
This is a minor detail, but it's worth noting that LCD TVs only experience screen burn-in in extreme situations. Plasmas, on the other hand, can suffer from image distortions when a still image is left on the display at high brightness settings for too long.

Fortunately, these distortions should resolve over time as the plasma displays new moving images, but it's an annoyance to consider if you plan to leave your video games paused overnight or to use the TV as a computer monitor, where a certain portion of the desktop might remain immobile for a significant stretch of time.

Winner: LCD


Picture quality: Motion
Once again, early LCDs were at a disadvantage in this category, but in this case, new developments have almost eliminated the gap as long as you don't go cheap.

LCDs used to experience a great deal of motion blur — rapidly moving images would become fuzzy — while the same problem on plasmas is negligible. If this were 2008, we'd gladly hand the prize in this category to plasmas, but things have changed. Early LCDs refreshed at a rate of 60Hz, but newer models refresh at 120Hz or even 240Hz.

It would take an uncommonly sharp eye to notice motion blur on models with the superior refresh rates, and all but the cheapest LCD TVs are shipping that way now, so this issue's a wash at last.

Winner: Tie

Sizes and other buying options
If you intend to get a TV smaller than 45 inches, you almost certainly must purchase an LCD model. The nature of plasma technology is such that it's impractical if not impossible on small screens. For that reason, LCDs are available in many more configurations and price points than plasmas, which solely occupy the living room, big-screen TV space.

Furthermore, LCDs more commonly come equipped with PC connections such as VGA ports and other connectivity bells and whistles. Nothing in this area is universal, of course, but if you're hoping for something like this, confirm that your plasma purchase is one of the precious few that ships with it.

Winner: LCD

Power consumption and green living
This one is very simple: LCDs use less energy per square inch than their plasma counterparts. TV buyers concerned with green living and minimizing utility bills should have a strong preference for LCDs over plasmas.

Winner: LCD

[Image credit: hirotomo t, Sara G...]

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