| Your old TV has just given it up and you need a new | | | | order to emit light, a pixel must be lit or unlit, but has no |
| TV, but you are very confused on what to buy. Your | | | | intermediate state. Plasma televisions come in |
| question is Plasma TV or LCD TV and the sales | | | | conventional PC display sizes and also in sizes up to |
| people at the store are not giving you the information | | | | 63 inches for home theater and high definition |
| you need. | | | | television. |
| Plasma TVs were all the talk of the television industry | | | | LCD screens: Liquid is suspended between two |
| just a few years ago but today they are being | | | | transparent panels. Within the liquid are crystals that, |
| challenged by DLP and LCD TV's as well. Plasma | | | | when activated by voltage, re-position themselves so |
| televisions have come down in price over the last few | | | | that they either allow the light to pass through the |
| years and the quality has only increased. Plasma TV's | | | | panel and or block the light. Liquid Crystal Displays |
| are today's most sought after and best viewing | | | | (LCD) panels - work by trapping a liquid crystal solution |
| televisions on the market. They are thin and can be | | | | between two sheets of polarized glass. When an |
| either placed on a wall or fit on its on component or | | | | electric current is passed through the liquid crystals, |
| piece of furniture, so a plasma TV stand is a vital | | | | they change the polarization of the light passing |
| component. Plasma TVs can suffer from burn-in | | | | through them in response to the electric voltage ? as a |
| produced by static images. After extended periods, | | | | result of which, more or less light is able to pass |
| stationary images "burn in" and produce an after-image | | | | through the polarized glass on the face of the display. |
| ghost which remains permanently on the screen. | | | | LCD TVs in increasing quantities, Sony is building a |
| Flat-panel TVs create beautifully bright, crisp images | | | | logistics center adjacent to the production site at ?Nitra |
| using either LCD or plasma screen technology. Many | | | | Technology Center?. With addition of the logistics |
| models measure 4 inches deep or less, opening up a | | | | center due to start operating this autumn, Sony is |
| whole new range of TV placement options. Flat panel | | | | positioning ?Nitra Technology Center? LCD TVs |
| TVs are not the only ones to lose brightness over | | | | produce sharper pictures with high quality colors while |
| time; every TV set does, including the traditional CRTs. | | | | plasma TVs can give more realistic colors. Both have |
| Flat screen televisions make for a great gift for | | | | their technical glitches, of course: plasmas can suffer |
| Christmas, birthdays or any occasion. Yet, selecting the | | | | from a burn-in effect while LCDs suffer from stuck |
| most appropriate TV can be challenging if the | | | | pixels. |
| consumer doesn't know what he or she is looking for. | | | | Currently, a 42-inch plasma display sells for |
| HDTV improves this dramatically for both. HDTV is | | | | approximately $2500, with cheaper ? and smaller ? |
| short for high-definition television, which offers clarified, | | | | versions available. LCD, or liquid crystal display, TVs |
| precise images with enriched colors and contrast. With | | | | have only recently taken off, and are currently more |
| superior resolution and sound, it quickly became the | | | | expensive than plasma. Currently in the plasma vs. |
| new standard for broadcasting. | | | | LCD TV battle, plasma wins on the price because of |
| Plasma TV screens can create a multitude of tints by | | | | their head start on producing the larger models. |
| varying the intensity of the light from these three sub | | | | Currently, Plasma TVs have the advantage of offering |
| pixels. When it?s time to display an image signal (RGB | | | | larger screen sizes. Commonly available Plasma TV |
| or video), a digitally controlled electric current flows | | | | screen sizes include 32-inch, 42-inch, 50-inch and |
| through the flat screen, causing the plasma inside | | | | 63-inch models. |
| designated bubbles to give off ultraviolet rays. Plasma | | | | Panasonic has a series out right now that uses DLP |
| TVs have been steadily encroaching upon affordability | | | | and a new plasma lamp. It gives the quality of picture |
| in the last few years. Many new manufacturing plants | | | | of high-end LED units but at a fraction of the cost and |
| have opened in China and Korea that produce the | | | | nearly the same lamp life. Panasonic's professional |
| glass panel, which is the chief plasma display element. | | | | plasma monitors have great picture quality considering |
| Plasma TVs offer large viewing areas (up to 50 | | | | their price, but the trade offs -- including the lack of a |
| inches) but are very thin. While they offer excellent | | | | tuner -- might be too much for some. Samsung plasma |
| picture quality, they are quite expensive and are fast | | | | TVs fall short of these TVs when it comes to blacks, |
| becoming the popular choice for HDTV. | | | | but overall picture quality and relative value make it |
| Brightness: LCD TVs are said to do slightly better in | | | | one of the best choices for many buyers. |
| bright-light conditions. Black Levels: Plasma TVs | | | | Sharp does a couple smart things to enhance the |
| generally produce very black blacks whereas an LCD | | | | black levels on its 37G4U display. First, they include a |
| TV will produce a very dark charcoal gray. | | | | first-rate anti-glare/darkness-enhancing coating on the |
| Consider buying Plasma TV for the purposes of | | | | LCD screen to counter excessive light emissions, |
| viewing home videos like DVD or viewing HDTV | | | | which tend to dull blacks on the screen. Sharp |
| channels. | | | | produces one of the largest available LCD displays at |
| Plasma TV's also do not have as long of a life span | | | | 45 inches, while Samsung has a 46 inch, Sony and |
| than a LCD TV. A plasma TV has a life span of | | | | NEC currently produce units measuring 40" diagonally. |
| generally about 30,000 hours, while an LCD TV | | | | LCD TVs continued their strong growth, gaining 56% |
| doubles that with about 60,000 hours. | | | | to a record of 28.5 million units during the quarter. For |
| Plasma screens are high voltage devices that create | | | | the entire year, Display search estimated that about |
| light in three colors (red, green, and blue) in varying | | | | 79.3 million LCD TVs were shipped, translating into a |
| shades at each pixel to create an image on the | | | | 40% of the total market of 200 million TVs. |
| screen. LCD screens filter or block light in three | | | | As you can see when trying to decide on a Plasma |
| primary colors at each pixel in order to create an | | | | TV or LCD TV there are good and bad qualities to |
| image. Plasma sets also encounter some image quality | | | | each. But now you have a little more knowledge about |
| problems stemming from the nature of their pixels. | | | | Plasma TV or LCD TV's that you can go back to the |
| Because plasma pixels need an electrical discharge in | | | | TV store and ask the sales people better questions. |