LCD vs. Plasma TV

I think this is a question of the decade. Both types of flat panel televisions have advantages and disadvantages.

Plasma TV
Advantages

Plasma TVs have advantages over LCD, in the following areas: Better contrast ratio, better ability to render deep blacks, more color depth, better motion tracking (response time), and more availability in very large screen sizes.

Briefly: Picture quality

• Capable of producing deeper blacks allowing for superior contrast ratio.
• Wider viewing angles than those of LCD; images do not suffer from degradation at high angles like LCDs.
• Less visible motion blur, thanks in large part to very high refresh rates and a faster response time, contributing to superior performance when displaying content with significant amounts of rapid motion (though newer LCD screens have similar refresh rates, but that also introduces the soap opera effect).

Disadvantages

However, the disadvantages of Plasma vs LCD include: more susceptible to burn-in (although this is not as much of a factor now, due to technology improvements, such as "pixel orbiting"), more heat generation (as well as more power consumption), does not perform as well at higher altitudes, naturally darker image and screen glare in brightly lit rooms, heavier weight, and more delicate to ship.

Briefly: Picture quality

• Earlier generation displays were more susceptible to screen burn-in and image retention, recent models have a pixel orbiter that moves the entire picture faster than is noticeable to the human eye, which reduces the effect of burn-in but does not prevent it.
• Earlier generation displays (circa 2006 and prior) had phosphors that lost luminosity over time, resulting in gradual decline of absolute image brightness (newer models may be less susceptible to this, having advertised lifespans exceeding 100,000 hours, far longer than older CRT technology).
• Screen-door effects are noticeable on screen sizes smaller than 127 cm (50 in); the effect is more visible at shorter viewing distances.

Other

• Use more electricity, on average, than an LCD TV.
• Do not work as well at high altitudes due to pressure differential between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude. It may cause a buzzing noise. Manufacturers rate their screens to indicate the altitude parameters.
• For those who wish to listen to AM radio, or are amateur radio operators (hams) or shortwave listeners (SWL), the radio frequency interference (RFI) from these devices can be irritating or disabling.
• Due to the strong infrared emissions inherent with the technology, standard IR repeater systems cannot be used in the viewing room. A more expensive "plasma compatible" sensor must be used.

LCD TV
Advantages

LCD TVs have advantages over Plasma TVs in the following areas: no burn-in susceptibility, cooler running temperature, less screen glare, more functional at high altitudes, longer display life (although improvements are being made in Plasma screen life), looks better in brightly lit rooms due to the ability to produce a naturally brighter image, and less power consumption than Plasma.

Also, LCD TVs have made great strides in upping-the-ante in native pixel resolution, with a majority of sets offering a full 1080p (1920x1080) display capability at affordable price levels in screen sizes ranging from 37-inches and up, but there are some 1080p set down into the 32 and 26-inch screen sizes. On the other hand, the number of Plasma Televisions offering 1080p native pixel resolution are increasing, but many "budget-priced" sets in the 42-inch (and even some 26 and 50-inch) screen size are 720p sets.

One factor to consider in favor of LCD over Plasma (at least for the near future) is that if you are looking for a smaller screen television, Plasma TVs have not been available in screen sizes below 42-inches for some time now.

One other factor to consider is that LCD TVs are typically lighter (when comparing same screen sizes) than their Plasma counterparts, making wall installation easier.

Briefly:

• Very compact and light.
• Low power consumption.
• No geometric distortion.
• Little or no flicker depending on backlight technology.
• Not affected by screen burn-in.
• Can be made in almost any size or shape.
• No theoretical resolution limit.

Disadvantages

 LCD TVs do have drawbacks in several areas vs Plasma televisions: Lower contrast ratio, not as good rendering deep blacks, not as good at tracking motion (although this is improving, especially with the implementation of 120 Hz refresh rates (and some now offer 240 Hz on higher-end models).

Also, although LCD TVs do not suffer from burn-in susceptibility, it is possible that individual pixels on an LCD televisions can burn out, causing small, visible, black or white dots to appear on the screen. Individual pixels cannot be repaired, the whole screen would need to be replaced at that point, if the individual pixel burnout becomes annoying to you. Finally, large screen LCD televisions are usually more expensive than an equivalent-sized Plasma television, although the price gap is closing.

Briefly:

• Limited viewing angle, causing color, saturation, contrast and brightness to vary, even within the intended viewing angle, by variations in posture.
• Bleeding and uneven backlighting in some monitors, causing brightness distortion, especially toward the edges.
• Smearing and ghosting artifacts caused by slow response times (>8 ms) and "sample and hold" operation.
• Only one native resolution. Displaying resolutions either requires a video scaler, lowering perceptual quality, or display at 1:1 pixel mapping, in which images will be physically too large or won't fill the whole screen.
• Fixed bit depth, many cheaper LCDs are only able to display 262,000 colors. 8-bit S-IPS panels can display 16 million colors and have significantly better black level, but are expensive and have slower response time.
• Low bit depth results in images with unnatural or excessive contrast.
• Input lag
• Dead or stuck pixels may occur during manufacturing or through use.
• In a constant-on situation, thermalization may occur, which is when only part of the screen has overheated and looks discolored compared to the rest of the screen.
• Not all LCDs are designed to allow easy replacement of the backlight.
• Cannot be used with light guns/pens.
• Loss of contrast in high temperature environments.

My advice
My recommendation is to go to a dealer and really take a look carefully at several Plasma and LCD televisions and compare the performance based on the above factors and narrow down your choices to one or two of both types and make your decision based on what type will give you the most pleasing image, connection flexibility, and fits your overall budget expectations.

LCD TV left, Plasma TV right.