“Veni Vidi Vici” This is quite apt for the flat panel displays that conquered the masses quite soon after the launch. And is still the hotspot, thereby almost cribbing the CRT displays into the boxes. Plasma Televisions and LCD Televisions, both are categorised under flat panel displays with the minimalist approach of design. With the display wars prevailing, and customers perplexed with the wide range of high-end displays available, it is a tough process to decide whether to go for a plasma screen or LCD television.
LCD Technology makes use of the polarisation of light. In LCD liquid crystal molecules are sandwiched between the glass panels, and in response to the electric current crystal molecules allows light to pass through. This is the general principle in LCD technology. Moreover sub-pixel colour filters are used in LCD technology for colour reproduction. In plasma technology, gas molecules are sandwiched in the two thin glass panels, which inturn hits the phosphor coating in the front glass to reproduce the actual colour. There will be three primary colour spots for each pixel in the front glass panel and the gas molecule emits ultra violet light in response to the electric current. This UV light hits the front panel according to the electric current fed, to reproduce the exact clone of the video input signal.
There are lot of factors that helped the flat screens gain upper hand over conventional CRT displays. The elementary factor that helped flat screens have an upper sway is the increase in number of pixels that inturn renders much sharper images. The incredible design is another plus of the flat screen panels, and wide viewing angle adds comfort to the users. The compact design of flat panel display helps to save space and gives a new elegance to your living space. The widescreen aspect ratio and absence of scan lines are added advantages of flat panel displays.
In finesse, LCD and Plasma Televisions have their own pros and cons. Burn-in is one of the most annoying problem of Plasma television, especially for those who use it as game console or PC monitor. LCD televisions are offer hassle free rendition of images comparatively. Another advantage of LCD television is cooler running temperature, which inturn helps to increase the lifespan of display. Unlike plasma televisions, LCD Televisions have almost no high altitude issues and offers better image brightness too. LCD Televisions are much lighter compared to the Plasma counterparts, which adds portability.
Plasma screens offer matchless contrast ratio, thereby rendering exceptional blacks and vibrant images. LCD Big screens(50” plus) are available only recently but this is not the case with Plasma televisions. Good colour saturation and accuracy of Plasma televisions are also appreciable, and is better than their LCD counterparts. Motion lag is the common hassle for LCD televisions, and Plasma Televisions are much advanced in adept handling of motion images. Meanwhile the high power consumption is considered as the major downside of plasma television. High Altitude issues, heating problems and shorter life span of displays are other cons of plasma television.
The LCD screens offer lower contrast ratio, and image lag is a common hassle in these displays, which are rectified with latest motion adaptive technologies and high refresh rates. There are very few cases of static burn-in in LCD Televisions, but it is for individual pixels and that pixel may remain white/black forever. The only option for rectifying it is to change the whole screen. LCD televisions are comparatively expensive than their plasma counterparts. Plasma offers better viewing angles which offers luxurious viewability for the users unlike LCD screens.
Why LCD fare better than Plasma TV?
Plasma Televisions perform well in a dark room with its mammoth contrast and sharp images. But for a normally lit room, LCD televisions are advisable. LCD offers better picture clarity for smaller models, and they reflect less ambient light which adds to the image clarity. Plasma Televisions are power hungry models, and are considered to be less eco-friendly. Moreover Plasma Television is banned in UK for the same reason. The display life of LCD panels are much higher compared to the plasma televisions. Though you need to add few more pounds initially LCD Televisions are economical in long run.
