Suggestion:
Cost issue – yah, because LCDs have to put in expensive add-ons to match Plasma quality. But they pass along that cost to you the consumer.
All LCDs, CCFL or LED, suffer from motion blur problems. They can't refresh the screen fast enough to keep up with fast action scenarios. So you get ghost trails. Now, the manufacturers found a way to try and eliminate this problem. Its the advanced Refresh Rate spec you see on LCDs. So the base is 60Hz, but you can pay for advanced options like 120Hz or 240Hz. This feature can help a lot, especially as you go into larger sized TVs, but you're expected to pay a premium for it.
Now Plasma on the other hand has a near instantaneous response time of like 0.001 ms. This means it has a near flawless motion playback (like a CRT or DLP). This is inherent to the technology, so there is nothing extra to pay for in order to get crisp and clean motion playback.
Next, CCFL based LCDs are sometimes claimed to provide grey blacks, muted colors, and so-so contrast as you get into larger sized sets (a bit as you break 40", but more so as you break 50"). So in order to combat this, LCD manufacturers came out with the LED light source. LED does typically solve these problems for an LCD set. But, besides 3D, this is the most premium feature for an LCD so carries the greatest cost add-on for you the consumer.
Plasma on the other hand will deliver vivid colors, deep contrast, and true blacks right out of the box. It is something that is again inherent to the technology. So there is no advanced feature cost to have to pass onto the consumer.
So that's how Plasma prices can beat LCD prices and still deliver top notch image quality experience. And stick with Panasonic for the best image quality and set reliability.
The main knock on Plasma now is that it is still a glass unit. So if you have loads of uncontrollable light, glare might be an issue. But if you can control the lighting in the room, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. And LCD's aren't magically perfect with glare, they're just better.
Most other knocks against Plasma are myths and misconceptions. They do not need to be re-charged. Their are now energy star certified models, so they are no longer power hogs. You can get thin models if you need something of lesser weight. Modern ones do not suffer burn-in. Especially if you go with Panasonic, which includes extra anti-image retention features above and beyond the advances in the technology.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
The ADVANTAGES of Plasma over LCD are:
1. Larger screen size availability.
2. Better contrast ratio and ability to render deeper blacks.
3. Better color accuracy and saturation.
4. Better motion tracking (little or no motion lag in fast moving images).
DISADVANTAGES of Plasma vs LCD include:
1. Plasma TVs are more susceptible to burn-in of static images.
2. Plasma TVs generate more heat than LCDs, due to the need to light of phosphors to create the images.
3. Does not perform as well at higher altitudes.
4. Potentially shorter display life span – this used to be the case. Early Plasmas had 30,000 hours or 8 hrs of viewing a day for 9 years, which was less than LCD. However, screen life span has now improved and 60,000 hour life span rating are now common, with some sets rated as high as 100,000 hours, due to technology improvements.
LCD television ADVANTAGES over Plasma include:
1. No burn-in of static images.
2. Cooler running temperature.
3. No high altitude use issues.
4. Increased image brightness over Plasma.
5. Lighter weight (when comparing same screen sizes) than Plasma counterparts.
6. Longer display life used to be a factor, but now LCD and Plasma sets both have at least 60,000 hour or higher lifespans.
DISADVANTAGES of LCD vs Plasma televisions include:
1. Lower contrast ratio, not as good rendering deep blacks.
2. Not as good at tracking motion (fast moving objects may exhibit lag artifacts) – However, this is improving with the recent implementation of 120Hz screen refresh rates and 240Hz processing in higher-end LCD sets.
3. Not as common in large screen sizes above 42-inches as Plasma. However, the number is growing fast, with 46 and 47-inch screen sizes becoming more common, and some LCD sets having a screen size as large as 65-inches also available to the general public.
4. Although LCD televisions 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.
5. LCD televisions are typically more expensive than equivalent-sized Plasma televisions (although this is changing), especially when comparing EDTV Plasmas to HDTV-LCD Televisions.
Instead of me explaining it with my own opinion, I want you to go online to Home Theater Magazine. The have been comparing this type of electronic for many years. They can provide you the pro and con of each technology. Plasma tv is still consider to have the best picture quality of all tvs in the market today. The reason that they are cheaper now than when it first came out is due to production and improvements. LCD and LED are newer technology and they are still working the bugs out. If you read yahoo questions, you will notice that 95% of tv problems are from LCD tvs and 95% of those are off brands. Hope this will help you out.
I assume that either Plasmas are less costly to manufacture or LCD or more costly to make. I opted for a Vizio 42 LCD that was my preference – I have had it 2 years and plays exceptionally well. The particular place I purchase it from only had a few plasmas – the ratio was like 3/4 LCD and 1/4 Plasmas.
Take a look at this question that elaborates on it…and answer of course.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100222082314AA6Pxqa
none of these TVs last , so whichever one you buy get the longest best warranty you can, 4-5 years is a normal max but 2-3 years before major problems is getting more common
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