Plasma and LCD TVs
are the latest
trend in home entertainment. Both offer unrivalled
picture quality and resolution, while doing away with
the bulkiness of the older rear-projection technologies.
But with all of the hype surrounding these two types of
televisions, what is the difference between them?
Although they look- and are virtually priced- the same,
they are not.
There differences are found in the
way in which they display their pictures.
Plasma TV
technology is made up of hundreds of thousands of little
pixels, each capable of displaying red, green, and blue
colors. A plasma monitor often consists of two panels,
which are filled with an inert gas, such as xenon or
neon. When the pixels are excited by pulses of
electricity, the gas becomes liquid, thus generating
light. This light in turn then illuminates the pixels,
causing them to display the appropriate color to form a
picture.
LCD panels function in a very similar
manner. A panel of thin-film-transmitters, or TFT, sends
electricity to cells filled with liquid crystal. When
the cells are struck by the electricity, the liquid
crystals allow light to filter through. Unlike the
pixels found in plasma TVs, LCD monitors create color by
blocking out the appropriate wavelengths from white
light.
So which is better? The answer to this
question depends upon what you plan to use TV for. Do
you just want to use it to watch movies and television?
If so, then a plasma TV might be best, because they are
capable of a higher better color saturation and contrast
than their LCD counterparts and for displaying moving
images. If you plan in spending a lot of time showing
digital photography or plan on using the monitor with
your computer, then a LCD display might be better suited
to these purposes.
Both plasma and LCD
technologies each have their advantages and
disadvantages and your decision should ultimately be
based on your monitor's application.
