TweakTV asked:
Should I buy a plasma or an LCD flat panel HDTV? That is the question for many would-be HDTV buyers in today’s flat panel dominated HDTV world. Plasma panels, or PDPs as they are referred to, are still considered by most display experts, me included, all things considered, to produce better pictures then LCD flat panel HDTVs. That, of course, is a generalization. Let’s define it for the purposes of determining what is better for a particular application. Strictly speaking, if picture quality is the primary priority, then the best plasmas will outperform the best LCD panels. This is due mainly to the fact that the better plasma panels have superior black level performance, which in turn gives them greater contrast ratio. Contrast ratio is the single most important component of a video picture to the human eye. We refer to this as the “Snap” or “Pop” of the picture. Additionally, better black level performance also equates to deeper more saturated color.
Plasma Pros:
· Better blacks means better contrast ratio
· Better color saturation due to better black level performance
· Better motion tracking (little or no motion lag in fast moving images)
· Bigger screen sizes for less money
Plasma Cons:
· Reflective glass screens mean distracting reflections when light is bouncing off the screen
· Not as bright as LCD panels
· Potential burn-in problems from static images
· Draws more electrical current then LCD panels
· Does not perform as well at higher altitudes
Since we have already covered plasma’s superior contrast ratio due to better black level performance, let’s look at the other factors. If the set is designed properly with accurate color decoding, and accurate primary (Red, Green, and Blue) and colors, then, the better black levels will also contribute to more saturated and richer color reproduction. There are no speed issues with plasma so motion blur is not an issue. This means any fast action material whether film based entertainment on DVD or Blu-ray, Sports, and even video games will likely look better on a plasma panel. As far as pricing is concerned the playing field is getting to be more level now between the two display technologies, but plasma is still more affordable when it comes to screen sizes of 50-inches and larger.
Now let’s go over the negatives behind plasma. Reflective glass screens can be distracting when there is direct light hitting the screen. Manufacturers have, in recent years, refined the coating they apply to their screens to reduce this issue so it isn’t as big a problem as it used to be. It is true that plasma panels are not capable of as much light output inch for inch as their LCD counterparts. This would be an important consideration if the room has little or no light control, and you plan on watching a significant amount of the time during the day. Another issue or problem that is nowhere near as prevalent as it used to be is phosphor burn. This is still a potential problem, but it can be avoided and for the most part is no longer a permanent issue. We refer to it as “Image Retention” as it usually dissipates over a short period of time if you play 16:9 material that fills the screen.
LCD Pros:
· Extremely bright and therefore better able to compete with ambient light, which makes them a better choice for bright rooms.
· No burn in issues.
· No high altitude use issues.
LCD Cons:
· Generally poor black level performance, which also reduces contrast ratio.
· Poorer motion tracking (potential motion lag in fast moving images).
· The really large screen sizes from 52-inches and up are still generally more expensive than plasma.
The negative aspects of LCD start with inferior black level performance, which translates into a less snappy three dimensional picture. Color saturation also tends not to be as good as plasma as a result of inferior blacks. There is a potential for motion tracking problems depending on the make a model of an LCD panel. This can be a real issue with fast motion, which of course occurs with most sporting events, and also with many fast action films as well.
Before determining what is the best display type for you, the application or where the TV will be located, and what the primary viewing habits are should be carefully determined. For example, if you are going to be using the display in a room where you have control over the ambient light, etc, and picture quality is of primary concern, and you will be primarily interested in watching movies on Blu-ray or HDTV broadcasts from cable or Satellite, then plasma would be the right choice. On the other hand, if you plan on having the set in a room with a lot of ambient light, and little or no control over the light (shades, etc), and you will be using it frequently in high ambient light conditions, then an LCD panel would be a better choice. Also because of phosphor burn issues with plasmas, heavy video game users are better off with an LCD panel as they don’t have image retention or burn issues.
Whichever flat panel display type you opt for, make sure to do your homework as they are not all created equal. Shopping on price alone is a sure way to find disappointment in picture quality. On the other hand, there are some real good values in both categories. Visit TweakTV’s forum and ask our experts their opinions on whatever brand and model you are considering. You will get an unbiased professional opinion that is based on experience, and is heavily weighted by picture performance.
Should I buy a plasma or an LCD flat panel HDTV? That is the question for many would-be HDTV buyers in today’s flat panel dominated HDTV world. Plasma panels, or PDPs as they are referred to, are still considered by most display experts, me included, all things considered, to produce better pictures then LCD flat panel HDTVs. That, of course, is a generalization. Let’s define it for the purposes of determining what is better for a particular application. Strictly speaking, if picture quality is the primary priority, then the best plasmas will outperform the best LCD panels. This is due mainly to the fact that the better plasma panels have superior black level performance, which in turn gives them greater contrast ratio. Contrast ratio is the single most important component of a video picture to the human eye. We refer to this as the “Snap” or “Pop” of the picture. Additionally, better black level performance also equates to deeper more saturated color.
Plasma Pros:
· Better blacks means better contrast ratio
· Better color saturation due to better black level performance
· Better motion tracking (little or no motion lag in fast moving images)
· Bigger screen sizes for less money
Plasma Cons:
· Reflective glass screens mean distracting reflections when light is bouncing off the screen
· Not as bright as LCD panels
· Potential burn-in problems from static images
· Draws more electrical current then LCD panels
· Does not perform as well at higher altitudes
Since we have already covered plasma’s superior contrast ratio due to better black level performance, let’s look at the other factors. If the set is designed properly with accurate color decoding, and accurate primary (Red, Green, and Blue) and colors, then, the better black levels will also contribute to more saturated and richer color reproduction. There are no speed issues with plasma so motion blur is not an issue. This means any fast action material whether film based entertainment on DVD or Blu-ray, Sports, and even video games will likely look better on a plasma panel. As far as pricing is concerned the playing field is getting to be more level now between the two display technologies, but plasma is still more affordable when it comes to screen sizes of 50-inches and larger.
Now let’s go over the negatives behind plasma. Reflective glass screens can be distracting when there is direct light hitting the screen. Manufacturers have, in recent years, refined the coating they apply to their screens to reduce this issue so it isn’t as big a problem as it used to be. It is true that plasma panels are not capable of as much light output inch for inch as their LCD counterparts. This would be an important consideration if the room has little or no light control, and you plan on watching a significant amount of the time during the day. Another issue or problem that is nowhere near as prevalent as it used to be is phosphor burn. This is still a potential problem, but it can be avoided and for the most part is no longer a permanent issue. We refer to it as “Image Retention” as it usually dissipates over a short period of time if you play 16:9 material that fills the screen.
LCD Pros:
· Extremely bright and therefore better able to compete with ambient light, which makes them a better choice for bright rooms.
· No burn in issues.
· No high altitude use issues.
LCD Cons:
· Generally poor black level performance, which also reduces contrast ratio.
· Poorer motion tracking (potential motion lag in fast moving images).
· The really large screen sizes from 52-inches and up are still generally more expensive than plasma.
The negative aspects of LCD start with inferior black level performance, which translates into a less snappy three dimensional picture. Color saturation also tends not to be as good as plasma as a result of inferior blacks. There is a potential for motion tracking problems depending on the make a model of an LCD panel. This can be a real issue with fast motion, which of course occurs with most sporting events, and also with many fast action films as well.
Before determining what is the best display type for you, the application or where the TV will be located, and what the primary viewing habits are should be carefully determined. For example, if you are going to be using the display in a room where you have control over the ambient light, etc, and picture quality is of primary concern, and you will be primarily interested in watching movies on Blu-ray or HDTV broadcasts from cable or Satellite, then plasma would be the right choice. On the other hand, if you plan on having the set in a room with a lot of ambient light, and little or no control over the light (shades, etc), and you will be using it frequently in high ambient light conditions, then an LCD panel would be a better choice. Also because of phosphor burn issues with plasmas, heavy video game users are better off with an LCD panel as they don’t have image retention or burn issues.
Whichever flat panel display type you opt for, make sure to do your homework as they are not all created equal. Shopping on price alone is a sure way to find disappointment in picture quality. On the other hand, there are some real good values in both categories. Visit TweakTV’s forum and ask our experts their opinions on whatever brand and model you are considering. You will get an unbiased professional opinion that is based on experience, and is heavily weighted by picture performance.
Filed under Electronics
Gill Critchley asked:
When choosing a TV it’s important that you pick one that can offer you what you want as you will want the set to last you a while, but with so many different models out at the moment making that choice can be difficult and time consuming. This article reviews two televisions to help make your decision a bit easier. The first is the Panasonic TX-37LZD80. This is a Panasonic LCD TV and has a resolution of 1080p. If you are looking for smaller plasma TVs that have this resolution then you’re out of luck and while it could be argued that there is no point in having this resolution on a smaller screen and that you would be hard pushed to tell the different between a 750p resolution, there are still people who always opt for the best resolution that they can get. It’s for this reason that the Panasonic TX-37LZD80 was made. On top of the 1080p, this TV comes with all the trimmings such as its 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and x.v.Colour. The set is also very stylish and elegant, offering clean lines and a modern design that wouldn’t look out of place in any home. The second TV to look at is a Samsung LCD TV. The LE46M87 is a TV with a great design; the speakers are hidden inside of the set so as not to taint the sleek and stylish black finish. While this is some great styling, it’s yet to be established whether or not this has a detrimental effect on the sound quality. This Samsung TV has a lot more to offer its users though, like the three HDMI sockets and S-Video and composite connections that could be used to connect your camcorder to your TV set for example. This range of TVs also includes digital receivers in the models and they also feature a gaming mode that allows gamers to play with fantastic looking game-play graphics and that also removes the awful motion blur that can affect some LCD screens. These are just two of the ranges of TVs that are available at the moment and with impressive features such as those mentioned, we can expect a lot more from out TV sets in the future.
The Panasonic LCD TV is a very impressive set with a resolution of 1080p but if you are looking for smaller plasma TVs that have this resolution then unfortunately, you’re out of luck. The Samsung LCD TV is a television with a great design and offers great features, such as including the speakers inside the set rather than outside where they may spoil the clean and stylish edges of the TV.
When choosing a TV it’s important that you pick one that can offer you what you want as you will want the set to last you a while, but with so many different models out at the moment making that choice can be difficult and time consuming. This article reviews two televisions to help make your decision a bit easier. The first is the Panasonic TX-37LZD80. This is a Panasonic LCD TV and has a resolution of 1080p. If you are looking for smaller plasma TVs that have this resolution then you’re out of luck and while it could be argued that there is no point in having this resolution on a smaller screen and that you would be hard pushed to tell the different between a 750p resolution, there are still people who always opt for the best resolution that they can get. It’s for this reason that the Panasonic TX-37LZD80 was made. On top of the 1080p, this TV comes with all the trimmings such as its 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and x.v.Colour. The set is also very stylish and elegant, offering clean lines and a modern design that wouldn’t look out of place in any home. The second TV to look at is a Samsung LCD TV. The LE46M87 is a TV with a great design; the speakers are hidden inside of the set so as not to taint the sleek and stylish black finish. While this is some great styling, it’s yet to be established whether or not this has a detrimental effect on the sound quality. This Samsung TV has a lot more to offer its users though, like the three HDMI sockets and S-Video and composite connections that could be used to connect your camcorder to your TV set for example. This range of TVs also includes digital receivers in the models and they also feature a gaming mode that allows gamers to play with fantastic looking game-play graphics and that also removes the awful motion blur that can affect some LCD screens. These are just two of the ranges of TVs that are available at the moment and with impressive features such as those mentioned, we can expect a lot more from out TV sets in the future.
The Panasonic LCD TV is a very impressive set with a resolution of 1080p but if you are looking for smaller plasma TVs that have this resolution then unfortunately, you’re out of luck. The Samsung LCD TV is a television with a great design and offers great features, such as including the speakers inside the set rather than outside where they may spoil the clean and stylish edges of the TV.
Filed under Shopping