- In this report
- Overview
- Why buy a plasma TV?
- Why buy an LCD TV?
- When either type is fine
ELECTRONICS FORUMS  Get real-world advice from others about choosing a new TV, digital camera, computer or cell phone. |
March 2008
Why buy a plasma TV?
To get more screen for your money. Inch for inch, plasma offers more bang for the buck than an LCD TV, so the same budget can buy you a bigger screen. 1080p
screens might be an exception; plasma sets with "full HD" resolution tend to be priced similarly to LCD models.
To enjoy a movie-theater experience. A good plasma TV's deep black levels and high contrast can do justice to almost anything you watch, including movies and TV programs with dark scenes. The strong contrast and realistic, accurate colors can result in rich, natural-looking images, especially in dim lighting. Most LCD sets have trouble displaying the same strong, dark blacks as plasma sets. On certain LCD sets, uneven brightness from the backlight can create cloudy areas that can be distracting in dark scenes.
For a wide viewing angle. With a plasma TV, as with the familiar picture-tube set, the images onscreen look the same from almost any angle. That's a big plus if a TV will be watched by a number of people sitting around a room.
It's a different story with LCD TVs. Most LCDs still look their best only from a limited sweet spot in front of the screen. A few new models have successfully addressed this, and they have a wider viewing angle than the typical LCD. (See: Why buy an LCD TV?)
Generally, as you move off to the side, the picture quality on an LCD screen deteriorates, appearing increasingly washed out or dim. Vertical position also matters—say, if you're sitting on the floor or watching an LCD set that's mounted above a mantelpiece. On some TV sets, those problems can be obvious, especially with indoor scenes and flesh tones. The degradation is less noticeable with bright images and vivid colors such as those you'd see in a football game.
Because TVs in retail showrooms often display sporting events, you might not notice a problem with viewing angle when looking at a TV in a store. Picture settings also minimize the effect of viewing angle on picture quality. TVs are usually set to vivid or dynamic mode, which pumps up brightness and color to a level that looks great under fluorescent lights but unnatural in a typical home. Ask a salesperson to reset a TV to normal or standard mode and tune in nonsports programming to get a better idea of how a TV might look at home, especially from an angle.
To enjoy a movie-theater experience. A good plasma TV's deep black levels and high contrast can do justice to almost anything you watch, including movies and TV programs with dark scenes. The strong contrast and realistic, accurate colors can result in rich, natural-looking images, especially in dim lighting. Most LCD sets have trouble displaying the same strong, dark blacks as plasma sets. On certain LCD sets, uneven brightness from the backlight can create cloudy areas that can be distracting in dark scenes.
For a wide viewing angle. With a plasma TV, as with the familiar picture-tube set, the images onscreen look the same from almost any angle. That's a big plus if a TV will be watched by a number of people sitting around a room.
It's a different story with LCD TVs. Most LCDs still look their best only from a limited sweet spot in front of the screen. A few new models have successfully addressed this, and they have a wider viewing angle than the typical LCD. (See: Why buy an LCD TV?)
Generally, as you move off to the side, the picture quality on an LCD screen deteriorates, appearing increasingly washed out or dim. Vertical position also matters—say, if you're sitting on the floor or watching an LCD set that's mounted above a mantelpiece. On some TV sets, those problems can be obvious, especially with indoor scenes and flesh tones. The degradation is less noticeable with bright images and vivid colors such as those you'd see in a football game.
Because TVs in retail showrooms often display sporting events, you might not notice a problem with viewing angle when looking at a TV in a store. Picture settings also minimize the effect of viewing angle on picture quality. TVs are usually set to vivid or dynamic mode, which pumps up brightness and color to a level that looks great under fluorescent lights but unnatural in a typical home. Ask a salesperson to reset a TV to normal or standard mode and tune in nonsports programming to get a better idea of how a TV might look at home, especially from an angle.
