What is the difference between a plasma TV and an LCD TV and which to choose?

Plasma TVs stopped producing in 2015, but at the same time, many TVs can still be purchased on the secondary market. Therefore, before buying such a device, you need to study the features of such TVs, compare them with modern LCD models. Let’s tell you what is better plasma or LCD TV.

Principle of operation

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Before you start arguing, you need to determine the subject of the dispute itself. To understand what is better LCD or plasma TVs, let’s evaluate the features of the operation of the devices, their pros and cons, analyze them according to different parameters.

Plasma panel – what is it

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Plasma panel is equipment that works on the basis of a fluorescent lamp. The screen includes cells that contain 2 panels of glass, separated by a narrow gap with an insulating layer, an address electrode and a screen electrode with neon-xenon gas. During the operation of the plasma TV, the gas is charged with electricity after a specific period of time. It then hits the red, green and blue phosphors, resulting in the formation of the picture displayed on the display. Groups of phosphors are called pixels.

Manufacturers can make these devices thin. But due to the fact that in older models with the presence of an electron beam tube do not need a large kinescope and scanning with an electrode beam, “plasmas” still use burning phosphors to create a picture. Because of this, such devices have certain disadvantages from TVs with E-LT. They emit heat, there are risks of burnout of the screen of static images.

LCD TV

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LCD TV is an equipment made of two light-transmitting layers of material. LCD devices in comparison with “plasmas” have a different technology for displaying the picture. Two layers of material are polarized and bonded. One of them is coated with special polymers that hold liquid crystals. When current passes through them, they allow or block the light needed to create the image. The crystals of liquid crystal displays do not produce light, for this reason, an external light source in the form of fluorescent or LEDs is needed to make the picture on the display visible to the viewer.

Compared to plasma models, due to the lack of igniting phosphors, LED TVs need less energy, and the light source in LCD TVs creates less heat compared to “plasmas”.

Differences between LCD and “plasma”

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Let’s look at some of the differences between these two types of television equipment.

Display size.

Plasma TVs are heavy and thick as compared to LCD devices. A plasma panel can have a maximum display diagonal of up to 150 cm, while an LCD can have a maximum display diagonal of up to 254 cm.

Viewing Angle.

Plasma panels can transmit a high-quality picture at an angle of up to 170 degrees, due to which there is no discomfort when watching TV from anywhere in the room. In this regard, LCD screens lose, as they are limited to a viewing angle of 60-70 degrees.

Pixel Response Time.

In other words, this is the time it takes to measure the brightness of a pixel. Plasma TVs offer a minimum response time of 1ms, LCDs up to 10ms. Watching scenes with dynamic pictures will be more pleasant on a “plasma”.

Power consumption level.

Plasmas have an average power of 400-450 watts. LCD TVs with the same size and parameters will consume several times less electricity, so it is more economical to use them.

Picture Quality.

In terms of colors and brightness, in PDP-panels, color reproduction will be more realistic and qualitative, due to the fact that due to phosphor provides a wider coverage of the palette. “Plasmas” have a high level of picture contrast, against which the real black color is issued. The minus of the technology is low brightness. Due to sunlight from the window, which gets into the screen area, the impressions of watching a movie or TV series can be spoiled. In LCD TVs, the picture will be brighter and more saturated, but because of the backlighting of the matrix, the screen will shine unevenly.

For fans of watching sports and movies with a lot of special effects, plasma models will be suitable. In this regard, LCD cells are inertial, because of which the contours of fast-moving objects on the display can be blurred.

Size, broken pixels in the matrix

If 5 years ago, the limit for LCD TVs was the size of 32 inches, then “plasmas” with 32 inches began to be produced. At the same time, the most common were panels with a screen diagonal of 42 and 50 inches. Previously, according to technological standards were acceptable only a few “broken” pixels in liquid crystal matrices, given the difficulty of obtaining them without defective thin-film transistors. Because of the rejection of matrices, even with one broken pixel imposes difficulties on the production process, due to which the cost of matrices increases. As the size of LCD panels increases, the probability of unmanageable pixels increases. With the help of LCD technology, TVs with large sizes are produced, against which, in this regard, “plasmas” and LCD are equalized.