Choosing a new TV, the buyer is faced with the question, which is better: LCD or "plasma"? If LCD TVs are more expensive, does that mean they are superior to relatively inexpensive plasma TVs?
What is the difference between LCD and plasma TVs: theory
Traditional TVs with pot-bellied picture tubes, in fact, have already become part of history. Now on the TV market the ball is ruled by liquid crystal displays and plasma panels. At the same time, the cost of "plasma" is slightly lower than that of an LCD TV. But does more expensive always mean better? The answer to this question has to do with TV production technology.
The principle of operation of a plasma panel is as follows. The narrow space between the two transparent panels is filled with a special gas. There is also a grid of wires through which an electric current flows. When the TV is on, electricity converts the gas into plasma, which causes the fluorescent elements to glow. This is how the image is made.
LCD TVs are completely different. The picture on the screen is created by liquid crystals that modulate the light emanating from the lamp located at the back. Liquid crystals, depending on the electrical voltage, pass one or another part of the light spectrum through themselves.
How are things going in practice?
How do these technological features manifest themselves in practice, and what are the advantages of more expensive LCD TVs in comparison with "plasmas", which are cheaper? First, until recently, the production of LCD TVs with a diagonal of more than 32 inches was not possible. Now manufacturers have learned to make large LCD-displays, but technologically it is difficult and expensive.
With "plasmas" the situation is the opposite: the technology does not allow creating a plasma panel with a small diagonal. On the other hand, the production of a plasma TV with a diagonal of more than 32 inches is significantly cheaper compared to an LCD TV of the same size.
At the moment, the cost of LCD panels is on average 25% higher, which is the main reason for the higher price of such TVs relative to plasma panels. In practice, "plasmas" win in many respects, although LCD TVs also have their advantages, otherwise there would be no point in producing them.
One of the most important advantages of LCD TVs is their low energy consumption: the plasma requires twice as much electricity to operate. In addition, plasma TVs get very hot during operation, so they have to be equipped with special ventilation systems that create additional noise. In addition, because of the danger of overheating, it is not safe to place the plasma television in niches. Another important advantage of LCDs is their service life: they have an average of 80,000 hours, which is twice as long as that of "plasma".
As for the image quality, here LCD is inferior to "plasma". LCD does not emit light, but passes it through liquid crystals, so the picture is somewhat blurry compared to the clear and contrasting image that a plasma display gives. In addition, the picture on the "plasma" does not flicker and looks more realistic.
