Plasma vs LCD

Forget Obama vs Clinton, the real hot debate topic is Plasma vs LCD displays. Which one is better? What are the differences? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each display type? What is contrast ratio and why should it matter? Do plasma displays burn in? Why are LCD displays susceptible to input lag? Questions like these are always asked, and many people don’t quite understand the differences between these two display technologies. Before we delve into the questions, we first must understand what Plasma and LCD are.

Plasma display panels (PDP) are flat panel displays that house a mixture of inert noble gases, neon and xenon between two panels of glass. They work by emitting light when phosphors are stimulated via electricity after the gases are turned into plasma or ionized gas. These are inert gases and contrary to urban legend, they don’t leak and are not dangerous.

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) are also flat panel displays. They work by backlighting monochromatic pixels positioned in front of a light source. Liquid crystals are just phases of matter. It does not necessarily mean that there are liquids swirling around your display. A perfect example to help further understand are the different states of water. Water does not have to be a liquid; it can have a solid state like ice, or a gas state like vapor.

PDP and LCD both deliver fantastic high definition images. Provided your source material is pristine, your image quality will also be pristine. However, there are certain differences between the display technologies and one might be superior in one area and inferior in another. I’ll list the advantages and disadvantages of both display types.

PDP Advantages

1. Deep intense black levels. Black is the foundation for just about everything you view. Poor black levels yield poor contrast ratio. Contrast ratio is the ratio of luminance between white and black. Inky, deep blacks make the overall picture quality sharper and better. PDP has come really close to matching the black levels of the very best CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) displays.

2. Competitive pricing with larger displays. With the exception of the Pioneer Kuros, larger sized PDP’s are competitively priced with LCD’s in the same size category. (50 inches and up)

3. Great viewing angles. You don’t have to be in the center on the room to get the best view. You can sit anywhere and still enjoy fantastic image quality.
4. Minimal motion blur, or ghosting. If you watch fast paced programming like sports, or play videogames, you will come to appreciate stutter free content without lag or image response problems.

PDP Disadvantages

1. Power consumption. PDP consumes more power than LCD panels.
2. Smaller size displays are not an option. For someone looking for a display less than 32 inches, your only option is an LCD in the current market.
3. Image retention. I only mention it because many people have older generation PDP’s and it was an issue. These days, it isn’t. We also need to understand the difference between image retention and burn in. Image retention is when a temporary static image remains on your display. This goes away, and many PDP manufacturers have built in methods that make this an issue of the past. Burn in is permanent. It’s when a static image remains on your display. You can see these at Airport terminals. The displays they used are pretty old and are first generation PDP’s. Burn in is simply not an issue to worry about with modern day PDPs.

LCD Advantages

1. Bright and vibrant colors. Modern day LCD’s deliver vibrant and lush visuals.
2. They consume far less power than PDP’s.
3. Many size options. LCD panels can range from as small as 6 inches to over 100 inches. So they have sizes for everyone.

LCD Disadvantages

1. Poor viewing angles. It’s simple to test. Stand in front of an LCD and take note of how the picture appears. Now move to the left or right by 45 degrees and see if you have the same visual experience. You most likely won’t.
2. Image blurring, ghosting and contouring when viewing fast paced events like sports or playing videogames. Many LCD manufacturers have addressed this issue by releasing 120hz displays that make fast pace motion smoother without stutter, artifacts or image contouring. It has helped a great deal, but the response time is still not the same as PDP.
3. Sub par black levels. Many of the newer LCD models have come a long way and offer deep black levels, but they simply cannot compete with a good PDP in that regard. It’s inherent in the technology. LCD’s are backlit, so you will always have light seepage to some degree. Samsung has released LED LCD displays that have achieved black levels never achieved before by an LCD display, so the future is looking bright for LCD tech.

Sound and Vision Magazine had a head to head comparison between a Pioneer Kuro Plasma and a Samsung LED LCD panel. (You can read it here). Both are the best from each display technology and the results are quite interesting. Suffice to say, I’ll be sticking with my Pioneer Kuro.

This entry was posted by Atane on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 4:59 pm