What are the differences between LCD and Plasma TVs you ask? Well, you’ve come to the right place because not only will the following information answer that question, but it also provides the pros and cons of each for you!

LCD TVs

Firstly, LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. The basic concept of an LCD TV is that it uses a florescent backlight to project images onto the TV screen. That backlight travels through liquid crystal molecules using red, green and blue pixels. The wiring inside the system applies voltage to those pixels and darkens them which is why we don’t see the backlight showing through on an LCD TV screen.

Some of the advantages of Liquid Crystal TVs are:

• LCD TVs are lightweight
• LCD TVs are environmentally friendly
• LCD TVs are very thin in design
• LCD TVs produce exceptional sharpness levels
• LCD TVs display outstanding color
• LCD TVs are known for their longevity

A few disadvantages of Liquid Crystal TVs are:

• Regarding older model LCDs, viewing from an angle results in narrow screen images
• Weak pixel display is quite common
• The screen’s refresh rate can tend to be slow resulting in jagged-edged images
• LCDs are a fixed resolution system
• LCDs are known for poor contrast ratios even in the more expensive models

If you would like more in-depth information, check out our full 1080p LCD HDTV basics. If you are ready to buy an 1080p LCD check out the section for our top LCD TVs.

Plasma TVs

Plasma TVs work off the concept of a network of blue, green and red phosphors mounted between two pieces of glass. (Phosphors are chemical compounds on the back glass that react to light and produce color and three phosphors together make up one pixel each.) The way it works is that a small, electronic pulse activates the phosphors’ chemical gases to generate light and color. As the electricity stimulates the phosphors, oxygen is released, thus creating plasma and producing UV light.

Plasma TVs are very popular and recognized mainly for their appealing design which provides a flat display and large screen. They also don’t use backlight or projection, so the result is a bright, richly-colored display with a wide viewing angle.

There are a few downfalls with the Plasma TV concept though. First is the fact that those phosphor gases inside the unit have a life-span and will fade as time passes, so they don’t last as long as most other TVs. The others are that they are power-hungry and really should be professionally installed due to their fragile inner workings – one wrong move and there goes your TV!

To give you a clear idea of what’s in store for you with a plasma TV, let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages:

Pros:

• Plasma TVs provide an exceptional range of view at any angle
• Plasma TVs produce outstanding color ranges
• Plasma TVs offer excellent contrast ratios

Cons:

• Plasma TVs are quite heavy even though sleek in design
• Plasma TVs are highly recommended to be hung by a professional
• Plasma TVs are very delicate
• Plasma TVs draw on a lot of power thus increasing your utility bill
• Plasma TVs do not produce black levels very well
• Plasma TVs are very vulnerable to screen burn-in

Find out the recommended manufactures for 1080p Plasma HDTVs.

Which is Most Preferred?

Research shows that both Plasma TV and LCD TV owners love their respective televisions for different reasons and wouldn’t switch over to the other; so that is a decision left entirely up to you based on your own, personal opinion. Your best bet is go to your local B&M and compare the different flat panel TVs side by side and decide for yourself.