Difference between plasma and LCD TVs. Differences between plasma and LCD TVs
Super User details Questions and answers
For those who are going to buy a new TV, the question of what exactly is the difference between plasma and LCD is probably the most exciting.
As practice shows, any technology has both strengths and weak sides, including plasma (PDP) and liquid crystal display (LCD). It is important to choose the type of TV whose disadvantages seem insignificant to you in comparison with its advantages. To do right choice between plasma and LCD TV, you should at least roughly understand the basic principles of their operation.
PDP screens
A plasma screen is a matrix consisting of a large number of small bulbs filled with an inert gas. Under the influence of applied voltage, this gas turns into a plasma state and makes it glow different colors a special phosphor that covers the bottom of each cone.
From three multi-colored (RGB) bulb-subpixels of the matrix, each pixel of the image on the screen of a plasma TV is built, capable of transmitting different shades of the color palette.
LCD screens
An LCD matrix is an array of liquid crystal cells that become transparent depending on the voltage applied to them. According to the principle of operation, the LCD matrix is somewhat similar to ordinary window blinds, letting in as much light as the angle of their openness allows them to do so. Only the blinds do this all at the same time, and the LCD cells do it each separately.
Directly behind the array of LCD cells or on their sides are light sources, most often light emitting diodes (LEDs), and in front of it there are light filters of three RGB colors, which give the transmitted light the necessary color.
Which is better: plasma or LCD?
As you noticed, the difference between plasma and LCD is significant, and their strengths and weaknesses follow from the features of each technology. Let's look at the most important of them.
Image quality
Color and brightness.
Color rendering in PDP panels is better and more realistic, since the phosphor provides a wider palette coverage. Plasma panels also have increased level image contrast and produce real black color.
Insufficient brightness is a disadvantage of this technology. sunlight from the window can spoil the viewing experience; some specularity of the panel appears. This must be kept in mind.
LCD TVs demonstrate greater brightness and saturation of the picture, but the backlight of their matrix does not ensure uniform illumination of the screen.
Dynamic scenes.
If you are an amateur sports programs and films with special effects, it is better to opt for plasma, since LCD cells have a certain inertia, sometimes leading to blurring of the contours of objects rapidly moving across the screen.
Viewing Angles
For group viewing of TV, the maximum viewing angles are important. Plasma technology provides wide angles review in models of any level, and to get similar capabilities in LCD TVs you will have to buy a higher-class device.
Physical parameters
Panel sizes
LCD technology allows us to produce screens of almost any size for any operating conditions. But you simply won’t find a plasma TV with a diagonal of less than 42″ on sale today, and this imposes restrictions on their use in small rooms.
Energy efficiency
Here LCD TVs have an undoubted advantage, since very little energy is required to power the LCD cells. Although plasma models do not consume much power, they are still about 2 times more than their LCD counterparts. In addition, PDP panels get hotter and often require special cooling systems, the noise of which you can hear.
Design features and fastening
LCD matrices are lightweight and thin, which means you can easily hang large TVs even on interior walls. PDP panels are thicker and heavier, so they require more reliable and powerful methods of mounting on walls.
Pricing issues
It is believed that at the cost of one square inch, PDP panels are more profitable to buy. However, this advantage is clearly manifested only in comparison with large-diagonal LCD TVs belonging to the premium class.
Summarizing all the indicators, we can say that a plasma TV is perfect choice for a passionate film fan who places naturalness and high quality Images. LCD TVs are more suitable for practical people who value efficiency and durability with good image quality.
By the way, the question of how plasma differs from LCD may soon lose its relevance altogether, since under the pressure of rapidly falling in price LCD panels, the production of PDP TVs is becoming unprofitable. Some manufacturers have already announced that they are curtailing developments in this area. They are already replacing OLED TVs We are following the development of this technology.
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LCD panels (or, as they are commonly called, LSD) have the following device: many transparent electrodes are applied to two transparent plates. And between the plates there are liquid crystals, horizontal and vertical polarizers, as well as an RGB color filter. The crystals themselves do not glow in any way - behind one of the plates there is a backlight lamp for this. Polarizers and crystals are positioned to allow this light to pass through. When voltage is applied to the cell, the plane of polarization changes and light will no longer be transmitted. A change in voltage leads to a change in light.
Plasma panels (PDP) also consist of a pair of transparent plates and the same electrodes, but here each cell is filled with a phosphor from a mixture (argon, neon or xenon). These cells are isolated from each other by a partition characterized by light-tightness. It turns out that the glow of one of them does not in any way affect the glow of the neighboring one. Obviously, an additional highlight object is not required here.
Now let's talk about the differences between these two TV panels.
What is the difference between plasma and LCD:screen refresh time
For plasma this value is much smaller, that is, the image changes almost instantly. LCD panels lag behind in this regard - there is a loop effect here. For a long time This was a problem, but recent developments have reduced the value to 8 ms, which is almost imperceptible to human vision.
What is the difference between plasma and LCD:viewing angle
LCD for this indicator long time lagged behind the plasma panel, but recent technologies have made it possible to almost smooth out the difference in viewing angle between LCD and plasma. True, at a large viewing angle, LCDs still experience a slight decrease in contrast, while plasmas have no problems with this at all thanks to their technology.
What is the difference between plasma and LCD:Vscreen burn-in
For LCD panels this figure is 80 thousand hours, and for plasma it is half as much. Although if you think about it, 40 thousand hours is quite enough to actively use the TV for eight to ten years. Over such a period of time, the panel will still become obsolete and one way or another it will make sense to replace it with a new one. By the way, some plasma manufacturers even give greater resource screen than the above figure.
What is the difference between plasma and LCD:heat dissipation and power consumption
For residential complexes both indicators are much lower. Here it is worth noting another big advantage of LCD panels over plasmas - this is passive cooling and, as a result, the absence of cooler hum, which can become a problem for some users when using a plasma panel.
How does plasma differ from LCD:lighting uniformity and contrast
Plasma has a more contrasting image, LCD has a softer image. Neither one nor the other is a drawback in essence - it’s up to anyone to look at it as they like. Since each plasma cell glows independently, there are no and cannot be problems with the uniformity of illumination on such a panel. LCDs had similar problems, but the introduction of new standard backlights into the technology made it possible to reduce the problem of uneven lighting. It can also be noted that on plasma the depth of black color is much higher. On an LCD, black can also look dark gray, since the light rays only slightly, but still make their way through the layer of crystals.
What to choose: plasma or LCD
We looked at the main differences between the two popular TV panels today. Now let’s summarize, which will clearly tell each of you which product in the electronics store is better to take a closer look at.
Screen image update time: leader - plasma.
Viewing angle: leader - plasma.
Screen burn-in: leader - LCD.
Heat dissipation and energy consumption: leader - LCD.
Illumination uniformity and contrast: plasma is the leader.
Pay attention to those characteristics that are priority for you. Happy shopping!
Let's try to figure out how plasma differs from LCD when choosing a TV in a store, what to look for and what can be ignored. What screen parameters are the main ones for a TV receiver and which of them are better for one or another model.
LCD panels
What are the advantages of an LCD TV?
The liquid crystal matrix is very thin, there is no large picture tube in this panel, so an LCD TV has the following advantages:
- Slim body and light weight, thanks to this it can be placed directly on the wall and thus save space in the apartment
- Pixels in the matrix very small and their high density in the matrix allows you to achieve a high resolution LCD TV, which guarantees amazing image clarity and full compatibility with high definition television. In addition, LCD TVs with a diagonal of 32 inches and larger support the Full HD format. This will allow you to use it even as a computer monitor, play computer games and at the same time receive a picture with high degree detailing.
- LCD TVs extremely functional. You can connect to them the most different photos audio and video equipment, computers, game consoles and other devices without which it is difficult to imagine the life of a modern person.
- 178 degree viewing angle vertically and horizontally. This will allow you to watch TV in big company, and the image will remain bright and clear from almost any angle.
- LCD TVs consume least energy and thus save it.
- And finally, the most big choice diagonals from the smallest to the largest. You can choose a TV for both the kitchen and the living room.
If we summarize all this, then the advantages of an LCD TV are:
- 1 Slim
- 2 Light
- 3 Compact
- 4 A high resolution
- 5 Functionality
- 6 Viewing angle 178 degrees
- 7 Low power consumption
- 8 Wide range of diagonals
Plasma
What are the advantages of plasma models over LCD? The contrast of modern plasma models is higher than that of LCDs, thanks to this they achieve deep blacks on the screen and amazing image volume.
Studies show that among TVs with large size Plasma panels are less eye-straining and provide more comfortable viewing. Unlike an LCD TV, a plasma panel maintains high picture contrast regardless of the viewing angle.
There is no such parameter as response time in a plasma panel, because it is negligible. In plasma TVs, processors can be 18-bit, which allows them to process trillions of color shades. And LCD TVs can have 10-bit processors that can process about a billion colors. The more powerful the processor, the more natural the image on the TV screen. A large supply of shades allows you to convey the color of both brightly lit objects and those in the shadows as realistically as possible, while maintaining the volume and depth of the image. Although here a lot depends on the ability of the human eye to distinguish these shades and it turns out that this advantage does not play a decisive role.
Modern plasma and LCD panels, as well as televisions based on them, are becoming “closer” to people every day. More and more often we choose them as the main TV in the house. Which technology is better: LCD or plasma? Let's try to understand the current situation.
If a few years ago a plasma or LCD TV in the home was considered a luxury item, today it is already commonplace. More and more people are choosing them as the main “box” in the house. Questions about the disadvantages and advantages of these technologies have become more relevant than ever and are discussed in numerous individual forums. What is the difference between plasma and LCD TV, and which one is better to choose? Let's try to figure it out.
Everyone is interested main question– What is the difference between plasma and LCD TV? The significant advantage of plasma over LCD panels is instant screen refresh, therefore, when viewing dynamic scenes, the so-called “trailer effect” does not occur. Plasma panels have higher saturation and contrast. Also, plasma is definitely better at displaying dark tones. The LCD image is softer, while the plasma image is sharper. This is main difference between LCD and plasma.
The contrast of plasma panels is higher, while LCD TVs have a traditionally softer picture
What's it like difference between LCD TV and plasma regarding viewing angles? Now they are approximately the same - 176-178 degrees. This is more than enough to watch TV from anywhere in the room.
Burnt LCD TV lamps and plasma burnout are a myth. To argue that a plasma with a service life of 40,000 hours is twice as bad as an LCD with a service life of 80,000 is complete nonsense. Remember how much time you usually spend in front of the TV? What about obsolescence technology? Even if we imagine that there is a person who watches TV 12 hours a day, then a TV with a resource of 40,000 hours will last him for 10 years. The average person usually watches TV about 3 hours a day. This means that for ordinary person a resource of 40,000 hours is excessive, and a resource of 80,000 hours is generally unattainable.
When viewing the same scene on plasma and LCD, you may not see much of a difference, especially if your eyes are not trained. Nevertheless, when comparing the technical capabilities of LCD and plasma, the plasma option will still be the best. In addition, the plasma panel has better illumination, because in essence, each cell of the plasma screen is a lamp.
Today, the difference between the two technologies is almost impossible to determine by eye.
There is a significant difference between plasma and LCD in terms of energy consumption - the latter are almost 2 times more economical, and this is their absolute advantage. In addition, thanks to the passive cooling system, they are quiet. And LCD TVs are lighter in weight than plasma TVs, making them easier to mount on the wall.
Do not forget that LCD TVs and plasma, the difference between which in technical terms is almost imperceptible to the human eye, were not created for the purpose of searching for pros and cons in each individual option. They are created to ensure that the user receives true pleasure from high-quality viewing.
Disadvantages of plasma – more weight, heat dissipation and energy consumption. Added to this is the problem of noise from the cooling system - fans that begin to emit a characteristic sound over time.
What to choose - LCD or plasma?
Based on operating experience, we can give the following advice. If you have a huge room (more than forty square meters) with excellent ventilation, and you are a wealthy person who can buy a plasma with a huge diagonal and a set of HD signal sources, then plasma is your choice.
Plasma TVs will last half as long as LCDs, but this “half as much” is equal to almost 10 years, 8 hours a day
In all other cases, it is advisable to choose an LCD TV based on the dimensions of your room and the distance from the sofa to the TV. In small rooms, the noise of fans and excessive heat generated by the plasma will cause discomfort to the owners.
