Why Plasma TVs Are Superior To LCD TVs

July 19th, 2009 by Nicole Gibson, under Plasma TV. No Comments

Now may be a good time to think about replacing your old, bulky picture-tube television with a new, state-of-the-art, flat-panel plasma television. The HD revolution is well underway, and cable/satellite companies are offering subscribers more High-Definition content than ever before.

The first thing you will notice when you see a flat-screen plasma TV for the first time is the outstanding resolution and clarity of the picture. Most plasma TVs can display a resolution of at least 720p, better for smaller screens where high-resolution is less noticeable, all the way up to 1080P, the highest resolution available. Some plasma sets are able to receive HD, or High-Definition signals, while some models are considered EDTV, or Enhanced Definition Televisions, which display greater clarity and a higher resolution than standard picture-tube sets, but are not as clear as a true HD compatible plasma TV. If you want to receive HD programming, make sure that the plasma set you purchase is HD compatible.

Flat-screen plasma televisions are also much slimmer and lighter than standard TVs since they lack a traditional picture tube. A 40-inch plasma TV typically weighs less than half of what a similar sized traditional television weighs, and since plasma TVs are only a few inches thick, they can be mounted on a wall, freeing-up valuable floor space.

Plasma televisions can also display up to 16.77 million colors, far more than displayed by traditional sets, and with no blurring, phosphor lag, and a faster screen refresh time, images remain crisp and clear even during fast-moving action or sports scenes. This is a problem for LCD technology, which was developed for reading text on a computer screen. Plasma screens also have a higher contrast ratio, allowing for deeper, darker blacks rather than the varying shades of grey of LCD screens.

The price of both LCD and plasma TVs are dropping fast, but a plasma television is typically less expensive than a comparable-sized LCD set, especially when shopping for larger screen sizes.

Plasma television manufacturers also offer larger screen sizes than LCD sets, Typically ranging from 37-65 inches compared to the LCDs 17-56 inches, and with a wider 160-180 degree viewing angle, there is less color and image degradation when viewing from an angle. This makes flat-panel plasma TVs better than LCD TVs when there are multiple viewers. If you are wishing to re-create the movie theater experience in your own home, plasma is the way to go.

Some newer plasma television models are even internet ready, meaning that you can connect them to your home computer and use that huge, high-resolution screen as a computer monitor. With internet connectivity, you can do computer work, surf the net or play games from the comfort of your living-room sofa.

Cable and satellite companies are beginning to offer more high-definition programming to their subscribers every month, making the purchase of a flat-screen plasma television more attractive than ever. With their incredible picture clarity, millions of colors, deep blacks and falling prices, a plasma television is a great addition to an home theater system.