LCD vs Plasma HDTV

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LCD vs Plasma HDTV
Plasma TV Home Theater
Plasma TV Screen, Displays Monitor

LCD vs Plasma HDTV by Kenny Hemphill


LCD vs plasma HDTV - which is best? If you're looking for a flat-screen, slim and sexy display, to watch HDTV, you have a choice of two technologies, LCD and gas plasma.

Each has benefits and disadvantages and so each is more appropriate in specific circumstances.

Historically, the LCD vs plasma HDTV choice has been fairly simple. If you wanted a flat-screen that was about 40in or bigger, you had to choose plasma, otherwise you should choose LCD. However, as LCD technology improves, LCD HDTVs are getting bigger and most of the major manufacturers expect the number of LCDs they produce to grow steadily over the next few years while the number of plasmas will decrease. However, if you're looking for a flatscreen TV today, plasma still has a lot to offer.

To understand the LCD vs plasma HDTV question, we need to look at the way the two technologies work.

LCD

LCD HDTVs work by shining a light behind an LCD panel made up of a fixed number of pixels. Each pixel is either red, blue or green and is switched on or off when a voltage is applied to it. When voltage is applied to a pixel, it is switched off, meaning that light can't shine through it.

The main advantage of LCD vs plasma HDTV is that LCD panels don't suffer from what's called burn-in. This is a feature of plasma TVs where they are used to watch TV stations with logos permanently displayed on-screen or where they are used for video gaming with games that have static images such as a cockpit on flight simulators. The image literally 'burns-in' the screen meaning that even when the image is not present you can still see a faint trace of it on screen. So for video gamers in particular, LCD is a better choice than plasma.

Plasma

Plasma HDTVs have over a million chambers which house one or a combination of gasses. When a voltage is applied to one of these chambers the gas ionizes and emits ultra-violet light. This light strikes red, green or plue phophors coated on the inside of the chamber and a pixel emits this color light.

Plasma HDTVs tend to have better contrast than LCDs because, even when a pixel on an LCD panel is switched off it doesn't block all the light coming through and therefore the pixel isn't completely black. Plasma HDTVs also tend to have a wider viewing angle than LCDs, as on LCD HDTVs the contrast and colour of the image can change when the screen is viewed from different angles.

LCD vs Plasma HDTV conclusion

Technology is changing rapidly, but for now (July 2004) it's still true to say that at sizes of 40in and above, plasma offers a less-expensive and generally better solution. For screen-sizes less than 40in LCD is better. However, as LCD technology improves and prices fall, this will change.


About the Author
Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.

Plasma TV Home Theater

What is a Home Theater?
by Mitchell Medford



Home theater is the term used to describe the recent evolution of audio and video systems that offer exceptional quality and superior performance - in essence, it is like having a movie theater in your own living room.


The recreation obtained by the combination of audio and visual components creates the experience of a professional movie theater. The set-up may be as simple as a DVD player fed through a stereo system and a larger television set, or as elaborate as an entire room professionally wired with multiple speakers and a projection screen. A home theater system may even include theater-style chairs and an elevated floor for optimal viewing.


The knowledge of how a professional movie theater is designed is helpful to learn more about the working of a Home theater system. Amplifier units are located to the left, right and center of an expansive movie screen, there are also several satellite speakers embedded through the auditorium, including the back. Movie sound editors separate the audio track into as many as six different channels -- the audience may hear dialogue in the front left, center and right channels for instance. Other sounds may start from a rear channel and move towards the front. This creates a very realistic audio environment.


Professional movie theaters also project a high-definition film onto an oversized screen which is wider than it is tall. This allows for a more natural visual experience than a typical square television screen provides. The increased definition of a 35mm or 70mm film also gives the movie added realism. All of these aspects of movie-going are recreated in a good home theater system. The DVD player in a home theater system can separate the audio track into two, three or even five channels.


Everyone has different needs and desires about what their media center should be, and may be constrained by different environmental or budgetary limitations. Careful navigation through a detailed methodology ensures that the right choices about design, equipment selection, features, and style are made up front. A few of the questions listed below would be advisable to ponder before setting up a Home theater.


* Where is theater going to be located?
* How large is the area?
* How many people would normally be using the room at a time?
* How much ambient noise is there?
* How much ambient light is there?
* What will the room be used for primarily?
* What will the secondary uses be?
* What kind of budget do you have?



Since new movies are always being released, the thrill of your theater is renewed each time you sit down in the comfort of your own home with your loved ones. Why not make the most of it?


About the Author
Mitchell Medford is an author and product consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his website for more information on home theater, LCD TVs, and plasma televisions.