As we witness the slow death of our beloved CRT TVs, we see a new debate approaching: LCD vs LED vs Plasma. These are the three main technologies available in flat screen TVs today. And most TV makers today have models in all the three technologies. Quite rarely do we see three types of technologies in one product line, all of which are produced and sold by the big players in the industry. And all the TVs have their own advantages and disadvantages. So how do you take a pick in the LCD vs LED vs Plasma TV debate? Here are some important parameters which people look at, while buying a TV. So distinguishing these three types of TVs on these parameters will give you an insight into which TV is the best one for you.
What is LCD, LED and Plasma?
The first question that probably comes to your mind is, what is the difference between these three types of TVs anyway? LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. An LCD TV has liquid crystal between the display panel of the TV, which gets activated when an electric current is supplied to it. The LED TV works on the same liquid crystal platform, but light-emitting diodes (LED) are used as the back-light for this TV, while the normal LCD TV uses a CCFL back-light. A plasma TV works on a completely different platform. A plasma TV has a sheet of individual plasma cells, which get activated when electricity is passed to the TV. Thus we can see that the Plasma and LCD technologies are completely different, while the difference between the LCD and LED is only the back-light, which they use.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #1: Contrast Ratio
A contrast ratio is the ability of the TV to show the high-contrast areas on the screen. The high contrast areas are the blacks and the whites in the picture. If a TV has a good contrast ratio, it means that it shows the differences between the darker and lighter areas of the screen remarkably well. The acid test of a TV’s contrast ratio is in the dark scenes, where it needs to differentiate the shades of black.
Its a well accepted fact that plasma TVs generally have better contrast ratios than LCD and LED TVs. This is because plasma TVs have individual plasma cells, which automatically turn themselves off on the darker parts of the screen. LCD TVs on the other hand have a single liquid crystal and when the TV has to show the dark pictures, the CCFL back-light of the LCD only dims itself and hence the blacks aren’t very convincing. On the other hand, LCD TVs powered with an LED back-light have a slight edge as the individual LEDs twist themselves into an ‘off’ position in the dark parts of the screen thus giving a more convincing black than the LCD TVs.
Verdict: On the contrast ratio parameter, the plasma TV clearly has the upper hand. The LED TV comes next in the race and the LCD TV comes last.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #2: Viewing Angle
A viewing angle is the angle from which the image on the TV can be viewed. All TVs can be viewed when you are right in front of it, but since all viewers cannot sit right in front of the TV and have to sit around it, the viewing angle parameter becomes very important.
The winner for this point again is the plasma TV. The image of the plasma TV remains good and solid for viewers at almost any angle. LCD TVs fall back in the race again as there is often a loss of color and detail, when the TV is viewed from an odd angle. The LED TV minimizes this problem faced by the LCD TV due to its decentralized back-lights and hence has a much wider viewing angle.
Verdict: On the viewing angle parameter, the plasma TV is the winner again, followed by the LED TV in second place and the LCD TV in the last place.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #3: Color
It is pretty clear that good and bright colors of the TV will be an important consideration in the mind of the TV buyer. But there is no clear winner on this parameter as all the TVs seem to show a good quality picture, when it comes to the color. Differences may exist between two TV models of the same type or two different TV brands – a higher priced model showing better colors – but the picture quality remains largely similar. It is said that if the LED TV has a colored back-light, it will show the best picture of them all, but this point remains contentious.
Verdict: All the TVs rank similar on this point, but the discussion may be given a twist by introducing the colored back-lit LED TV in the mix.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #4: Motion
The LCD TVs have shown great improvement on this parameter in recent years, but it cannot be debated that the technology of the plasma itself has an edge here. As the plasma screen has the individual cells that can refresh at a much faster rate. The motion flow has been a bugbear for LCD TV makers for a while now, but thanks to the new higher ‘hz’ count of the LCD TV, the difference has been minimized. LED TVs largely use the same technology as the LCD TVs and hence a higher ‘hz’ indicates better performance of the TV when it comes to fast motion sequences.
Verdict: Plasma for now, but who knows, the LCD and LED TVs might get better.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #5: Power Consumption
Till now, it seemed that the plasma TV comes out to be the clear winner in this debate, but this is one of its most telling fall-points. The plasma TV consumes a lot more power than the LCD TV, as every sub-pixel on the screen needs to be lit. On the contrary, the LCD TV needs much lesser power to light up the back-light. But the LED TV is the clear winner for this point as its LED back-light is more power efficient and needs lesser electricity to light up. Hence, the LED TV is the greenest of them all.
Verdict: The LED TV is the winner on this point, followed by the LCD and the plasma.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #6: TV Lifespan
Another fall point of the plasma TV which the plasma-makers are trying tooth and nail to correct is, its lifespan. The quality and brightness of the plasma screen takes a beating in a very short time. But plasma-makers have now come up with more efficient TVs, which have potentials to last for a longer time. The lifespan of the LCD and the LED TV depends largely on the lifespan of its back-light, but on an average the lifespan of these TVs is supposed to be more than that of the plasma TV.
Another point to consider for TV lifespan is screen burn-in. Here again, the plasma TV has had a few problems, as there is a higher rate of screen burn-in in these TVs. Plasma TV makers are looking to correct this problem too. LCD and LED TVs rarely have a problem of screen-burn in.
Verdict: On this point, the LCD TV has been a winner, while the lifespan of the LED back-light remains untested, as its a relatively new technology. But the plasma is trying to extend its lifespan to somewhere close to that of the LCD TVs.
LCD vs LED vs Plasma Debate Point #7: Price
Having said all this, at the end of the day, the decision for most people is made by the price tag. For many people across the world, the price tag matters a lot more than any of the previous six points and hence, it is a factor that one has to make his way with.
Over the years, the plasma has enjoyed a much lower price as compared to the LCD, but as the production size and demand for the LCD increases, the price of the LCD is set to become more and more competitive with the plasma. The LED TV is a clear loser on this point as it is one of the most expensive TVs around, with some models priced at almost double that of LCDs of the same size. This is because the LED is a new technology and it is not produced at the same volume as the LCD.
Verdict: Plasma is number 1 at the moment, but faces fierce competition from the LCD in the future. LED is still very far behind in the pricing race.
