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The Daily OrangeThe big picture; what you need to know about LCD and Plasma TVs
By Matthew Bellezza
Posted: 9/23/08, 12:44 AM EST Section: Feature
With HDTV, Blu-ray and HD digital media dominating the home entertainment center today, LCD and Plasma televisions have been on the rise to keep up with the demand.
Considering how common it has become to see a decent sized flat-panel TV in homes today, it's surprising how ill informed people are about what they are buying.
In some cases, people simply don't care; all they want is a TV that looks good. But in an era where information is so easily accessible, you'd think those curious few would look into what they're buying.
I know that the customer is always right, but it's always important to show the customer that you know what you're talking about, and that they've simply misunderstood whatever concept they're asking about.
Everyone wants to know which is better - LCD or Plasma? It's a common question and very debatable. To fully understand, you need to know that the answer can swing either way depending on the situation.
Plasma TVs are made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny pixel cells, which essentially are like little florescent bulbs. Each of these "bulbs" is instructed to make specific color combinations based on software on the circuit board behind the screen. If you look closely at a Plasma TV, you can see individual pixel cell coloration of red, green and blue phosphorus bars.
LCD TVs work similarly, with software controlling the lighting of the pixels. Except in this case, the screen is comprised of a thin layer of pixel cells that are filled with Liquid Crystals (hence Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD) which react according to the light being processed.
They use a process of subtraction to create colors. The liquid crystals filter out specific wavelengths of light, allowing only the color specified to shine through. Of course there are a variety of different types of LCDs, but for most cases it's unimportant in this argument.
So you're probably still wondering what the differences between the two are. One of the most important differences between the two types of HDTVs is contrast, or black levels.
Considering how common it has become to see a decent sized flat-panel TV in homes today, it's surprising how ill informed people are about what they are buying.
In some cases, people simply don't care; all they want is a TV that looks good. But in an era where information is so easily accessible, you'd think those curious few would look into what they're buying.
I know that the customer is always right, but it's always important to show the customer that you know what you're talking about, and that they've simply misunderstood whatever concept they're asking about.
Everyone wants to know which is better - LCD or Plasma? It's a common question and very debatable. To fully understand, you need to know that the answer can swing either way depending on the situation.
Plasma TVs are made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny pixel cells, which essentially are like little florescent bulbs. Each of these "bulbs" is instructed to make specific color combinations based on software on the circuit board behind the screen. If you look closely at a Plasma TV, you can see individual pixel cell coloration of red, green and blue phosphorus bars.
LCD TVs work similarly, with software controlling the lighting of the pixels. Except in this case, the screen is comprised of a thin layer of pixel cells that are filled with Liquid Crystals (hence Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD) which react according to the light being processed.
They use a process of subtraction to create colors. The liquid crystals filter out specific wavelengths of light, allowing only the color specified to shine through. Of course there are a variety of different types of LCDs, but for most cases it's unimportant in this argument.
So you're probably still wondering what the differences between the two are. One of the most important differences between the two types of HDTVs is contrast, or black levels.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Zane
posted 9/24/08 @ 10:33 AM EST
Matt, Matt, Matt. Poor Matt. You did this story a huge injustice. Some of the facts you used are several YEARS old. You just copied the same missinformation that has been circulating for years. (Continued…)
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