Actually, both types of technologies have their pros and cons.

Let’s start with various factors.

Picture Quality

Plasma TVs have better contrast ratios and show better blacks than an LCD TV. That means in a dark scene, you are able to see images more clearly defined. This is because in LCD technology, liquid crystals are unable to shut off all the light completely due to the presence of the backlight resulting in light leakage and therefore it is impossible to get absolute black. Because of this, plasma TVs are able to produce better color saturation than LCD TVs.

Screen Size

If you looking for a really big screen, then you have to go for plasma TV as they are available in sizes up to 103 inches! LCD TVs on the other hand come in maximum sizes of up to 65 inches. If you compare prices on both technologies for the same screen size, you will also realize LCD TVs are more expensive especially in larger screen sizes.

Life span

You may also want to factor in how long your new display device can last. Currently, both LCD TVs and plasma TVs have life expectancies of around 100,000 hours for the better made models from reputable manufacturers.

Power consumption

Again LCD TVs have this advantage over plasma TV. Power consumption for LCD TV is 30% less than plasma TV. With rising oil prices, maybe it is better to get an LCD TV. Further more, plasma TV generate more heat and if you live in an air conditioned home, the air conditioning usage will definitely rise too.

Viewing Angle

If you are going to invite many guests to your home, a plasma screen will do better. It has a wider viewing angle than LCD TV. Guests can easily view on either left or right side of the Plasma screen without fear of the loss of image which is inherent in LCD TVs.

Response Time

If you enjoy action movies or sport programs, plasma TV offer a better deal as it can handle fast moving images better than LCD TVs. Traditionally, most viewers can see blurring of moving images with the LCD format. However, this problem has been reduced compared to earlier generations of the technology as the response times for LCD TVs have come down to as low as 4 milliseconds on high performance models. With the advent of refresh rates of 120 Hz and even 240 Hz for the latest LCD TVs, there has been significant improvement in LCD technology’s handling of fast motion.

Burn in effect

Plasma TV suffers from this particular effect called burn in. You get a permanent ghost like image stuck on your screen. This is the result of having static display of the same image over long periods of time. LCD TVs do not suffer from this potential problem and, as such, are the preferred technology to choose if you regularly use your TV for certain types of sources (e.g. Business and news channels, NASCAR races, Computer images). Later generation, higher performance Plasma TVs have special circuits built into them that can virtually eliminate this problem.

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Plasma TV for your home theater is actually only a receiver, much like your computer monitor, and is only one component of a great home theater. Still, it’s an arguable point that the plasma TV is the part of the home theater package that you’ll be viewing and is therefore a very important component.

Consider the technology of the plasma TV and you’ll understand why this is such a great choice for the home theater. Typically, a plasma TV is a flat screen monitor. Because of the thin design, it becomes very versatile in the home theater design. Remember the television sets of a few decades ago? They were bulky pieces of furniture and the rest of the room was often arranged around the television set. A plasma TV, by comparison, is easier to manipulate. Most models will even mount on a wall, making the home theater seem even more like a commercial theater.

If mounting the plasma TV isn’t a good idea for your home theater design, you could choose a cabinet mount. These are often attractive pieces of furniture and can even have built-in storage for other home theater components, movies, cords and other pieces of equipment.

Finding the right plasma TV for your home theater system is easier than ever before. The technology is becoming more commonly available and there are several major manufacturers of plasma TV sets. If you are shopping for a plasma TV specifically for your home theater, keep in mind the distance you’ll be seated from the screen to determine the size screen you need. You should also have at least a basic home theater design in mind to help you decide that kind of mounting equipment you need or what size cabinet you’re looking for.

About the Author

Tom Ace is the founder of Plasma tv Resources a website providing information on plasma televisions

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