What is the difference between LCD TVS and Plasma TVS?

What is the difference between LCD TVS and Plasma screen tvs?

• Answer:

  Plasma displays function differently than any other TV technology in that they actually produce light independently at each pixel on the screen, as opposed to projecting a separate light source through or off of other elements to conjure a picture. A plasma "screen" is actually a dense network of individual cells, three for each pixel of the display (coated with red, green and blue phosphors, respectively). Each cell is impregnated with a rare-gas mixture and connected to an individual electrode. When the electrode for a given cell is charged with an electrical voltage, the gas is converted to a plasma state and emits a burst of ultraviolet light; this in turn causes the phosphors to react and produce bright visible light at the pixel level. By varying the voltage and intensity of the electrical charge, the proper combination of red, green and blue light is produced in each pixel to combine into a bright, colorful composite image. Plasma TVs are available in sizes from about 40" up to 70"+, but be prepared for sticker shock as your size desires increase. Strengths Obviously, plasma TVs are desirable for their sleek form factor — about 4" deep and wall-mountable, they're undeniably sexy. Furthermore, plasma produces a very bright image that can be viewed in a well-lit room, with superb color accuracy and saturation. It's a matter of opinion, but many videophiles regard plasma's color vibrancy as beyond compare among current technologies. Because the light is produced at the screen rather than projected onto it, focus is consistent and reliable across the entire screen surface, and plasma screens can be viewed from angles as severe as 160 degrees off-axis without detrimental effect. And plasma's accurate pixel structure produces a picture that is geometrically perfect from edge to edge and corner to corner, with uniform light output and a crisp, lifelike image. Considerations Early plasma TVs got a bad rap for their susceptibility to "burn-in" from static images such as stock-tickers and video-game gauges. Recent designs have largely eliminated this problem, incorporating (among other approaches) "pixel-orbiting" technologies that shift images, almost imperceptibly, over time to limit the occurrence of burn-in. However, if you are an avid gamer, you may wish to consider an alternative technology like flat-panel LCD, which is immune to burn-in. Additionally, although known for their high contrast (relative to LCD) and spectacular color saturation, plasma displays have historically had difficulty reproducing pure blacks. Recent enhancements have significantly mitigated this problem, but sometimes at the expense of fine detail in dimly-lit areas of the picture. The bottom line Overall, plasma has maintained a reputation as the no-compromise high-tech HDTV display technology. While that's not entirely accurate, there's no question that a plasma TV on your living room wall will deliver amazing video performance – and, quite likely, a parade of drooling friends through your door as well. LCD Projection Not to be confused with LCD Flat-Panel display technology, LCD Projection is nevertheless related to its pricier flat-panel cousin. Like DLP and LCOS projection, LCD Projection is a microdisplay technology, meaning that the image is created on a thumbnail-size chip or chips, and projected onto a larger screen surface by means of a powerful light source in conjunction with a sophisticated system of precision optics and mirrors. As with LCD flat-panel systems, LCD projection is a transmissive technology, meaning that light is transmitted through the chip or chips, rather than created at the screen surface as with plasma or bounced off a reflective modulator like the DMD chip used in DLP projection systems. Fundamentally, LCD projection works like an old-fashion slide projector, where the "slide" is a dynamic LCD chip rather than a static photographic transparency. Most current LCD projection TVs and front projection systems employ a 3-chip projection system. In a 3-chip system, a single, ultra-bright light source is split into its component color spectra by a fixed prism. The resulting red, green and blue light streams are each fed through an individual, monochrome LCD chip which modulates only the corresponding color by allowing a controlled amount of light to pass through each of its thousands of individual pixels. The three modulated light streams are then prismatically recombined, much like the output of the three cathode ray tubes in a traditional CRT-projection TV, and magnified to produce a composite full-color on-screen image. Strengths More expensive than CRT projection systems but less costly than flat-panel LCD or plasma displays, LCD projection systems deliver excellent picture quality in a chassis that's significantly sleeker and lighter than that of a traditional projection TV. Their exceptionally high brightness makes them ideal for viewing in brightly lit environments like a sun-bathed room. LCD projection systems typically exhibit excellent contrast ratios, mostly due to their high light output. The single-light-source design and fixed-prism optical system eliminate the convergence issues that plague CRT projection TVs, and there's only the one bulb to replace should it fail. And gamers will appreciate that LCD projection TVs, like their flat-panel LCD brethren, are immune to phosphor burn-in. Considerations Despite technological enhancements over the past few years, transmissive LCD technologies provide marginal reproduction of deep blacks as compared to other microdisplay technologies (although, conversely, contrast ratios are redeemed by their exceptionally high brightness). More so than with DLP or LCOS technologies, LCD projection systems tend to suffer from the so-called "screen-door effect," where individual pixels can be distinguished by the naked eye, particularly when viewed at close range. Like plasma and LCD flat panels, as well as DLP projection systems, the finite number of pixels in the display necessitates complex processing of input signals of differing resolutions in order to render them properly; depending on the sophistication of the processing, scaling artifacts may be visible in some instances and real resolution compromised. Lastly, LCD panels historically have been challenged by slow "refresh rates" — the time required for an individual pixel to shift from one state to the next to reflect moment-to-moment changes in the image. Recent technological enhancements have all but eliminated this problem, but in some cases, image "smearing" may be evident with fast-moving source material like sports and action movies. The bottom line Along with the other microdisplay technologies, LCD projection offers an affordable, high-performance alternative to pricey flat-panel TVs, with a significant reduction in bulk and weight as compared to traditional CRT projection. Visit your local Best Buy store to see all these technologies in action, and decide which you prefer.