What is the difference between LCD and Projection TVs?

LCD vs. Plasma? Whats the difference? whats better?

• I don't know anything about TVs. What is better plasma, LCD or projection? Can anyone explain the pros and cons and the differences because it all confuses me and we want to get a new TV. My brother swears the LCD is the best, my boyfriend claims plasma is so much better and I am totally lost. I really cant tell the difference between the two. Also...if anyone knows about refresh rates? i know old tvs have them but LCD don't...does plasma?

• Answer:

  AS A TV Antenna specialist installer I run into this question regularly from customers. Which is best.... that depends, as it is a subjective question just as much as which brand of car is best or which colour hair is best on women - blonde or brunette. However I can offer you some information that will asist you to make your own decission - I won't tell you which is best for you. LCD - liquid crystal diode. An LCD TV can produce just as sharp an image as a Plazma. Sure you won't get it with the el-cheapo brands but if you look at the specifications such as Brightness, Contrast and most importantly the image or screen resolution - the number of lines that make up the picture horizontally and vertically. Just like a computer monitor, screen resolution determines the picture quality... the higher the res, the more bits of information make up the picture so it is clearer. The highest resolution is equivalent in either plazma or LCD. A Plazma TV runs much hotter than an LCD and uses a lot more power, though they are starting to lower the Plazma power consumption slightly. Plazma costs more than LCD. Plazma is more prone to burnout than LCD. Plazma is more easy to damage... my suppliers have a 24" LCD monitor that fell off a stand - the sides are scratched so you can see it got damaged but the screen still works perfectly. If that happened to a Plazma you'd throw it in the bin! Don't bump a Plazma because there's a good change of wrecking the screen and then its stuffed! Rear Projection and overhead projection systems - you need almost total darkness to get a good picture. O/H projection was designed for home theatre and whilst it is good, it is awkward to install, not easily moved, damned expensive and only as good as the screen it is projected onto. Why do you think they turn out the lights when you go to watch a movie? With rear projection the pictures always look wishy washy to me and they don't have a wide viewing angle - ie if you are not directly in front of the screen the picture does not look right.. I wouldn't own one because they are big and cumbersome. I still own a 20 year old NEC CRT TV. When it blows up (which it might do some day) or I need to convert fully to digital I will buy an LCD not a Plazma. Don't let a salesman talk you into buying one or the other simply because it is what he prefers or wants to sell you. Use this information as a guide and make your own decission. You did hit the nail on the head - you can't tell the difference in the picture, so why pay more money for something that uses more electricity, gives off a lot more heat and is easier to damage? Ask what the power consumption (watts) is and what is the heat output in therms/hour. If the salesman can't give you an answer don't buy from him. Ask as many questions as you want until YOU are satisfied as to which is better for YOU! I don't sell TVs - I just get the picture on them from the antenna.