The technology of the television has changed dramatically over the past 15 years, leaving the typical consumer confused and unsure of which technology is best for one’s TV viewing.
It’s important to understand the technology behind televisions because different types of technology has different pros and cons which are critical when choosing the perfect Christmas gift.
While the size of the television is a factor, one must also consider such things as the LCD or Plasma television. What’s the difference and which is best for your holiday present?
LCD:—(Liquid-crystal display) televisions use this liquid-crystal technology to create the visuals. Significantly lighter and thinner than their antiquated counterpart televisions, the cathode ray tube television (CRT), in 2007, LCD TVs bested the CRT sales for the very first time. Available in much larger sizes than CRT televisions, and with the manufacturing costs dropping, the LCD sets are the prevalent televisions of today.
PLASMA:—The CRT television uses a vacuum tube with a single beam that rapidly scans the face of the tube very. The beam then lights up green, blue, or red phosphors on the tube’s surface to create the images we see on the screen. On the other hand, the plasma television is based upon florescent light. This television contains cells. It has two glass panels that are separated by a narrow gap that is injected with a gas and sealed in plasma. Electronically charged at specific times when the television is used, the gas groups the color pixels.
What’s the difference really?
While both types of sets look similar in design, thin with a flat screen, what’s key in differentiating between the two is the screen’s performance capacity, regardless of the technology.
Both present excellent on-screen pictures and both are priced competitively. It’s interesting to note that both types of TVs will last for almost seven years if left on 24 hours a day.
Plasma TV
This television is best for the home cinema buff, as they have much better contrast than LCD TVs and provide greater detail in black colors than LCD’s. Plasma televisions are also known for their great peripheral viewing angles, meaning that , no matter the side of the screen you sit on, you’ll still see a great quality picture. Producing a richer and more natural color palette than LCD’s, Plasma televisions do not tend to blur in swift action scenes of a movie or in sports.
LCD TV
While the LCD televisions have dropped to such a competitive price point, making it easy for just about anyone to afford to give as a gift, LCD televisions do have a couple of legs up over the Plasma television is a few areas.
Due to the native resolution, more pixels are present, which afford the screen’s more well defined picture. Consuming less power, and being “eco” friendly these televisions use half the power of plasmas. The typical consumer doesn’t mind the lower brightness of the screen. As well, LCDs tend to outlast plasmas. And, given that the LCD is lighter and thinner, it’s easy to move around or mount on a wall; thereby freeing up considerable space in one’s home.
Recently, LCD improved the plasma screen’s quality by introducing LED backlighting. This edge-lighting can usually be found in the current market’s thinner LCDs, though direct lighting is arguably better for picture quality.
Size Matters
If you’re looking to give a big-screen TV as gift, something bigger than 50 inches, plasma technology will give you more for your dollar, as it offers the best picture quality.
If you’re looking for something smaller, around the 17-42 inch size, the best route is an LCD; it has better resolution and the most competitive price points.
The screen resolution is something to consider as well. Most televisions now are 1080p, or full high-definition resolution. Some budget LCD and plasmas offer lower resolution, much to the consumers dismay. If you’re purchasing a television under 42 inches, it pays off in picture quality to go with the 1080p resolution.
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