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Plasma and LCD technology - what's the difference?
Plasma and LCD panels may look similar, but the flat screen and thin profile is where the similarities end. Plasma screens, as its name suggests, uses a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells charged by precise electrical voltages to create a picture. LCD screens (liquid crystal display) are in layman's terms sandwiches made up of liquid crystal pushed in the space between two glass plates. Images are created by varying the amount electrical charge applied to the crystals. Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses, as you'll read below.

What advantages does plasma have over LCD?
Apart from better contrast due to its ability to show deeper blacks, plasma screens typically

have better viewing angles than LCD. Viewing angles are how far you can sit on either side of a screen before the picture's quality is affected. You tend to see some brightness and colour shift when you're on too far of an angle with LCDs, while a plasma's picture remains fairly solid. This is steadily changing, however, with more and more LCDs entering the market with viewing angles equal to or greater than some plasmas. Plasmas can also produce a brighter colour, once again due to light leakage on an LCD affecting its colour saturation.

Plasma pundits will also tell you that some LCD screens have a tendency to blur images, particularly during fast moving scenes in movies or in sports. While that was true for older generation LCD screens, newer models have improved significantly -- so much so that the differences in performance between LCDs and plasmas in this regard is almost negligible (here's a tip -- if you're shopping for LCDs, check the pixel response time, measured in ms. The lower it is, the better the image quality in fast moving scenes).

Traditionally, the biggest advantage plasmas have had over their LCD cousins is price, particularly in the large screen end of the market. In the past 12 months, this has changed, with LCDs matching plasmas in both resolution and price.

Which is better value for me right now: plasma or LCD?
If you're in the market for a big screen television -- and we're talking 50-inches and above -- then we'd suggest plasma as a safe bet. Plasmas give you more bang for your buck at the big end of town, and while LCDs can give you better resolution, plasma still has the edge in terms of picture quality. One other thing to look for, whether you opt for plasma or LCD, is an integrated tuner -- many TVs still have analogue tuners, which look pretty terrible on a large screen. Try to get a model with an inbuilt HD tuner if you can.

At the smaller end of things (15" to 42" TVs), LCD is the only way to go if you want something slim and tasteful. And the best thing is that LCDs are getting cheaper all the time.

The latest plasma televisions are estimated to last 25,000 to 35,000 hours before losing half of their brightness; the expected lifetime of LCD TVs and conventional TVs is about twice as long. However, if you use a plasma TV about eight hours a day every day, it should still last over ten years. By then, experts say, you'll probably be ready for a new TV anyway.

Altogether, for flat screens of 42-inches (measured diagonally) or larger, plasma is a good choice for many shoppers because it tends to offer a better price/size ratio, although that gap is closing. (Note, however, that 1080p plasma displays are currently far more expensive than their LCD counterparts.) On the other hand, LCD TVs are better for well-lit settings and are available in a wider range of sizes.

Virtually all plasma TVs today are HD (high definition), with screen resolutions of 1024 X 768 or 1024 X 1024 (for 42-inch TVs) or 1366 X 768 pixels (for 50-inch TVs). While that's still not quite enough to do 1080i HDTV full justice, all the models can easily handle 720p, which is the other commonly used HDTV standard. (For more on HD resolutions, see our report on HDTV .) Full-resolution (1920 X 1080) plasma displays are also now becoming available.

Decide whether you want plasma or LCD. Plasma TVs display deeper blacks and do better with details in dark scenes than LCD TVs, but they suffer from reflections in well-lit rooms. LCD TVs are brighter, but they typically have a narrower viewing angle. On a cost-per-inch basis, plasma TVs are cheaper, but LCD TVs often have higher resolution and are available in more screen sizes.

Picture-in-picture allows you to view two video sources at once, with one appearing as an inset in a small window on the screen. Single-tuner PIP lets you watch TV in one window and another source (such as a DVD) in the second window. A set with two tuners enables you to watch two television sources at once.

Look for at least one HDMI input. Most new cable and satellite TV boxes, DVD players, and other digital signal sources use this port, which keeps the signal all-digital, avoiding degradation that can occur as the signal passes through other components (such as a cable box). HDMI carries high-definition audio as well as video. HDMI inputs are a must for watching high-definition DVDs (with an HD-DVD or Blu-ray DVD player), and because they support HDCP copy protection, they will become even more important in the future.

Match TV size to the size of your room. Because HDTVs have much higher resolution than conventional TVs, you can sit closer than you normally would. That means you can get away with a bigger screen in a smaller room.

Shop around for prices. In our research, we often found large price differences from retailer to retailer, so it pays to look around. Note that the lowest prices sometimes come from unauthorized dealers, which, depending on the manufacturer, can cause problems if something goes wrong; see below.

Verify that the plasma TV comes with a stand or mounting hardware. Most plasma TVs come with a basic table stand. Wall-mounting hardware is an option (usually about $200). Industrial displays, like the Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK, don't come with either, so plan on spending an additional $100 to $300 for a stand or a wall-mount kit.

Check the manufacturer's policy before buying online. Some manufacturers have strict policies regarding authorized dealers. If you buy a Pioneer plasma TV or a Sharp LCD TV from an unauthorized dealer, for example, you've probably voided your manufacturer warranty, though the retailer may offer a substitute warranty. While there can be a substantial difference in price between authorized and unauthorized dealers, if you plan on buying from the latter, be sure to calculate your threshold for risk on such a large purchase, and ask the dealer about warranty coverage.

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