Plasmas don't last as long as LCD TV's: False. While different manufactures will have slightly different numbers both LCD's and Plasma TV's of comparable quality should have similar life expectancies. Most LCD or Plasma TV's will list a life span of 60,000 hours with some newer models boasting up to 100,000 hours. That means that if you watched TV for eight hours every day it would take about 20 years to reach 60,000 hours. That's not to say that these TV's are guaranteed for 20 years but the light source that generates the image for these sets is engineered to produce a reasonable amount of light for this time period. As we all know sometimes things don't go as planned and not every one will get the full 60-100,000 hours out of their TV.
Plasmas need to be recharged: False. Plasma panels are a closed system and there is no need or way to "re-charge" the plasma.
Plasmas Burn In: True. Plasmas can experience image retention or "burn in". This problem occurs when a constant image or pattern is left on the screen for an extended period of time. While the frequency of this problem has become less and less throughout the years, under the right conditions burn in can occur even on newest of units. It has been my experience that the less expensive plasma TV's are more susceptible to this problem then the more premium units. I have seen several entry level Samsung's develop mild image retention on our show room floor from the repetitive video loops that we run in the store. Luckily most people are not watching the same one hour video clip over and over again for eight plus hours a day. It has been my experience that under normal consumer TV watching conditions burn in is not a problem I would worry about, but if you are a hard core gamer or like the idea of using your TV as a giant digital picture frame then you may want to look more closely into LCD products.
Plasma uses more power than LCD: True. Plasmas do consume more power than LCD, but over the course of a year it only adds up to 40-60$ more annually over a comparably sized LCD. A small price to pay for superior picture quality I say!
LCD TV's do better in bright location: False. This is less of a cut and dry answer, because both technologies have problems with high ambient light conditions but they are different problems. Plasmas issue is glare. Because the plasma panel is made of glass it does reflect light. All manufactures treat their glass with a proprietary coating that helps reduce glare, but none of them are perfect and you will still get some glare regardless of the manufactures claims. LCD on the other hand suffers from a different problem. The issue stems from one of the core purposes of the LCD substrate (panel). The substrate is engineered to spread light evenly across the panel to give it uniform color, and to elevate hot spots from the back light. The panel does the same thing with light coming in from outside sources as well. So instead of glare the image tends to get really soft and the color washes out. Neither problem is good and the best solution is to invest in some good window treatments to help reduce the ambient light in the room. The other option is you can move out to Oregon, because as every one knows all it does is rain out here anyway.
What are the advantages of LCD? LCD has some good things going for it. First of witch is variety. There are definitely more options when it comes to LCD TV's versus plasma both in size and brand. So if you have a specific dimension that you need to meet you have a much better chance finding in LCD where sizes typically go from 19" to 55" from most major manufactures. Plasmas on the other hand are typically available in 42" 50" and 60" sizes. The second and third advantages are power savings and "Burn in" resistance. We covered the last two benefits in more detail previously so I wont elaborate further.
What are the advantages of plasma? Plasma when we talk picture quality has several advantages. They can reproduce more colors and over a wider viewing angle, they have more life like movement, they have deeper blacks and they are readily available in sizes exceeding 55".
So now what?: So now that you know some of the facts it's time to go shopping. Ultimately you are the one spending your hard earned money, so you need to physically put your eyes on your prospective sets and judge them for your self. I always recommend bringing a DVD or Blu-Ray that you are familiar with so that you have a reference point when you look at different models. Regardless of what I or any other reviewer say you need to make the call. As always I encourage you to buy from a Authorized dealer who is going to stand behind there product well after the sale is done. Most of the time the cheapest price is not always the best deal.
-AV Addict
