what is the best television to buy, a L C D screen or a plasma screen . Size will be 37 or 42 inch?

Answer 1

I think the Plasma TVs are terrible and they don't hold up (after 2 years they need service).
I have an LCD and it is awesome. I highly recommend the LCD.

Answer 2

LCD Pros: - Excellent Picture - Won't Burn In If You Play a Lot of Video Games - Cheaper than Plasma - More Durable Cons: - Thicker Than Plasma - SLIGHTLY less sharpness in picture compared to plasma Plasma Pro: - High Quality Picture You Can Have - Thin - You can hang it on the wall easily Cons: - Known to Burn In After a few Years - Very Expensive My Opinion: I prefer LCD just because it is cheaper, and personally I can't tell the difference between an LCD and a Plasma picture wise. The plasmas have a tendency to burn in too. Essentially, if your going to use your TV quite frequently I'd go with the LCD because it will last longer in the end, however if you want something pretty that you can hang on the wall, and watch every now and then then I'd go with the plasma, It's up to you. Good Luck!

Answer 3

It all depends on what your using it for and where you want to use it. LCDs have brighter screens and will work better in bright rooms, such as a living room with lots of windows or lighting. A good plasma TV will however give you better picture quality then an LCD TV with proper lighting, such as a dark room. Plasmas are able to provide much higher contrast ratios then LCDs allowing more detail in a dark movie scene and an overall more vivid picture. Although the latest top of the line LCD such as Samsung, Sony, or Sharp will provide comparable image quality of most plasma TVs. Pioneer PDP plasmas are however are said to provide the best picture available today.

The life of the TV according to manufactures' specs are identical these days. 60,000 hour screen life to half brightness for plasmas and 60,000 hour lamp life to half brightness for LCDs. The gas used in a plasma screen slowly dissipates and the light intensity of a LCD slowly fades. These are of course manufacturer specs based on accelerated testing wich isn't 100% accurate. The life of the TV can also be affected by the picture settings you use such as brightness and how high you have the TVs internal lamp turned up.

Plasmas are able to refresh an image faster then LCDs, some LCDs are susceptible to ghosting, a subtle transparent after image of fast moving objects that is left behind on the screen. A good LCD will not have this problem, but some less expensive off brand models still do. Look for a name brand LCD with a response time of 8ms or less and this won't be a problem.

One other thing to consider is that plasmas are susceptible to burn in from static images such as life bars in video games, or channel logos found at the bottom of some stations. Leaving behind a faint image on the screen even when you change channels. Manufacturers of plasmas say this is no longer a problem, but people still report it happening however the image usually fades and goes away, but it could also become permanent.

Go to some place like Best Buy and compare, see wich you like for yourself and consider your options. Remember that there is no standard for measuring specs on HDTVs except for resolution. There is multiple ways of measuring HDTV specs and manufacturers often choose the one that will give the the highest possible for the TV... So let your eyes be the judge and research the TV before you commit. If your spending $1000 or more you want to make sure you have the best TV for you.

Answer 4

Look up the W H I T E P A P E R article on HDTV technology. They will show you the pro's and cons of different technologies. Plasmas have the highest contrast ratio (average 10,000 to 1) which means they will give a more lifelike picture. While LCDs pale in comparison (only a handfull reach similar contrast ratios and are a small fortune) they are in generall a brighter tv and will look great for daytime watching. Also LCDs (with the probable exception of sony lcds) do not have as quick a refresh rate as plasmas so if your using a bigger screen you will notice more pixelation with movement on the screen.

Plasmas used to run out of gas within a few years but nowadays the average plasma half life has increased to 60,000 hours.
Lcds still run a little longer but are free of the problems with burn-ins, image retention.

Plasma's however catch glare because of the panes of glass. LCDs are pretty much glare free because of the matte finish of the screen.

I'd say if you like to watch TV at night, don't have a problem with glare/lighting, don't plan to use it as a computer monitor or anything which will leave a static image on the screen, go with a plasma.

If you would like a TV for gaming/computer monitor, and if you have problems with glare, and don't mind the drop in contrast and pixelation with movement, go with the LCD.

Overall both technologies have come such a long way that they are both pretty reliable. You should visit your local retailer and take a look at the TV's and compare for yourself.

Answer 5

After exhaustive research, I opted to buy the Sharp Aquos 46" LCD HDTV. Hands down, the best 3Gs I ever spent. There is a price difference obviously.

You need to make a decision before the purchase: Go cheap on a 37" plasma and be unhappy (major regret) of the purchase, or, pony up the extra $1,200 and by the LCD.

Not sure if it comes in a 42, but the picture and the features is awesome. It's a 12-15 year investment worth every penny. The wall mount is extra and takes time to install, but it puts your investment out of the tip-over zone.

At least with a LCD, you don't have the issue of waiting for a dead pixel to become 1/4" in diameter before they will take it back.

Answer 6

Neither - both have too many cons to be worthwhile and the picture quality is rubbish.

Unless you are desperate for one - wait a while. TVs are going to undergo a massive amount of change over the next year or so.

As an option there's a pretty good Samsung CRT HD TV - google samsung slimfit only 32" but a good price and far better quality than an LCD or Plasma 5 times the price.

Answer 7

The picture quality of LCD panels are far superior to Plasma in smaller sizes (upto 42inch).

Technology is moving toward LCD at the moment as these screens are far lighter to wall hang, dont suffer from screen burn and generaly have a longer life than Plasma.

Answer 8

I understand that with the larger screens (over 32 inch) plasma is supposed to be better. Both plasma and LCD have their pro's and con's. Why not try a website such as www.which.co.uk which will give you an unbiased opinion.

Answer 9

I would recommend LCD...we bought ours two years ago and it uses a surprising amount of electricity!!....I believe plasma tv's use more...thats one consideration, the other, we find that LCD tv's provide just as good picture quality that a plasma does...and they are less expensive!!!....we havent regretted the decision and are more than happy with our choice...the sound quality is pretty impressive too.(ps. I also recommend the 42 inch)
cheers
smaffy

Answer 10

Ive bought pioneer PDP 427XD ,couple of weeks before Christmas and although the price came down by 500 pounds,i still think i made a good choice the picture quality is superb also the design of the TV .I think is great,if there nothing good on TV i still switch it on and admire the pitchure qualerty and the tv itself,my plasma is wall mounted and admitterly i do get a slight reflection on the screen i f i focus in on it.I got vertical blinds on my south facing bay windows,and i usually have them closed only to stop people from looking in,because I've got the best TV in the street.The picture quality is still great day or night.and i almost for got they do get a little bit worm so wot.

Answer 11

Up to 46" lcd are far better. Above this some people say plasma have a very slight edge. If you intend gaming on it avoid plasma. The best on the market at present is the Sony Bravia range.