When choosing a TV, there are many things you may want to consider before purchasing such as the type of content you prefer to watch. Do you use any gaming consoles like an XBOX 360 or PS3, do you watch mostly movies, or sports and news on TV? Answering these questions will help identify what TV best performs that function. Next, you will want to consider where you want your TV located in your home. A game room or theater room with limited light has a very different effect on a TV than a Family Room with a lot of windows. Are you going to be mounting your television on a wall or on an entertainment cabinet? And lastly, what size do you want to purchase? If you don’t necessarily know the answers to all of these questions, don’t worry as we will discuss each option in depth. But first, we will discuss the differences between each type of television technology.

LCD vs. LED vs. Plasma. Plasma and LCD were the first emerging technologies for flat-screen entertainment options. Plasmas were known for having issues such as “burn-in” if an image was static for too long, and LCDs were very expensive and couldn’t be built over 46”. A lot has changed in the TV world since the days of the first flat panel televisions. Current LED technology is based off of the original LCD television. The LED indicates the type of light source used. LCD TV’s use compact florescent tube lights placed around the perimeter of the TV to brighten the picture. They take longer to turn on and off, use more energy, and cause hot spots and inconsistent brightness as well as reduced life span. LED TV’s use LED lights placed around the perimeter of the picture as well. However, LED lights use far less power, have much higher bulb-life, take up less space, and can be turned on and off almost instantly. They can also be turned on and off individually, which helps with the contrast ratio of an image with both bright and dark areas. The main difference between LCD and LED TV’s is the light source. The LED versions do typically cost more to make which is why the base models are typically LCD and the middle to upper end models are LED. It is fair to say though as technology moves forward in the next couple of years, all LCD TV’s will be using LED for their light source. Now, the size constraints of the LCD panel allows for TV’s as large as 90” and Plasmas now come as large as 150” diagonal. Plasma technology has fixed their burn-in issue and they no longer produce enormous amounts of heat and use excessive amounts of energy. Plasma televisions do typically cost a bit less than their LED counterpart, and they also come in sizes larger than 90” diagonal. They are also usually slightly thicker, as the plasma and glass panel take up more space than the LED TV’s.

So why does this all matter to you? Because you want the best picture for your money. The first big difference between LED and Plasma technology is the amount of light that the television reflects. If your TV is going to be in a brightly-lit environment, the LED TV’s tend to be less reflective. The higher end plasma models have evolved to have anti-reflective coating and other technologies to reduce ambient reflections, but LED tends to win in this category. You can combat light by mounting your TV to the wall with a tilt mount, and also by purchasing some translucent shades to block some sun from your windows.

Next, cost can affect your decision. For the money, plasma will get you the same size TV for less, or a larger TV for the same amount of money as an LED TV. This may be a deciding factor for some purchasers.

Content can also play a huge role in what technology you choose. Plasma has a native refresh rate of 600Hz. Most LCD/LED TV’s have a native refresh rate of 60-120Hz. This means that the Plasma will refresh its image almost 5 times more per second than an LED TV. Some of the high end LED TV’s will have a refresh rate of 240Hz. This is better, but still no match for the 600Hz of a Plasma. You may also notice that some LED TV’s will boast numbers and terminology such as 1200 CMR, and 480 Pure Motion Rate. These are not the refresh rate of the panel, but rather a modified number that takes in to account the speed of the video engine, the processor of the TV, and other factors than can effect performance. A higher number is better, but none of the LED TV’s can get close to the speed of a Plasma TV. That extra speed helps when watching fast action sports and when you’re gaming. You get a cleaner, clearer picture with a Plasma TV. Because of how the plasma cells produce color and light, the Plasma TV’s also can produce a much darker “black”. This may be confusing because black is not a color but rather is actually the absence of light. LED TV’s will typically leave its light source on even when the TV itself is not displaying a bright or lightly colored image. The Plasma can turn off each cell, which reduces ambient light inside the cavity of the television, resulting in much higher quality black levels. Movie aficionados appreciate the level of dark detail available in a Plasma. Any TV can have the contrast and brightness cranked up to 11, but this creates a harsh image that has colors over-saturated, and also increases energy usage as well as reduces the life of the display. This can even cause your eye and brain to strain while watching the image which can produce a less-than-desirable experience. LED TV’s have gotten better, but can still not produce as detailed and dark of an image, and are nowhere near as fast as a Plasma TV.

Size may also play a factor in to your purchasing decision. Though not for everyone, LED TV’s only go up to 90”. Plasma TV’s can come up to 150” in size. But if sheer size isn’t what worries you, and maybe having that TV stick off the wall is a concern, LED TV’s tend to be slightly thinner than their Plasma TV counterpart. They also typically weigh less than a Plasma TV. LED TV’s also use less energy than a Plasma TV which might sound like a great idea, but now, most TV’s use between $15.00 a year and $30.00 a year to operate. That is less than pennies a day to operate, even on the high end.

Wrapping things up, Plasma and LED TV’s are both very good technologies, each having great benefits. Plasma TV’s tend to have a better picture and cost less than LED TV’s, and LED TVs have a longer life, and less reflective displays. If you are still having difficulty deciding on which TV will fit your lifestyle the best, call us for a free in-home consultation and let one of our experts help you choose the best panel for your budget.