Pros And Cons Of A Plasma Television

Have you been watching the price of large screen televisions as they have been falling for the last couple of years? You may be ready to purchase a new one, but you would really appreciate some advice on which type of television to purchase.

You have looked at a sixty inch rear projection television, but you do not think that you really want that type of advanced technology. Instead, you are more interested in the flat screen LCD and plasma screens, but you are unaware of which one is better. You are absolutely right that large screen television prices have dropped significantly in the last two years. Additionally, technology changes have addressed some of the earlier drawbacks in both plasma and LCD formats, so that you are getting a better television for less money.

However, determining which display is right for you is somewhat subjective. It is encouraged that you look at the same size display produced by both technologies to determine which you prefer. Television screens have gotten larger with each new generation since the inception of the first commercially marketed television in the 1930s. As screen sizes have increased, so too has television energy usage.

Modern flat panel display LCD and plasma televisions are no exception. Plasma and LCD televisions use more electricity than their cathode ray tube ancestors. According to a 2005 National Resources Defense Council report on television energy consumption, televisions in the United States used over forty six billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2004. With the expected increase, in not only the number, but size of televisions in this country, energy use is expected to almost double by 2009, reaching seventy billion kilowatt hours per year.

There is currently no standard measure of the efficiency of televisions. Televisions are not currently required by law to wear the yellow Energy Guide labels that are found on other appliances that enable consumers to do a side by side comparison of the energy efficiency of comparable models. One method being considered is one that compares television energy use in watts per inch of display screen. It may be in use in the near future and will should allow to better understand the energy implications of their purchase.

Both plasma and LCD technology produce a stunningly clear picture, but there are subtle differences. LCD screens, because they are back light, use more cells than plasma to produce the same clear images. This makes them brighter than plasma screen televisions and is better suited for rooms with higher light levels. However, this greater number of cells also lets more of the back light show around the edge of each cell, making it hard for LCD screens to produce the same vivid blacks as plasma televisions. LCD's produce dark grays rather than sharp blacks, while plasma televisions, being not as bright, are better suited for normal to low light level rooms.

LCD displays, like computer monitors, are ideally suited for static display of slow moving images. Early versions of LCD televisions had problems reproducing fast moving images like sporting events or action sequences in movies because of the on off nature of their liquid crystal cells. This slight delay associated with crystal realignment resulted in slightly blurry images or image trails. By increasing the speed or refresh rate of the cells, manufacturers have succeeded in eliminating much of this problem. When shopping for LCD's, remember that the lower the refresh rate is, the better the image quality will be for fast moving scenes.

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