LCD

by Veronica Lunsdorf

Created on: September 09, 2010

Plasma TVs are showing up in the marketplace at lower prices than LCD sets with comparable screen sizes and features. That's because plasma TVs suffer from at least one flaw that can lead to premature obsolescence. Despite their often superior reproduction of black and dark tones and their ability to display fast-moving images more faithfully than some LCD sets can, plasma sets can develop burn in when displaying letter boxed material. Eventually, those stripes at the top and bottom of the display become permanent. The effects don't take long to show up. Many consumers report seeing them in less than a year, if a large percentage of their program choices are displayed in letter boxed format.

LCD technology appears to be where the majority of new-product development is going in the television industry. The sets' power consumption keeps dropping while their color reproduction capabilities and reaction times keep improving. In fact, the principal competitor for LCD sets' growing market share may be some of the newer technologies showing up in computer monitors, like LED-based displays.

If you're considering any new TV purchase, first analyze your budget and determine a reasonable amount you can afford to spend. Pick a price point before you go to the electronics store. If you don't, you'll head straight for the Great Big Ultra-Expensive section, where the store clerks will be more than happy to welcome you to the Land of Over-Extended Finances. Let your budget guide your path through the store to sets you actually can afford, then evaluate them against one another. Look for off-axis response. Do you have to stand dead-center in front of the set to get a good picture, or can you move off the the side and still see clearly? Remember, there's only one sweet spot right in front of the set, and your household may include more people than can sit there. And be sure to pick a set with full 1080p resolution. That's the current state-of-the-art in TV reproduction.

Compare plasma to LCD sets in your price range and pick the best value for the money. You may be better off spending a little bit more for an LCD set that lasts longer, rather than saving a buck or two on a set you'll have to replace sooner. And no matter how enticingly they're priced, avoid floor demos. You have no idea how they've been treated or how long they've been running in the showroom. LCD looks like the TV-technology winner for now. But don't scoff at a good value on a plasma set. If you use it with care, you may get good service from it.

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