by Kevin Mcinturff

Created on: November 20, 2008   Last Updated: December 17, 2008

Today, purchasing a flat screen television can be a daunting process. With the varied formats available such as Plasma and LCD, it can be hard to determine which one is best. Questions many buyers may also have are what is the difference between pixels and resolution? Can I use this for my computer? Can I plug in my camera to view home movies? Understanding the television formats need not be that hard. With a little study, anyone can master the differences between these technologies.

There are basically two flavors of televisions available today; Plasma and LCD. Plasma uses individual cells called pixels which are filled a gas that glows different colors when charged by an electric pulse. LCD which stands for Liquid Crystal Display uses cells which are filled with a liquid crystal sandwiched between two sheets of glass. When charged, the crystals bend to change a white light from behind to a certain color. Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages and which one works best for you may have a lot with how you view the television.

When it comes to over all picture quality, plasma tends to look better in rooms with normal to lower light settings such as a living room or bedroom during the evening. LCD tends to look better in more brightly lit areas such as a breakfast room or outdoors. This is why LDC televisions are used in malls and airports.

When watching fast action events such as sports or movies, Plasma has the advantage due to their quick response time which is how long it takes for each pixel to change color. LCD's tend to have more "lag time" which produces a blurred effect. However; this is quickly changing in newer models.

In terms of longevity, LCD gets the nod. These screens never wear out even after 60,000 hours of use where as Plasma screens will grow dim over time. Also, Plasma tends to suffer from "burn in" when displaying static images over a period of time. This is why LCD is better for computer use. In addition, if big screens are your preference, then go with Plasma. Some manufacturers are producing sizes as large as 100" diagonally where as LCD only goes up to 50".

In addressing resolution, it is important to understand how high definition formats work. The two types of formats are 1080i and 720p which stands for interlace and progressive respectively. Interlace uses alternating lines of resolution to form a picture which is based on standard television as we know it. Progressive displays one whole picture at a time like film in a movie theatre. The number denotes how many discernable lines of resolution are in the picture. When looking at resolution, LCD will offer higher resolution per size than plasma. For example, a 40 inch LCD HD will be at 1366 X 768 pixels verses 1024 X 768 for Plasma. What this translates to is the more pixels, the more resolution. Also, when plugging in your camera, the resolution you get will be determined by the type of video camera you have and the type of connector you are using. Standard cameras using RCA plugs will produce 640 X 480 resolution; high definition cameras using digital connectors will get higher resolution.

Finally, what is the difference between HD and HD ready. True HD offers a resolution of 1920 X 1080 and HD ready are sets which accept a HD signal, but do not display it at full resolution. True HD sets have more resolution, but at a higher price.

In summary, choosing between the different television formats can be determined by many factors such as picture quality, response time, flexibility and resolution. In the end, the best way to judge a new television is just to go to a store and watch it. If the price is right and you are delighted with the picture, then who is to argue?

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