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Without
getting into how they work, there are some differences
between plasma and LCD TVs that you should consider
prior to purchasing. The main differences: |
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Blacks: the colors on
both are gorgeous, but LCDs tend to produce grayer
blacks. Neither reproduces blacks as well as your old
CRT (“Tube”) set did. |
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Ambient Light: LCDs
reflect outside light less than do plasmas, and appear
brighter in a well lit room. Plasma viewing is more
adversely affected in a room with ambient light,
especially sunlight. |
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Viewing Angle: Not a
big issue, but viewing angle has typically been greater
for plasmas. |
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Image Burn: plasmas do
occasionally suffer stationary image burn when a static
image is left on the TV for a lengthy period. LCDs also
have this problem, but it is not as pronounced. This
was more of a problem before plasmas had automatic
shutoff switches and DVD players had screensavers. |
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Product Life: contrary
to early myth, both plasmas and LCDs have long product
lives, 30 to 40 years of normal use. |
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Heat: Both
technologies generate considerable heat through normal
use, and must be in a place where they can cool, or they
may get damaged. Heat damage is not covered under
warranties. So if you’re looking to mount a TV flush
with the wall, you’re going to need to be careful or get
special ventilation. |
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Our advice: All things
being equal, plasma provides a better picture. But if
there is a lot of ambient light, or you or your family
will be playing video games or watching stock tickers a
lot of the time, we would recommend LCD. |
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