With HDTV, Blu-ray and HD digital media dominating the home entertainment center today, LCD and Plasma televisions have been on the rise to keep up with the demand.

Considering how common it has become to see a decent sized flat-panel TV in homes today, it’s surprising how ill informed people are about what they are buying.

In some cases, people simply don’t care; all they want is a TV that looks good. But in an era where information is so easily accessible, you’d think those curious few would look into what they’re buying.

I know that the customer is always right, but it’s always important to show the customer that you know what you’re talking about, and that they’ve simply misunderstood whatever concept they’re asking about.

Everyone wants to know which is better – LCD or Plasma? It’s a common question and very debatable. To fully understand, you need to know that the answer can swing either way depending on the situation.

Plasma TVs are made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny pixel cells, which essentially are like little florescent bulbs. Each of these ‘bulbs’ is instructed to make specific color combinations based on software on the circuit board behind the screen. If you look closely at a Plasma TV, you can see individual pixel cell coloration of red, green and blue phosphorus bars.

LCD TVs work similarly, with software controlling the lighting of the pixels. Except in this case, the screen is comprised of a thin layer of pixel cells that are filled with Liquid Crystals (hence Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD) which react according to the light being processed.

They use a process of subtraction to create colors. The liquid crystals filter out specific wavelengths of light, allowing only the color specified to shine through. Of course there are a variety of different types of LCDs, but for most cases it’s unimportant in this argument.

So you’re probably still wondering what the differences between the two are. One of the most important differences between the two types of HDTVs is contrast, or black levels.

Because LCDs use a process of filtering out light, they simply cannot create true black. Black is not a color in the visible light spectrum. So in most cases LCDs tend to look more washed out than Plasmas. When watching a dark scary movie, a Plasma’s picture appears more real or ‘deep’.

Recently, LCD manufacturers have developed improved LCD TVs that produce darker blacks, but Plasmas still have the upper hand.

In most cases, when buying a TV you should look at the room it is being put in, and of course who will be using it.

This is because Plasmas, despite having more vibrant and crisp colors, will tend to lose their effect in brightly lit rooms whereas LCDs, due to their anti-glare technology, still look as good.

Also, if there are children using the TV who play video games, or if you’re constantly watching the stock market, the scrolling bar on the bottom of the screen or video game scores will actually burn into the screen on Plasmas, leaving a ghost image permanently etched into it on every channel.

Again, recent improvements in Plasma technology have made it much harder for a burn-in to occur, but LCD still holds the advantage in this area.

However, LCD loses face again when it comes to viewing angle. Overall, Plasmas keep their contrast and color correctness up to 160 degrees off from center, while LCDs begin to lose black levels and look more washed out after 120-130 degrees from center.

Don’t worry; it’s not as bad as it sounds. In most cases, the difference is barely noticeable, especially on newer LCDs.

Now, for the big deterrent – the one that makes everybody squirm in their seats today: cost and power consumption.

Although Plasmas are slightly less expensive, they draw the most power. Yes, children, the better looking TV will end up costing you more in the long run. LCDs use florescent lighting for their monitors; Plasmas light each individual pixel cell, even the black ones, to create their pictures. That causes a higher voltage usage. In other words, better picture equals more money.

New technologies have ‘leveled the playing field’ in the bigger picture. There used to be a pretty decent gap in the two technologies. However, in a world where money talks and electricity equals money, then Plasma equals ‘too expensive.’

To be frank, a lot of the leading manufactures for HD Plasma televisions have been dropping off the market because LCDs are more cost effective.

That being said, as soon as one technology dominates the other, a newer, better TV technology will pop up, and we’ll be having this argument all over again.

Who knows, maybe you’ll be watching ‘Seinfeld’ in 3D in a few years.

Matt Bellezza is a senior information management and technology major. His column appears every other week in The Daily Orange. He can be reached at mlbellez@syr.edu.

Published on September 22, 2008 at 12:00 pm