LCD, LED or Plasma TV?

When considering purchasing a flat panel TV, the decision as to whether to buy an LCD, LED or Plasma HDTV is a common one. All of these types of technology can display High Definition in stunning detail. But there are differences.

LCD (liquid crystal display) – LCD TVs are becoming the most popular technology. They have many advantages such as low power consumption, ability to display the highest resolutions (1080p), LCDs are flat, many are wall mountable. The disadvantage of an LCD is that their ability to show contrast is less than some other technologies like plasma. LCDs in the past were also slower to refresh (not so with the current models). These disadvantages are quickly disappearing. Today’s LCD HDTVs have greatly improved on contrast and refresh speed. The latest LCD technology is 120Hz and 240Hz anti blur technology for fast moving action such as sports and movies.  Most LCDs are silent with no moving parts or fans.  LCD’s are brighter than Plasma HDTVs and so are better suited in well lit rooms during the day than plasmas.

Smart-Review’s Best “Top-Picks” in LCD TVs are the LG LD650 Series (240Hz), the Samsung 650C Series (120Hz), and the LG LD550 Series (120Hz)

Plasma Displays – Plasma displays are very popular as well. They have higher contrast than LCDs (although that gap is closing), and can display HDTV with stunning clarity. Plasmas have wide viewing angles. Plasma sets also display fast action (sports, action movies) better. The disadvantages of plasma are that they take more electricity than LCDs, and can generate more heat. Many have built in fans. Plasma screens are susceptible to screen burn-in (new models compensate with various screen-saving methods). Heavier than LCDs. Plasma HDTVs are commonly used for home theaters where outside light is subdued.

Smart-Review’s Best “Top-Picks” in Plasma are the new for 2010 Panasonic G25 Series (1080p Plasma), the new Samsung PNC8000 Series (3D Plasma), the Panasonic G10 Series (1080p Plasma), and the Panasonic S1 Series (1080p Plasma).

Related Article: Plasma TV Roundup and Comparison

LED HDTVs – The latest technology in HDTVs is referred to as LED. This actually is an LCD with an LED backlight instead of the traditional fluorescent backlights that are used on almost all HDTVs up to this point. LED backlights improve contrast, use up to 40% less power, and allow super thin (1.2 inch thick) TVs. There are two types of LED TVs. One is Edge Lit, which illuminates like traditional backlights. The other is “Local Dimming” which means that the LEDs are behind the screen and can turn off or dim to give the greatest level of contrast. Another type of local dimming was introduced in 2010 by Samsung called precision dimming. It uses a new type of technology to achieve local dimming. LED TVs are more expensive than LCD TVs of the same size.

Related Article: LED TV Roundup and Comparison

Smart Review’s (precision dimming) LED HDTV “Top Pick” is the Samsung UNC8000 3D Series a new 2010 model (3D Ready).

Picture Contrast – The higher the contrast, the bigger the difference between the brightest and darkest images.  Whites look whiter and blacks look blacker.  The higher the contrast ratio, the greater the ability to show subtle color details.    There are two types of contrast.  Native and Dynamic.  Most manufacturers give the Dynamic contrast ratio, as this is a much higher number. the dynamic contrast ratio refers to the range between bright and dark over time.  the native contrast ratio measures the brightest and darkest images a TV produces at the same time.