My Cart - Anyone buying a new TV today will be faced with making the choice between two different technology types, Plasma or LCD, the respective development of which is now making them more directly competitive at nearly every price point and screen size. The truth is that for the majority of people who are just looking for a nice TV to plonk in the corner of their lounge, either technology would be fit for purpose, with the standard of picture and sound being dictated more by the quality of the model and manufacturer rather than the technology it is based on. However, an informed consumer is an empowered one, and so to that end we will outline the differences below.
Plasma screens are a grid of individual pixel-sized cells, each containing an amount of natural gas and different coloured phosphors (red, green and blue). When a TV signal arrives in to the back of a plasma TV, a charge is sent to each of these cells which causes them to glow and illuminate the appropriate balance of coloured phosphors. Together these individual cells form the larger picture you see on your screen. If you watch a lot of sport or enjoy movies in the dark, you may find the picture quality of a cheap plasma tv beats that of an LCD.
LCD screens are built from a similar series of pixel sized cells but this time they are filled with liquid crystal, which are then lit from behind. The electrical signal each cell receives controls how much the liquid crystal untwists, refracting the white backlight in to the red, green or blue colours you see on the screen. A cheap LCD TV might be better for you if you like video games or have a lot of natural light in the room.
Hope this helps!
