Lately there has been confusion and misunderstanding as to what is better – LCD or Plasma for large screen use for various applications. The various points like size as LCDs are generally lighter and thinner as they don't contain the gas-filled chambers and heavy glass panels present in plasmas; An LCD TV will last as long as its backlight - and in many models the backlight bulbs can be replaced! Also it must be noted that Plasma TVs use more power than LCD – twice as much. Plasmas use electricity to light each and every pixel you see on a screen - even the dark ones. Also, note Plasma TVs get heated up quickly and require fans to cool the TV. However, to summarize, while for home video solutions, Plasma may be an OK choice, but for office and professional usage, LCD is definitely the correct choice!

1. LCD vs. Plasma Large Screens for Businesses: Why LCD wins?
Businesses are rapidly adopting large high definition TVs and monitors for advertising, video
conferencing, conference rooms, entertainment and information display, among other uses. We talked
with a number of audio visual consultants, system integrators, distributors, vendors and customers and
found there was confusion and misunderstanding as to what is better – LCD or Plasma for large screen
use for various applications. Understandable, considering the rapidly evolving technologies, numerous
choices, the gamut of reviews and the various applications these large screens are being used. We are
hoping we can clarify but research the technologies yourself and make the knowledgeable choice.
Quick Introduction to the Technology: Plasma screens use a matrix of plasma gas cells which are charged
by electrical voltage to create a picture. LCD screens are made up of liquid crystals placed between two
glass plates. Below we compare the two technologies on features important to businesses.
LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Size
LCDs are generally lighter and thinner as they don't contain the gas-filled chambers and heavy glass
panels present in plasmas. Historical wisdom was that larger size screens available were Plasma while
smaller size screens were LCDs. Today, commercially, Panasonic has 103” plasma while Sharp offers
108” LCD. Smaller size Plasma screens are currently not available. A draw for large size screens. Smaller
size Plasma screens are currently not available.
LCD vs. Plasma for Screen Size: A draw for large size screens.
LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Picture Quality
A number of variables go into picture quality. We will outline them and summarize the findings.
Video Resolution: High resolution is available for both Plasma and LCD screens and resolution is usually
comparable for both technologies (1920x1080 is considered as high resolution and available in both
Plasma and LCD screens). Lower price models for both Plasma and LCDs have lower resolution and
typically for <45” screens they are 1366x768 in resolution or lower. Be sure that you compare apples to
apples. Overall: A draw between the two technologies.
Data Resolution: Data resolution for LCDs is much better than for Plasma. The number of pixels per
square inch on an LCD display is typically higher than any other display technology including Plasma, so
LCD monitors are especially good at displaying large amounts of data. For the same reasons, LCD
screens will also be better screens for video gaming than Plasma screens. Plasma displays produce a very
jaggy image when viewing static images from computer images. Users may want to consider a
commercial version plasma if their application calls for a lot of computer use.
Color Accuracy: Plasma color richness and naturalness will prevail in rooms with lower to normal
lighting due to higher contrast ratio. LCD screen contrast ratio is relatively lower, but with anti-glare &
brightness features of LCD screens, LCDs will be better in ambient light or in brightly lit rooms. As
businesses usually work during the day in ambient light, LCDs are more desirable for most business
applications.
Viewing Angle: Plasma manufacturers have made much of their 160° viewing angles. However with new
LCDs the view angles are 158°. There is not much difference between the two technologies in viewing
angle.

2. Burn-in: There have been concerns with burn-in for Plasma screens especially for static images. However,
many Plasma manufacturers have improved their anti-burn in technology. There are no burn-in issues
with LCD screens.
LCD vs. Plasma for Picture Quality: LCD wins.
LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Life of the Screen
LCDs can be operated 24x7 for 50,000+ hours equivalent to 5+ years of continuous viewing. Plasma, on
the other hand, utilizes slight electric currents to excite a combination of noble gases (i.e., argon, neon,
xenon), which glow red, blue, and/or green. This is an essentially active phenomenon, so the phosphoric
elements in plasma displays fade over time. Typically half life is 30,000 hours but some manufacturers
state a new half life of 60,000 hours. At half life, the phosphors in a plasma screen will glow half as
brightly as they did when the set was new. There is no way to replace these gases; the display simply
continues to become dimmer with use. An LCD TV will last as long as its backlight - and in many models
the backlight bulbs can be replaced! Since this is nothing more than light passing through a prismatic
substrate, there is essentially nothing to wear out in an LCD monitor.
LCD vs. Plasma for Screen Life: LCD wins.
LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Power consumption
Plasma TVs use more power than LCD – twice as much. Plasmas use electricity to light each and every
pixel you see on a screen - even the dark ones. Also, note Plasma TVs get heated up quickly and require
fans to cool the TV.
However, some manufacturers point out that the power use of a plasma TV is directly dependent on
picture brightness, whereas an LCD picture requires a constant source of illumination. The theory goes
that plasma should use less power over time. But in reality plasma TVs require significantly more power
to achieve the same brightness level as an LCD. This is significant, since your investment on UPS (higher
KVA) will have to be much larger to give similar backup to a system using Plasma. No wonder, IBMs &
HPs never even considered Plasma for their Laptop screens!
LCD vs. Plasma for Power Consumption: LCD wins.
LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Lightness and Versatility
Both types of flat-panel screens can be wall-mounted. Plasma sets weigh a lot more than LCD screens
(even those of comparable screen-size), so setting them up or moving around could be a problem,
especially wall mounting in new houses with stud walling. Further the bezel for LCD screens can be
removed and a video wall solution can be created – can be quite valuable for advertising and monitoring
LCD vs. Plasma for Lightness and Versatility: LCD wins.
To summarize, while for home video solutions, Plasma may be an OK choice, but for office and
professional usage, LCD is definitely the correct choice!