For most TV fans screen is the most important factor when considering which TV to purchase. However, with the price of large screen models running into four figures, many users had to settle for flat panel TV’s which, in their eyes at least, was a ‘cheaper version’. The advent of technologies such as Sony’s BRAVIA engine and Philips Ambilight has levelled the playing field and helped to make significant inroads into the sale of plasma TV’s.
LCD TV’s and Plasmas work utilise different technologies to deliver the same viewing effects. LCD television sets are built around crystal cells that tighten and relax when an electrical current is applied to them. A backlighting system saturates the cells and, as they rotate, colours not required are filtered out leaving only the desired colour cells in place. Plasma screens also work by using millions of pixels. The difference being that, when activated, the cells release gases that produce a particular colour from the red, blue and green bands that are enclosed within the pixels.
Recent developments in LCD technology have allowed manufacturers to build LCD screens that offer comparable viewing quality to that of Plasma TVs. In particular the handling of fast moving action was a issue; many LCD televisions would leave a trailing image (commonly knows as ‘blur’). Plasma screens had the upper hand in this instance as each pixels is activated individually. Another area in which Plasmas led the way was the viewing angle as they are able to produce clear images at extreme viewing angles. LCD’s have made major strides in this area with many manufacturers quoting viewing angles in the region of 178 degrees whilst still retaining sharp image quality.
The major drawback with Plasmas is the weight and thicker screens making them heavier and therefore more difficult to wall mount.
The most recent developments in LCD technology has delivered LED to the mainstream manufacturing process. TV manufacturers can use an LED backlight instead of the standard Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (LCD-CCFL) used in most LCD televisions. The LED backlight has a number of advantages over regular CCFL backlight TVs indcluding a lower power consumption and higher brightness levels. LED-backlit LCD TV’s typically have a longer lifespan than their LCD counterparts and are more energy efficient than Plasma screens. Also, LED cells can be switched on and off more rapidly than traditional LCD backlights which allows the to produce both higher light output, exceptionally high contrast ratios and a greater range of deep blacks (Sony has quoted their 40ZX1 model as having a Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 2,000,000:1).
Considering the rate of development it’s easy to understand why LCD is fast replacing Plasma as the preferred viewing medium for consumers. Admittedly, the price of LED TV’s is still relatively high however, as manufacturers start to see healthy returns on their investment the prices will drop. Will Plasma TV’s be with us for much longer?
By: Paul K Smith
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