Four styles of HDTV

Flat-panel TVs: plasma and LCD

The biggest television technology revolution since color, flat-panel TVs will eventually replace tubes as the direct-view televisions of choice. You can hang flat sets on the wall, on the ceiling, or above the mantle in place of a trophy buck. The two major types of flat-panels are plasma and LCD, so we'll go over each type separately.

Plasma

With prices starting around $1,000 for the least expensive models, a coveted plasma TV is within reach of most shoppers. But now that you can get a 42-inch LCD for a similar chunk of change, plasma TVs have to depend on factors other than price to remain competitive against their flat-panel nemeses. One area where plasma still reigns, however, is in very large screen sizes, say 58 inches and up. These sets are actually becoming an affordable and viable alternative to big-screen rear-projection sets.

Picture quality varies greatly between different makes and models of plasma TVs, so be sure to read reviews before you plunk down your cash. Despite significant advances, plasma panels still can't quite replicate the deep blacks that tubes can. The best plasmas produce top-notch image quality, with excellent color, wide viewing angles, and demonstrably sharper details than direct-view CRTs when showing high-definition sources. LCDs generally have a higher native resolution than plasma TVs, but in the real world the difference isn't that noticeable.

Burn-in: You may have heard that plasma has a couple of drawbacks. One such downside is burn-in, which occurs when an image--such as a stock ticker, a network logo, or letterbox bars--gets etched permanently onto the screen because it sits in one place too long. In our experience, the danger of burn-in has been greatly exaggerated, and people with normal viewing habits have nothing to worry about. The potential for burn-in is greatest during the first 100 or so hours of use, during which time you should keep contrast low (less than 50 percent) and avoid showing static images or letterbox bars on the screen for hours at a time. After this initial phase, plasma should be as durable as any television technology. Many models also have burn-in-reduction features, such as screensavers and pixel orbiting, or settings to treat burn-in once it occurs, such as causing the screen to go all white.

Plasma life span: The life span of plasma TVs is another area that's improved dramatically over the last few generations of the technology. Partly in response to claims made by LCD TV makers, plasma manufacturers now claim their panels last an extremely long time. Most plasma makers today claim a life span of 60,000 hours before the panel fades to half brightness. According to a 2006 Nielsen study (cited in USA Today), the average household watches 8 hours, 14 minutes of TV every day. Even if the real figure is closer to 30,000 hours and the plasma is the only TV in the house, that works out to more than 10 years before the set reaches half brightness--about what you'd expect from a direct-view CRT.

LCD

Flat LCDs are extremely popular in all screen sizes these days, thanks to competitive pricing and the fact they can fit just about anywhere. Larger LCDs--as high as 65 inches--remain more expensive than plasma and rear-projection models, but in the popular 40- to 42-inch size range, LCD prices have dropped precipitously. As of spring 2007, flat-panel LCDs in this size range can be had for as little as $1,000, pretty much the same as plasmas.

The picture quality of LCD TVs has historically suffered from poor black levels, but the latest versions are often much improved . The best LCDs actually surpass the best plasmas in terms of delivering a deep black, but most LCDs still lag behind. That's because LCDs use a backlight to provide illumination, and there's almost always some light leaking through the pixels. Color saturation is also generally inferior to plasma's, again as a result of the inability to completely blacken (turn off) the pixels.

Viewing angle is another weakness of LCD compared to plasma. On every LCD we've reviewed, we witnessed some brightness and color shift visible when we watched from an angle that's more or less removed from the sweet spot right in front of the TV (to either side, and especially above or below). Plasmas look equally good from very wide angles. In addition, LCDs are much more likely to exhibit uniformity problems than plasmas, which can appear as lighter areas on dark screens, clouding, or even color banding on some models. These can be more or less severe from model to model, so check the individual reviews for comments.

On the other hand, LCDs will generally have a higher native resolution than plasmas of the same size. This isn't as big a deal as you might think because, in practice, it's difficult for the average viewer to discern the difference between, say, a 40-inch LCD with 1080p resolution and a 42-inch plasma with 1,024x768 resolution, especially from normal seating distances.

LCD spec sheets often talk about response time, but in our experience, almost all newer LCDs have adequate response time to deal with fast motion to the satisfaction of most viewers. LCDs also have a reputation for being brighter than plasmas, and while that's technically true, most plasmas are plenty bright for even the most demanding high-ambient-light viewing. One definite advantage of LCD TVs, however, is that their plastic screens reflect less ambient light than plasmas' glass, so they're usually better for very bright rooms with little light control.

Plasma vs. LCD
In terms of picture quality, plasmas and LCDs are becoming more and more equal, although we still generally recommend the best plasmas over the best LCDs for critical home-theater viewing. Most people will be perfectly happy with either technology, however, especially with high-definition sources. For screen sizes between 42 and 50 inches, the buying decision generally boils down to price, the performance of individual models, and the perception of plasma's fragility, a perception that, again, is largely incorrect.