As published in Port Credit Village Times
Choosing a TV
With technology changing so rapidly many people are left in the dark when it comes to the various types of technology that is available, and televisions are no exception. There has been a battle between which TV is better for some time, LCD vs LED vs Plasma. The truth is that each has its own benefits and disadvantages for the end consumer, and choosing which one is right for you is much easier than it seems.
By asking yourself a few simple questions, you can decipher which type will be best for you.
1) What will the TV be used for? (i.e. Television shows, sporting events, video games)
2) Where is it located in the house? (Family Room, Bathroom, Kitchen)
3) Who else will be using the TV?
The reason for these questions are each TV has attributes that are beneficial for different types of usage, location and durability.
Plasma TV
The Plasma TV has the best overall color and contrast ratio (difference in color range) and is arguably the fastest TV out of the bunch, the reason for this is the processor used in plasma televisions is faster than that of LCD and LED tvs. What this means to you is the faster the processor, the faster the TV; the faster the TV the better picture quality you will get for fast motion scenes, albeit sports or action movies. Another benefit to the plasma is the “natural” looking color these panels have. Because of this natural look, any basic or non-high definition channels will look better when compared to the LED or LCD tv.
All plasmas are now Energy Star rated, so power consumption are worries of the past. As well these TVS screens are made of glass VS the more fragile LED TVS which make them a whole lot more durable to the notorious flying Nintendo remote.
The downside of the Plasma TV is twofold. One, the screen can still have image retention issues, where an image will literally burn into the picture of the screen and cannot be removed, which is why videogames are not recommended for these TVs. Secondly, despite the colors being the best out of the televisions the screens have the darkest image, so a proper setting of low lighting is required for optimal viewing.
LCD and LED TV
The LED TV is the latest technology in the consumer electronic market. Because of this they tend to be more expensive than the average plasma television. The reason is; they use the most expensive lighting system for the panel, LED lights. The benefit of using this type of lighting system is it gives you the brightest image of any television. This will relate to where the TV is located in the house. Because the LED is very versatile there is no need for “optimal” lighting in the house, it will perform in the same fashion regardless of location.
Comparing the screen to that of a plasma, there are no image retention issues for LED TVs, making these a natural choice for any gamer. This allows continuous playtime without fretting if it can damage your TV. Also, the image quality of these TVs is a very “sharp” or “crisp” image, compared to the “natural” looking picture a Plasma will have, also making it beneficial for animated movies or videogames.
The downside of LEDs are that the processors are not as fast as a plasma TV, so there may be a slight blur or judder to any faster action scenes. On top of that the screen is not made of glass which makes it more fragile to that of a plasma, so a family with rambunctious children will have to be a little more careful when playing their Nintendo Wii.
LED tvs are basically the big brother of LCD TVs. They carry the same technology and processors as the LEDs the ONLY difference between the two is the newer LED lighting in the panel VS a CCFL or fluorescent lighting system. This creates a very sharp and crisp image in the LCD, is not as bright, but does not have the hefty price tag.