LCD vs Plasma in 2010
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted April 9th 2010 4:57PM
posted April 9th 2010 4:57PM
But the year wasn't all bad, as plasma prices dropped and in the second quarter of last year it actually did pretty well. Then at CES 2010 Panasonic's 3D plasma demo stole the 3D show, and early reports showed that the new line offered even better blacks and a better 3D effect than LCD TVs. So while there are no signs that plasma will ever be the king of flat screen TVs, it has proven for yet another year that although LCDs garner the lion's share of HDTV sales, plasma still owns a piece of the market and offers some advantages over the competition. So while the LCD vs plasma debate has never been as fun or as meaningful as a format war -- after all it isn't like choosing one excludes you from viewing content -- it is an interesting battle to follow. In the coming years we expect LCD to continue to push plasma up in size and plasma to push LCD blacker and faster. So the great news is that in the end it is the consumer that is getting better HD viewing options.
if you are buying a non-3d at moment, and looking for the best deal, i would say go plasma. also, i think in the future we will see 3d kits that we can make a non-3d tv into a 3d-tv. A plasma can handle 3d much better than a lcd, you need the 240 Hz to handle the 3d, anything less is not sufficient, i think plasma might get popular again.
@kushkm
Psh, everybody knows CRT's are making a come back.
@kushkm
They've had 3D kits to turn non-3D TVs into 3D for awhile now. Of course, they do kinda look like crap. It halves the resolution and yes, you do need 240 Hz as well, so many 2D plasmas are out.
In order to view 3D better than in a theater, you do need one of the newer 3D sets, though I'd wait a couple years at least ... or a bit longer for glasses free 3DTVs.
@kushkm I wouldn't go telling people you can convert non-3D TVs to 3D. Given the variant formats that must be supported (side-by-side, checkerboard, top-bottom, frame interlaced, etc) I assume such a box would have to OUTPUT a signal at 120Hz and the TV would have to accept it. None of the TVs I've seen can take a 1080p/120 signal in so I don't see how this would work.
@kushkm i must disagree almost evry "240 HZ" Plasma is just accepting the standard 60 HZ than upscaling
@ElCapitan I have a 32" CRT Samsung 1080i lol.
That said, Plasma is cheaper and works just as well.
@kushkm Well technically plasmas don't have a refresh rate.
@engadgetcomexcludeengadget
seems it's always listed at 600Hz, at least for modern plasmas. Why is there an argument above about 240Hz plasmas not being able to keep up exactly?
2009 was a great year for Plasmas, you guys are nuts.
2010 is even better. Happy with my brand new Panasonic 50G20 that blows any LCD out of the water when it comes to PQ and motion resolution.
LCD is dead to me.
@grumbles
haha dude your plasma sucks, the Samsung 8500 series LCD LEDs own your pathetic Plasma that no one cares about
@jdm28690
My Plasma has better viewing angles, black levels, lower input lag, and smoother motion. What's your LCD better at, exactly? Blinding me with white brighter than the sun?
Sounds great for watching TV on the surface of Mercury, not so much on Earth :)
@grumbles The Panasonic G20 is actually a better TV than the Samsung 8500 LED LCD in everything but form factor. Just look up the reviews on both the TV's.
@grumbles
Damn I love this astronomy expert.
So have you tested them both down in Mars?
Last I checked OLED beats them both like the bully he is even in faraway Eris. He just needs his time warming up, you know, kind of like the Genki Dama move.
@jdm28690 Clearly you've no idea what you're talking about.
@grumbles too bad plasma is only for displays >40"
@grumbles
dude you have no idea what you're talking about, i compared them at the store and the Samsung has better color saturation and deeper blacks.
@jdm28690
You cannot be serious, can you? You compared them at the store? Really? REALLY? And I'm certain you took the time to test them with optimized settings, optimal light conditions, and the same source material, yes?
Dear god... I don't even know where to start with you... that's just so very, very noob that I cannot even begin to tell you have very, very naive and noob it is.
Credibility fail.
@grumbles
Dammit! I fed the troll! I can't believe I fell for that... So stupid!
@grumbles
what about reliability of plasma Vs LCD
@grumbles
Plasma burn-in is horrible. They should not be used as computer monitors due to static interface, this is why I'd never buy one myself. LCD is also brighter, less glare (can see it in direct sun no problem,) and uses less power. If you get an LED based one they have a far longer lifetime as well.
Newer LCD technology has just as good blacks and contrast although it's still far too expensive for anything larger than a phone.
@grumbles
Feels that LCD is like Apple. Reason why there more known than plasma. Should be more like marketing wins over plasma than LCD wins.
@blakeem I am viewing this page on my 50 in Panasonic plasma. No burn-in, not even any temporary image retention. I use it for my HTPC and for browsing the web all the time.
Plasma has way better PQ than LCD. LCD is improving, but dollar for dollar Plasma is way better.
@GBH2
I even get burn-in (I should say ghosting) on my LCD due to almost always having up a browser or notepad++ open (I can see the top menu bar.) It fades after playing a game or watching a movie. You just can't compare the use with a home theater PC.
This is likely unique to my usage and I do realize burn-in time is similar to CRTs but it's still a drawback for someone that spends most the day with static menu bars on their screen. I just don't want to worry about it. I used to get bad burn-in with the windows task bar on CRTs.
You can get a 24-28inch 1920x1200 LCD (2ms) for under $400. Plasma just can't match that pixel density or price. Plasma has just not been made for being a computer monitor since the old monochromatic days. They also often contain TV tuners and this drives up the price, a computer based TV tuner is cheaper.
Get back to me when they get 1080p plasmas at the 24-32 inch size so I can fit them on my desk or fit it in my TV cabinet. If I wanted a huge screen for mostly gaming and movies/TV I'd probably go with plasma. For a programmer, not so good.
@grumbles g20? Lol yeah that really annihilated everythin else bwahaha
@GBH2 I only use Plasmas in the winter for heating my living room.
@grumbles thank you
They both can go to hell.
Where is my 50" OLED!!!
RAGEEEE!! D:
@MegaJapan *homer drool* oled
@MegaJapan
Screw that I want a SuperAMOLED TV!!!!
@wicketr
you realize that Super AMOLED simply mean integrating the "touch" layer with the pixel layer so thy are 1 layer instead of 2, making the OLED more bright and outdoor friendly compare to other AMOLED screens with additional touch layer.
But TV is not a touch screen device, so it has already just 1 layer , thus -on a way- making every OLED TV super by default.
@wicketr
AMOLED is only good for cellphones and other small screens. Learn some tech stuff before makeing unrealistic demands....
I will most likely be purchasing a TV in the coming months, I have my sights set on Plasma.
People used to ask me all the time which they should get, but recently I haven't heard the question with such frequency.
Bought my Samsung plasma just a couple of months ago and love it. LCD just don't cut it for me.
Plasma is very underrated
@Alexpeegs
Indeed. I bought a 54" Panny plasma last Christmas and it is astounding. Better colors, black levels, and viewing angle than any LCD at a similar price point.
But I suppose it's all about what suits your needs. Obviously you wouldn't want an uber-reflective plasma in a room with a lot of sun-facing windows.
@Alexpeegs well, this is the reverse of the initial rage of the plasma display, many people rushed out and got a plasma that had some major weaknesses such as useful life and image burn to name the top 2, but people wanted something that would look cool on a wall, despite its inability to match a DLP's picture.
It's funny and ironic when the same type of things that you once depend on, come full circle to hold you down.
Plasma is a lot better for 3D than LCD.
Also, Plasma > LCD LED backlight in terms of image quality and blackness.
Major problems are energy consumption and thiness.
@kgod0wnz
Thinness is not really a problem, more a perception. The manufacturers have pushed the limits to shrink down this dimension but what does it really matter? A bigger issue is the power consumption and weight. But the biggest problem is the marketing and public ignorance.
There's not that much difference between a good plasma and a good LCD. Each have their benefits and die-hard evangelists.
We have both. Our LCD is probably a 2007 model and we just got a new 2010 LG plasma. The plasma just destroys the LCD in terms of brightness and motion. Very happy with our purchase. Both are hooked up to W7 HTPCs.
@perpetual98 There's also the fact that you're comparing two models that are three years apart. That's several decades in technology. A 2010 LCD would hold up well to a 2010 plasma. Still I love Panasonic.
@JRKScope - Oh yeah, I'm well aware that the few years will make a difference. My neighbors '07 LG plasma is nicer than my LCD. Not that I'm dissing LCD's. My folks just got one and it's amazing.
l'll stick with my Samsung plasma, and I'm buying another in a month or so. 55 incher. Bazinga
@abf
+1 sheldon
I would have previously said go for LCD (durability & lifetime), but I don't know if that still applies.
@Dogcowsaysmoof Plasma now generally has a reasonably long panel life.
Panasonic quote 100,000 hours of use on theirs before the luminosity begins to wane.
Plasmas had a bad rep for longevity but previous LCDs fluorescent blacklighting would go out before that plasma would.
"In the coming years we expect LCD to continue to push plasma up in size" Can someone explain this line to me?
@TangoPudding
@TangoPudding
Yeah, totally lost me there too
@TangoPudding
I am pretty sure plasmas are not available in bigger sizes that LCD's are..
It used to be that Plasmas were only available up to 46", I think that has changed though.