CNET Article Flat-panel TVs
The biggest television-technology revolution in the last couple of years, 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 players in the flat-panel game are plasma and LCD, so we'll go over each type separately. Note: Almost all plasmas--and many LCDs--are HDTV-capable, meaning that they can accept a high-definition signal. However, many of these sets don't have enough pixels to display the full resolution of HDTV.
Plasma
Upside: As little as three inches thick; potential for very large screen size; wide viewing angle; often computer-display capable.
Downside: Expensive; only average black level; potential for burn-in.
Forecast: Prices have fallen a bit and pictures have improved dramatically, but don't expect to see affordable plasmas for a few years to come.
With prices starting at around $3,000, plasma technology unsurprisingly has the reputation of being a plaything of the rich. If you can swallow the payments, however, you'll get a sexy, flat-panel TV with a picture that's nearly as good as that of a CRT. The word plasma refers to the gas trapped inside every pixel, which lights up when an electric charge is applied.
Despite significant, recent advances, plasma panels still can't replicate the deep blacks that tubes can. A handful of today's top-rated models come pretty close, though, and as the technology matures, we expect to see more plasmas with good black-level performance.
You may have heard that plasma has a couple of drawbacks. One such downside is called burn-in, which occurs when an image--such as stock ticker or a network logo--gets etched permanently onto the screen because it sits in one place too long. However, if you take a couple of preventive steps, the risk for burn-in can be greatly diminished. As long as the contrast control is kept to a reasonable level (we recommend 50 percent or less), and the user avoids showing static images on the screen for hours at a time, a plasma screen should not burn in. Newer panels also have burn-in-reduction features that further reduce this possibility.
The life span of a plasma TV is probably not as good as that of a CRT, but these panels still last quite a while. According to LG Philips, the typical plasma has a life span of 20,000 to 30,000 hours, which equates to at least two years, three months of 24/7 usage before the panel fades to half brightness.
LCD
Upside: As little as two inches thick; very bright picture; no danger of burn-in; long product life span.
Downside: Expensive; screen sizes are relatively small; below-average black level.
Forecast: Prices on this technology should fall precipitously over the next couple of years, following the computer LCD trend. We think that big-screen LCDs will soon threaten plasmas.
Think of flat-panel LCDs as plasma's smaller, less attractive, tougher brother. Currently, its screen size tops out at around 37 inches, although larger prototypes have been shown. LCD also hasn't come as close as plasma has to reproducing true blacks. On the other hand, LCD prices will drop quickly as manufacturing potential increases and new plants are built.
LCDs are generally brighter than plasmas and, therefore, look better in well-lit rooms. They're also immune to burn-in and have longer life spans: 50,000 hours according to LG Philips. These factors mean that in a few years, LCD could really challenge plasma in the larger-screen-size arena. For now, however, large, flat-panel LCDs are even more expensive per square inch of screen than plasmas.
