Would Plasma TV be a better choice than LCD TV?

I think there are two factors here: First is size, generally plasma is available in larger sizes than LCD, and second is what you watch: plasma has a faster reaction time so sports seem clearer than they do on LCD. If you don't watch a lot of sports and don't need a TV bigger than about 42", LCD offers a brighter picture, which most people view as "better".

As for longevity, just check the specifications: both should be around 60,000 hours.

Most LCD T.V.'s are plasma if i were u i would go with a LCD. LCD aka Luqiud Crystal Defintion has better picture and better clor than a plasma. All a plasma Tv is a TV that is smaller and flater it is good for aspacesaver but is pretty much just the same as a regulat TV but skinnier. Plasmas also have very short lifespans they dont last very long. And their color dies since it is skinny so the manufacters can not fit all the things they can fit into the back of the TV if i were u i would take the next step and go HD they are very cheap right now and will last the longest. They also have the best picture quality of any TV and if u r a gamer which i am u can only get the best graphics out of a HD TV and if u were to get a new TV instead of paying the same price fro a LCD or Plasma get a HD for a 300 more $ tops but thats my opion. U can go to Best Buy.com or Ciruit City to veiw more TV's

I used to work in plasma and LCD tv's. I will tell you the ups and downs of them both. Plasma is made with a glass screen, which if you have a lot of lighting in your room, it is going to glare badly on the tv, so you would want to automatically go to LCD. Plasmas have a higher color ration with faster color movement over LCD, which is good if you like to watch a lot of sports too, the only think, plasma only goes to 1080i format, mostly all of them being 720p, LCD has 720p and 1080p, 1080p is the newest version of high definition out right now, you are gonna get the best picture through it. Plasma also has a better side view than LCD also, so if you are sitting at a far angle, you are gonna see it better with the plasma and plasma doesn't come in any sizes below 37 inches also and if you are a big sony fan and want a plasma, they don't make them. I would suggest a Samsung brand, cause they have the highest contrast, meaning the tv has whiter whites and blacker blacks making all the rest of the colors stand out even better. good luck though. Something I forgot to add, you can never lay a plasma tv down flat, the gases in the tv will leak out and ruin it, and to the people saying plasma's only last 3 years, that isn't true, LCD and plasma have a life of 60,000 hours.

The quality of the picture is sharp no doubt about it, but plasma TV do have a lot of problems. Plasma TV take maintenance to keep the Plasma as a level to maintain the picture quality. Plasma's also have issues with images burning into the screen. I'm personally going with the LCD HD because the image is much sharper the a ordinary TV, plus the life of the LCD will last longer then a plasma.

I don't think so. Once the cells of a plasma tv go out in a certain place on the screen, they cannot be replaced and it's possible for aspects of a picture can be burned into the screen. The television becomes useless at that point. An LCD tv can be replaced if damage occurs to the screen. Not to mention, the plasma tv gets so hot that I would be concerned about it being a fire hazard.

WIth DLP technology, LCD's have just as good display and picture, that the tradeoff isn't really a big deal.

u can buy an Plasma LCD tv. It is jus an LCD TV but skinny so u could go in that direction. Most LCD T.V.'s are plasma if i were u i would go with a LCD. LCD aka Luqiud Crystal Defintion has better picture and better clor than a plasma. All a plasma Tv is a TV that is smaller and flater it is good for aspacesaver but is pretty much just the same as a regulat TV but skinnier. Plasmas also have very short lifespans they dont last very long. And their color dies since it is skinny so the manufacters can not fit all the things they can fit into the back of the TV if i were u i would take the next step and go HD they are very cheap right now and will last the longest. They also have the best picture quality of any TV and if u r a gamer which i am u can only get the best graphics out of a HD TV and if u were to get a new TV instead of paying the same price fro a LCD or Plasma get a HD for a 300 more $ tops but thats my opion. U can go to Best Buy.com or Ciruit City to veiw more TV's

What I have heard is that a Plasma TV stops working within 1-2 years. An LCD TV is much better, because it can last a very long time. An LCD is more expensive, obviously, but it will last longer and you will get more use out of it. (Just think, it's cheaper to buy and LCD TV than having to buy a Plasma every 2 years!)

I've been researching this same question. I've searched online, talked to sales people in 3 different stores, and talked to people who have one or the other. In my case the reasons to buy an LCD far outweigh the reasons to buy a Plasma. But it does depend on what your priorities are. I believe Plasmas are less expensive at this point.

Another thing, be sure when you do your research that you use updated information, because the technology is improving all the time, and what you might read as an issue with a certain type may no longer be an issue.

edited to add: There are most definately LCDs bigger than 42", I don't know what people are smoking. The one I'm probably going to buy is a Sony LCD 46". Maybe more outdated information.

This is a tough argument. It's really up to the individual's preference. Before I go into my opinion, I would advise you to go to an electronic store and make the judgment for yourself. You are the one who will be looking at it everyday, not us.

LCD has sharp and vibrant colors. Some like the sharpness and colors, but I personally think LCD's have an oversharp picture with oversaturated colors. Plasma has a soft picture with deep colors, which I personally think is the magic combination for a great TV. Only disadvantage that people will say with plasma is that it burns-in easily.

As a plasma owner, the answer is "yes", it can burn-in, but this requires you to watch the same tv station or content all the time. For example, if you watch CNN with a ticker bar on the bottom, it will eventually burn in. Since I flip between 10 favorite channels, I don't see an issue.

Price is not really an issue, since both are almost the same in price. LCD's are good for small TV's. Plasmas start at 40", where LCD's can be found as small as 6-8 inches.

I tend to go with Plasmas, there are a few reasons, now LCDs are great TVs, but I have found in most cases, Plasmas are better in the areas that I want.

Dispite many people's beliefs, and a very common rumor, Plasmas do not leak. LCD Pixel Burn out is common enough though. Manufacturers also don't cover individual pixel burn out. Based off of my experience, I would say that 1 out of 20 LCDs will suffer from at least one bad pixel in the first year.

Most important issue when decided between a LCD and Plasma, is the placement.

Is this TV going to be exposed to Direct Sunlight? If so, you really need to go with Plasma. Plasma TVs don't have washout from direct light.

Total Viewing Angle? Plasmas offer a much wider viewing angle over LCDs. LCD Viewing angle is about 40-60 degrees, Plasmas generally offer 150-170 degree viewing angle.

For what size you need... Take the distance you are sitting away from where you are going to be watchign the TV from. Cut it by half, and that would be approx. the size of the TV you should look for, for that viewing distance. I.E. The Reccomended Minimum Viewing distance for a 37" TV is 6'4"

For longevity, both LCD and Plasma TVs are generally rated to about 60,000 hours. This means if you watched your TV for 6 hours everyday, after 15 years, the TV would be half as bright. So I don't think you need to worry about that much. You are more likely to replace it, or suffer from electronical failure first.

To the account of Burn-in for plasmas, most of the better plasmas, come with a White-wash feature that quickly erases the burn-in if your habits cause you to get it.

Now LCD TVs, are brighter than plasmas, but one of the causes of that is how an LCD is lit vs. a plasma, this same thing causes plasmas to display black quite a bit darker.

LCDs are also quieter than plasmas, because plasmas run hotter, they require a fan installed in each TV, LCDs, do not require this. This also makes LCDs a bit cheaper to own, since they draw less electricity.

For LCDs, they have an issue with fast moving imgaes, best example I always found was if you watched a Moto-cross or something similar. With a stationary camera, and a guy jumping through the air, you would see a 1/4" trail behind him. This is caused by a low refresh rate. If you buy an LCD TV, make sure to get a low refresh rate, 8milliseconds or faster.

All I know is I LOVE my plasma TV, It almost makes it a different experience watching TV, from sports to The wizard Of Oz CD, in the research I did, which wasn't a whole lot, I did get the overall feeling that the smaller screens LCD were better for the buck, but the LCD could not get up to the large 50 or 60 inch screens yet so plasma was the way to go