Comparison shopping for your new high tech television will undoubtably lead you to the popular questions, Plasma vs LED. Which is better? And to make an informed choice, some comparisons and contrasts are necessary. You can choose plasma televisions, or you can choose LED Flat Panel televisions. Each has their own set of advantages and drawbacks, so we’ve compared them, covering the “Plasma vs LED” question for you right here.
Plasma vs LED: The Technology
The first thing you need to understand when talking about Plasma vs LED, is that Plasma televisions use plasma cells (hence the name) that are electrically charged to bring an image to the screen. Plasma tvs were the first of the flat panel televisions, but they have consistently improved over the years. LED uses a whole different type of technology to create the screen picture: LED televisions have a liquid crystal display with light emitting diodes (LEDs) added to make the display brighter and to backlight it.
Plasma vs LED: Picture Quality
The Plasma vs LED battle would mean nothing if you didn’t compare picture quality. The screen on the plasma television is clear, uses a great array of colors, and is able to display great depth of colors with astonishing deep blacks. However, the screen on the LED television can do the same thing, especially the newer models. This used to be the biggest argument in the Plasma vs LED debate, but not anymore. The LED technology televisions are the new breed of LCD tvs, and they have closed the gap between the liquid crystal display and plasma display technology. Both televisions have excellent contrast ratio (the darkest images as compared with the whitest) and both have great color accuracy.
When you talk about Plasma vs LED you have to take into account the Viewing Angle (when you begin to walk sideways and view the tv from an angle other than straight-on) is generally best with plasma televisions — but the new LED televisions are catching up in this area. In most cases, you can move as much as 75 degrees away from a head-on viewing angle and you will still have a good picture without any distortion on either television type. In terms of brightness, LED tvs tend to be superior to the plasmas thanks to their light emitting diodes. The LEDs are capable of much brighter pictures generally speaking, but plasma technology continues to evolve and some newer plasma tvs are close to LED quality brightness. When it comes to Plasma vs LED, as of right now, the LED tvs are considered by many to have an edge over plasma displays in terms of picture quality, while others feel that the two are still neck in neck. The LED is the newer technology, but the two television types both have excellent pictures to offer their buyers.
Plasma vs LED – Size of the TV and Refresh Rates
Here is one aspect where both of the TVs need to follow the same rules. Wherever you stand on the Plasma vs LED debate try to keep this in mind. You need the right refresh rate. The refresh rate is how many time the pixels in your screen refresh themselves in a second to display the next image. Again whenever you stand on the Plasma vs LED debacle use this rule of thumb. If the TV is 37 inches or lower in size you can stay with a 60Hz refresh rate. You can go higher if you wish but it’s not necessary, and the TV will just cost you more. If you go 42in or higher go with 120Hz. If you are looking at either TV and it’s a 3D model. Go with 240Hz or higher. Actually the higher you go in refresh rate with a 3D model the more realistic the image coming out at you will be.
Plasma vs LED: The Cost
The second biggest argument in the Plasma vs LED war is the cost. Since LED is the newer technology, LED are still generally the more expensive of the two types of televisions. You can buy a large plasma television for the same price as you can buy a considerably smaller LED television. However LED prices are becoming increasingly competitive and if manufacturers continue to drop LED prices at the current rate the two types of tvs may soon be roughly equal in price in some cases. Plasma vs LED in cost, would have to go to Plasma.
Plasma vs LED: Energy Efficiency
The two technologies used to generate the television picture are very different and so are their energy requirements. The plasma televisions do use a great deal more energy than the LED tvs in some cases. Depending upon exactly what type of light emitting diode display is used, the LED tvs may use considerably less energy than their plasma tv counterparts, leading some LED manufacturers to label their televisions as “green” or “energy efficient.” In general in the Plasma vs LED race, Plasma TVs use up about 2 – 3 times more energy than a LED TV. If you’re looking to save on your electric bill, a plasma TV is not the way to go.
Plasma vs LED: Which Do I Choose?
The fact is, both types of flat panel televisions are going to give you an amazing viewing experience. With television technology moving at light speed, these televisions are able to give you a viewing experience that is almost just like being in a movie theater in many cases (complete with 3 or 4-d if you wish!) so you really won’t make a poor choice by selecting either plasma or LED.
If you are the sort of person who insists upon the very latest and greatest in technology for your home, LED is the answer for you — but be aware that you may be paying a good deal more. If you are looking for a great picture and an excellent home viewing experience but are not overly concerned with buying the very newest technology, you’ll find that plasma tv is a good choice for you. Plasma vs LED, regardless of which one you choose, both of these types of televisions will draw you in with their bright displays, amazing contrast, realistic-looking pictures, and exciting home theater feel.
