LCD TV Rating

What's a better techology for televisions - LCD or Plasma?

I'm trying to decide on a 40+ inch flat screen TV to buy. Which is better - LCD or Plasma?

Public Comments

1. They both have there benefits, and downfalls. A plasma has a glass sheet across the screen, so in a room with a lot of natural lighting you'll encounter glare similar to that of a tube television. The glass sheet also makes the set a lot heavier, and more difficult to mount. You also run the risk of cracking the glass if you're not careful. However, plasmas do handle faster actions better, and have much more vibrant colors. You'll have truer blacks, than you would on an LCD. LCDs are much lighter than plasmas, and handle glare much better. Plasma's are generally suitable for basements, and LCDs for living rooms.
2. The debate for which is better goes on, but it's more on preference and price range for the user. Plasmas generate a great color range and picture with a faster refresh rate than LCDs. They also have a wider viewing angle (great for a living room) without discoloration or fading. The disadvantage is that down the road after a few thousand hours of usage, they're said to fade and the screen gets dull. This too is debatable since newer sets are fixing the problem and realistically, after around 3 to 5 years, you'll probably end up buying another set anyway. LCD's on the other hand are cheaper (the price difference is slimming though) and act like a huge monitor. Higher models have great color contrast like a plasma and a seen as more reliable. The main disadvantage is the blacks that are displayed on the screen, since it's hard to get a true black (since light bleeds from surrounding pixels) and for the movie-fans, it's a must to get the picture right. Again, higher end models deal with the problem better, but it's more on preference and how you're using the set day to day (plus what deals you manage to find on the set).