Plasma, LCD or Projector?

No doubt at some point you will have told that plasma TV’s are poor quality and LCD screens are superior or that high quality projectors are only available for the super rich?

Fortunately this is untrue. Each technology offers distinct advantages which make them more suitable to certain applications at varying price points.

Plasma screens are the most cost effective way of achieving a very good quality 42” picture from a display you can mount on the wall. They provide superbly rich and vibrant colours and smooth motion combined with good depth of field when used with high quality sources. However the cheap screens costing under a £ 1,800.00 are generally worth avoiding as serious compromises to their picture quality have been made to make them that price.

Ultimately LCD technology will overtake plasma as it has numerous advantages. They last approximately one third longer than plasmas, are lighter, produce less heat and they do not suffer from screen burn (this is a ghost image left on the screen by a static image displayed on the screen for a long period of time). However currently LCD screens are more expensive than plasmas especially in larger sizes, but if you want the best, a good LCD such as the Loewe Spheros or Sharp will produce the best picture quality from a wall mountable screen.

If you want a true home cinema room then a DLP or LCD front projection unit is the best option as they give by far the most cinematic image available and provide a real cinema feel. A projector is also the most cost effective way to achieve a big screen image and for the same price as a good quality 42” plasma screen a good quality projector will produce a seven foot wide image of superior quality to a plasma screen!

A projector can be mounted invisibly in the ceiling, but then descend at the push of a button when you wish to watch a film, making it the perfect compliment to a LCD or Plasma.

However it must be remembered that projector will only give good results when viewed in relatively darkened conditions and they are not the best choice for every day television viewing.

Pros and Cons overview