The television is often one of the most expensive and most used items in the modern home. More and more people every year focus their evenings, weekends, and other time off around the television, and structure meals and other events around specific programming times. Considering the amount of use it will see, and taking into account cost per entertainment hour, it makes sense for most people to have a nice TV.
As technologies advance, and televisions become larger, and more robust, the decision about what type to consider becomes more difficult. Today, nobody in their right mind would even consider a cathode ray tube (CRT) television, but there are several different types of flat panel TV on the market, and choosing the right model for your needs can be important.
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TV's are the most common type of flat panel television. They are built on the same technology that computer manufacturers have been using to build laptop screens for over a decade. The technology is tried and true, and has come a long way since its inception. LCD offers good picture quality, low heat, and low power consumption. They are also often the most inexpensive option.
The downside to LCD televisions is that sometimes the viewing angle can be relatively narrow. If you have a very wide room that you plan on watching the TV in, then LCD may not be for you.
Plasma
Plasma televisions were the ones that first started the flat panel TV craze. The early screens, no larger than 32 inches, initially sold for around $10,000. Fortunately, the technology has gotten better, and the screens significantly cheaper. Today, you can buy a nice plasma screen for $1,500 or less.
Plasma televisions use more power and generate more heat than LCD TV's, but also offer deeper, richer colors, and true black levels that LCD will never be able to match. They are also better at fast-paced images, and do not suffer from the ghosting problems that some LCDs experience. Plasma televisions also have a much wider viewing angle than LCD.
In the past, plasma televisions have been criticized for having burn-in issues, where static images will remain burned into the screen. Fortunately, through several technological advances, modern plasma televisions are all but impervious to permanent burn-in.
LED
LED televisions are the "new kid on the block." They have been around the least amount of time, compared to the others, and are also the most expensive. The price, however, is due to LED TV's being new technology, and is not a reflection on the cost of production.
LED TV's offer plasma-level colors and blacks, while offering even less energy consumption, less heat, and even thinner sets. If you can afford an LED television right now, there is literally no reason not to go this direction.
As technologies advance, and televisions become larger, and more robust, the decision about what type to consider becomes more difficult. Today, nobody in their right mind would even consider a cathode ray tube (CRT) television, but there are several different types of flat panel TV on the market, and choosing the right model for your needs can be important.
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TV's are the most common type of flat panel television. They are built on the same technology that computer manufacturers have been using to build laptop screens for over a decade. The technology is tried and true, and has come a long way since its inception. LCD offers good picture quality, low heat, and low power consumption. They are also often the most inexpensive option.
The downside to LCD televisions is that sometimes the viewing angle can be relatively narrow. If you have a very wide room that you plan on watching the TV in, then LCD may not be for you.
Plasma
Plasma televisions were the ones that first started the flat panel TV craze. The early screens, no larger than 32 inches, initially sold for around $10,000. Fortunately, the technology has gotten better, and the screens significantly cheaper. Today, you can buy a nice plasma screen for $1,500 or less.
Plasma televisions use more power and generate more heat than LCD TV's, but also offer deeper, richer colors, and true black levels that LCD will never be able to match. They are also better at fast-paced images, and do not suffer from the ghosting problems that some LCDs experience. Plasma televisions also have a much wider viewing angle than LCD.
In the past, plasma televisions have been criticized for having burn-in issues, where static images will remain burned into the screen. Fortunately, through several technological advances, modern plasma televisions are all but impervious to permanent burn-in.
LED
LED televisions are the "new kid on the block." They have been around the least amount of time, compared to the others, and are also the most expensive. The price, however, is due to LED TV's being new technology, and is not a reflection on the cost of production.
LED TV's offer plasma-level colors and blacks, while offering even less energy consumption, less heat, and even thinner sets. If you can afford an LED television right now, there is literally no reason not to go this direction.