LCD vs. Plasma: Which HDTV Is Right for You?

LCD TVs may be sexy, but our lab tests show that plasma screens still have an edge--and you can get a surprisingly pleasing picture without splurging.

Looking to buy a flat-panel HDTV? Most people want big, of course--the bigger the better. But a 50-inch set could set you back a pretty penny. While a 40- or 42-inch display won't give you the 50-inch home movie theater sensation, it will provide a good-size screen at a considerably lower price. About as high as standard-shape 34-inch sets, but considerably wider, TVs in this category don't feel like much of a compromise.

We examined twelve of the latest 40- to 42-inch flat-panel TVs we could find to determine which ones give you the most for your money. Our test group consisted of five plasma sets (Hewlett-Packard's PL4272N, Panasonic's TH-42PZ700U, Pioneer's PDP-4280HD, Samsung's HP-T4264, and Vizio's VP42) and seven LCD sets (HP's LC4276N, LG's 42LB5D, Philips's 42PFL7432D/37, Samsung's LN-T4061, Sony's KDL-40V3000, Toshiba's 42HL167, and Vizio's GV42LF).

Our jury watched recorded television broadcasts as well as clips from DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD discs. We found that most of the the sets produced superb pictures most of the time. Because the sets' image-quality scores didn't vary much, the word "Good" appears frequently in our Top 10 chart for HDTVs.

But we also considered design, setup, on-screen menus, inputs, and extra features such as picture-in-picture and USB or memory card support. And of course, price is a significant variable: TVs have become an extremely competitive market. And since image quality wasn't a major point of differentiation with the sets in our roundup, price and features were much bigger factors in determining the sets' overall scores; those elements caused some low-priced sets to land high on the chart.

There were no standout winners, but Samsung's sets--one an LCD and one a plasma--captured the top two spots on our chart. They didn't give us the best pictures, but their sensible design, variety of options, and reasonable prices lifted them above the rest.

But if you're looking for the best picture regardless of cost, Panasonic's TH-42PV700U is the set to get; it's the first 42-inch 1080p plasma set. Still, Vizio's VP42 finished a very close second in image quality, and it costs just over half as much as the Panasonic.

It may well be that calibrating the sets using professional equipment connected to their RS232 or USB ports would have improved their output quality substantially. But who wants to pay $400 to calibrate a $1000 set? Most people won't do it--and that's why we adjusted the sets for our tests using only their on-screen controls.

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Should you buy an LCD set or a plasma set? Right now, plasma TVs get our vote because they offer better value. Three of the four least-expensive TVs we reviewed are plasmas, but so is the most expensive one (Pioneer's). In our formal PC World Test Center evaluations, three of the four top-scoring sets for image quality in our roundup were plasmas (the only LCD among the four was Vizio's).

The plasma sets' good showing is all the more impressive when you consider that 1080p resolution is only just becoming common on sets of this size, and at this point is far more common on LCDs. All of the LCDs we reviewed fully support 1080p, but the Panasonic is the only plasma that does.

Having 1080p resolution may seem like a strong argument for LCD, especially if a Blu-ray or HD DVD set is lurking in your future. But our jury tests indicate that, at least for TVs of this size, 1080p doesn't create a noticeable advantage--even with 1080i and 1080p source material.

So why would anyone buy an LCD TV? Because they're far less prone to image burn-in. Today's plasma TVs don't suffer from this condition as much as older models did, and the damage is less likely to be permanent, but it's still a danger.

Technically, images can't burn in to LCDs because LCDs have no phosphors. The display can still retain an image, but in conventional television use--a few hours a day, with brightness and contrast settings at reasonable levels, LCD image retention is almost unheard of.

Whether burn-in becomes a problem depends on your viewing habits. If you watch a lot standard-definition programs in 4-by-3 mode (the way they were meant to be seen), or if you spend most of your viewing time at stations that run a tickertape along the bottom of the screen, LCD makes the better choice.

One new technology that's starting to appear in both plasma and LCD sets is HDMI 1.3--and with it, the potential for better color. The 1.3 standard enables "deep color" by doubling HDMI's bandwidth, squaring the number of colors possible and thus allowing a more natural-looking image. (HDMI 1.3 also supports new audio formats, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio, but those are benefits for your receiver, not your TV). For you to take advantage of deep color, your TV's panel, its circuitry, and your Blu-ray or HD DVD player must all support HDMI 1.3. You also need discs that support deep color; as yet, to our knowledge, no such discs have been announced.

For a cheat sheet on the latest HDTV technologies, see "HDTV Technologies to Look For."

Upcoming Cable set-tops will soon sport significant improvements to deal with HDTVs.

Time Warner is introducing boxes that are Open Cable Access Platform-compatible, which means that they permit two-way communication. But the boxes still use one-way CableCards; other components handle two-way communication for guide info and pay-per-view.

Scientific Atlanta says it is working on a line of set-top boxes carrying faster CPUs, more memory, and operating software based on a Linux kernel; the boxes will accept multistream CableCards, too, so you won't have to rent more than one card.

Comcast says that it should roll out set-top boxes that run TiVo software across the country by year's end, but customers will pay extra for the TiVo interface. The company is also focusing on implementing MPEG-4 support, since more content companies (including HBO) are using that format. Like Scientific Atlanta, Motorola is looking to use Linux in its boxes, too, plus HDMI 1.3 for higher bandwidth between the box and your TV.

Here is a brief glossary of key terms you should know in order to understand the latest technologies used in high-definition television.

What it does: The highest quality mode of high definition draws 1080 progressive lines onto your screen for every frame. You won't find 1080p content over the air or on cable or satellite, but it's the standard for Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Why it's important: 1080p is the best picture you can get on a home screen. You may not own a Blu-ray or HD DVD player yet, but you won't want your television to seem out of date when you finally do buy one.

Who has it: All seven of the LCD sets we reviewed for this article can display 1080p, as can the Panasonic TH-42PZ700U plasma. Just about every company making TVs today has some 1080p models, though most such models have relatively large screen sizes. 1080p is rare on 40- and 42-inch plasmas, and nonexistent on smaller sets of either type.

What it does: HDMI provides uncompressed, digital bandwidth for both video and audio from a source (a DVD player or a DVR, for example) to your TV. HDMI 1.3 doubles that bandwidth and supports 10-bit, 12-bit, and 16-bit "deep color," rather than just the 8-bit color of other connections. By increasing the palette, deep color better approximates the analog range of color captured by motion picture film and the human eye. HDMI 1.3 also adds direct support for high-end audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio. (Most TVs won't support those formats, however; you're more likely to see them on home-theater receivers.

Why it's important: In theory, both Blu-ray and HD DVD support deep color, and someday someone may release a disc that uses it.

Who has it: Five of the twelve TVs we reviewed support HDMI 1.3: Philips's 42PFL7432D/37, Pioneer's PDP-4280HD, Samsung's LN-T4061, Sony's KDL-40V3000, and Toshiba's 42HL167. All new sets will have it in the near future.

What it does: Some digital cable stations--especially premium channels--convey content into your home in encrypted form. In that case, even if your TV accepts digital signals, you'll need a set-top box to descramble them. A CableCard, supplied by your cable company, takes the place of a set-top box and allows your TV to decrypt the signal. Two-way CableCards allow two-way communication so that you will not only receive cable signals but also send information such as requests for pay-per-view channels and the cable company's guide information on your set.

Why it's important: It means one less box taking up shelf space and a power outlet, and one less remote for you to misplace.

Who has it: Among the 12 televisions we looked att, only the Pioneer PDP-4280HD has a CableCard slot--and it's a one-way version. We're still waiting for two-way versions to arrive.

What it does: An LCD pixel takes a few milliseconds to change its color. Not so long ago, 16ms response times were common; today, 8ms response times are common, and 5ms times are available.

Why it's important: A faster response time prevents ghosted images from appearing on your set. In the past, slow response times made LCDs a poor choice for action flicks and other fast-moving entertainment; but 8ms LCDs have all but eliminated the problem.

Who has it: Five of the seven LCDs reviewed here have 8ms response time--sufficient to virtually eliminate the problem. The other two--the LG 42LB5D and the Philips 42PFL7432D/37--turn pixels around in only 5ms.

What it does: Since the 1940s, American televisions have rewritten the screen 60 times per second. Some new LCD sets double that rate by inserting either a black frame or an interpolated image between each two frames.

Why it's important: A 60-Hz refresh rate--at least with progressive scanning--should suffice because it's more than double film's 24 frames per second. But a faster refresh rate gives LCDs another way to improve on their pixel response time.

Who has it: None of the seven LCD televisions we reviewed can rewrite their screen 120 times per second. Sony, Philips, and Toshiba make 120-Hz TVs, though they're not the models we looked at. Sharp and JVC make them, as well.

What it does: Fluorescent tubes light most LCDs from behind. But LEDs allow the manufacturer greater control over the quality and intensity of the light.

Why it's important: LEDs can produce extremely pure red, green, and blue light, which combine into a near-perfect white. The result is exceptionally fine colors that rival those generated by CRT and plasma screens. The greater brightness control in some LEDs effectively increases the television's contrast ratio, too.

Who has it: Currently, LED-lit LCDs are still an expensive luxury. No TV in our roundup comes with LED backlighting. However, Samsung and Sony do offer models with LED backlighting. Samsung's new 81 series of LED-backlit TVs costs nearly $3000 in a 40-inch version, and Sony's 70-inch BRAVIA KDL-70XBR3 goes for $33,000 .BenQ may be offering sets with this feature next year.

Lincoln Spector

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about film for Bayflicks.net.