Difference Between Plasma, LCD And LED: Choose Which Is Best For You

By Ayaz Ahmed

The influx of technology has its mark on almost every aspect of our lives. From our professional lives at work to the way we spend our leisure time at home. We can even see people sitting in a restaurant waiting for the meal to arrive with a Smartphone in their hands.

This flood of technology is also continuously upgrading the conventional appliances that were being used by us since decades. Television is one of them; and we can see an uninterrupted up-gradation in its technology in recent years. Now, households want to possess the best screen in their TV lounge to enjoy to the fullest.

The conventional TV screens were replaced by Plasma TVs, LCDs, LEDs and now by Smart LEDs geared with internet connectivity, smart sharing, a front camera and what-not.

The race is still not over yet and 3D LEDs have added another dimension to this technology war. We can see all the big electronics brands like Sony, Samsung, LG, Haier, Panasonic, Toshiba etc. trying to take the lead in this competition.

Choosing which TV technology to buy is a difficult decision as each has their own set of pros and cons. So, let us make a quick analysis of their working mechanism and have a quick look at the pros and cons.

Working Mechanisms:

Plasma TVs

Plasma display works by illuminating small, coloured fluorescent lights to create an image. It has a matrix of small gas cells packed in two sheets of glass. Every cell acts as a tiny fluorescent tube that releases UV light that hits red, green and blue spots and create image.

LCD TVs

LCD TVs work on the mechanism of Liquid Crystal Display. The panel is made of an array of tiny, coloured liquid crystals. It works when light from behind the screen shines on these crystals and the amount of light emitted by each of them is controlled by signals. Picture is built through this method.

LED TVs

LED TVs work on the mechanism if Light Emitting Diodes. The mechanism is almost the same as other TVs but instead of lighting it up by back light (like LCDs) it is replaced by light emitting diodes as a source of light.

LEDs commonly have 2 types

Edge lit (LEDs lamps placed at the edges of the screen)
Back lit (LED lamps on the back of screen)

Comparison:

Let us now have a comparison of all three types for a better understanding.

Criteria	PLASMA	LCD	LED
Thickness	Minimum 1.2 inches	Minimum 1 inch	Less than 1 inch
Power Consumption	More than LCD	Less than Plasma	Least
Life expectancy approx	20,000 – 60,000 hours	50,000 – 100,000 hours	Around 100,000 hours
Price	Moderate	Moderate	High
Contrast Ratio	High	Medium	Very High
Typ. Brightness	1000++ cd/m2	700 cd/m2	600 cd/m2
Burn-in	Yes	No+	No
Viewing Angle	170deg	160+deg	160+deg
Fully Digital Display	Yes	Yes	Yes
Refresh Rate	< 8ms	< 12ms	< 6ms
Max Resolution	1080p	1080p	1080p*
Weight (lbs)	Medium	Light	Lightest
Set Depth	3 – 7”	2”+	<1-2”
Screen Size	< 103”	82”	<10”
Power Consumption	Medium	Low	Very Low