Display Dilemma: Deciding Between LCD and Plasma Displays

In the world of home theater technology and high definition, there are basically two display modes: LCD and Plasma. Although both LCD and plasma are preferred high definition display models, they each have their pros and cons that home theater owners need to understand before making a final purchasing decision.

Beginning with LCD, there is a specific benefit of note: LCD is a matte-finished screen. If your home theater space has a window or other external light source near the display set, the glare is greatly reduced. The Plasma display, by comparison, is glass and is more likely to project glare from various light sources. Another advantage of the LCD set is found with power consumption. In comparison to the Plasma display set, the LCD consumes much less power. Some reports indicate that a 52-inch Plasma screen uses more power than the average household refrigerator. Although an improvement in the technology regarding power consumption is in the works, perfection is elusive.

Much speculation has been made regarding LCD’s susceptibility to burn in. However, most
problems associated with burn in have been resolved with different technologies and every set manufacturer uses a different approach. Often up for debate is the bulb life on the LCDs. There is a light bulb behind the screen that helps make the image bright. For most of the LCD sets, accessibility is impossible for bulb replacement. The bulb does get dimmer as time goes on. The decrease in screen brightness is noticeable but not obvious except to the especially observant. Although LCD bulbs are designed to have a very long life, they will dim over time, the image will eventually degrade, and eventually the bulb will burn out.

Once the display decision has been made and set up is pending, some basic cable comparisons will help your understanding of your home theater system. The most basic connection is the coaxial cable, if your TV supports it. The coax originates from the antenna rather than from a cable box or satellite receiver. The downside is the resulting lack of image quality. The next step up is the RCA, which is the yellow cable for video and the red and white for audio. The RCA cable is composite and it is sends out what is called an RF signal. Following RCA is what is called component, which is the red, green, and blue cable for video and the familiar red and white cable for audio. As expected, the image produced by the component cable is much better than the RF signal image. Finally, in between the RCA cable and the component cable is the S video cable. The big drawback to S-video is that it is exclusively for video; but, it does produce a good image that is slightly better than the standard yellow cable and red and white.

The all-digital conversion led many home theater owners to move directly to DVI. The DVI cable has had some problems with the protective content from your cable provider or satellite image. Therefore, few sets are equipped with the DVI connection. The final step up is the HDMI cable. The HDMI cable is plugged in on both ends. Both audio and video are sent in a digital format from the cable or satellite box to the television. The television actually does the decoding of the signal.

These explanations regarding set displays and cables just touch the surface of the available technologies. To gain a deeper understanding of what your system is capable of, or what components would best serve your needs, start with these basics and delve deeper into the specifics before finalizing any home theater system decision.