Flat-Panel HDTV Choices: LCD vs. Plasma HDTV – Part 2 (Contras Ratio, Color Gamut, and Resolution)
When choosing which flat screen to purchase you are first met with a choice between a plasma flat screen HDTV or a LCD flat screen HDTV. Each have their pro’s and con’s.
There are a number of ways to frame the LCD versus plasma debate. All we will talking now is about Contras Ratio, Color Gamut, and Resolution.
Contrast Ratio: Contrast ratio measures the difference in light and dark tones a panel can produce. A higher contrast ratio means more subtle details in an image will become apparent-so this is a good thing. It can be measured either statically or dynamically. A static measure is one taken with a single still image on the screen (generally in black and white), and a dynamic measurement involves color and moving image and creates an average. Manufacturer information should say whether the contrast ratio they give is static or dynamic, but usually they don’t. When you see really high contrast ratio’s listed, these are typically static measurements. In the past LCD panels have had a lower contrast ration than plasmas because they use a backlight system which tends to bleed through darkened pixels and lighten the image. Leading manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung, Sharp, and Toshiba have made great advances using a variety of techniques to prevent light leakage, and the current crop of LCDs from these manufacturers have much better contrast ratios that are more competitive with Plasma. Measured fairly apples to apples, and viewed by most observers, plasma still has an edge in contrast ratio, though it is now a pretty slim one.
Color Gamut: The NTSC spec for HDTVs includes a section on the full range of colors it is possible to broadcast in HD. This range (gamut) is so far broader than any HDTV we’ve seen is capable of reproducing. An HDTV’s color gamut is typically shown as a graph on a color chart shown in comparison to the NTSC standard. Other times manufacturers will talk about the number of colors the HDTV can display. The most expensive models from each of the major brands are now boasting color gamuts getting pretty close to the full spec. So far, the best we’ve seen have been from LCDs. That’s not to say that all LCDs beat plasmas in this regard. In fact most plasma HDTVs tend to be better than all but the top-of-the-line LCDs currently out there. Even among the top tier of LCD makers, several steps in the line are available with the lowest priced models usually offering a color gamut that is not equal to the low-priced plasmas from the main manufacturers. In many cases plasma wins this battle, but the best LCDs coming out now can beat it.
Resolution: The whole point of HDTV is getting higher resolution than standard TV. Currently you can find flat-panel HDTVs in 720p, 1080i, or 1080p, with 1080p being the highest resolution available. These numbers refer to the number of vertical lines, and whether they are drawn progressively (all at the same time) or interlaced (in two passes). The other thing to look for is the full pixel resolution including the vertical and horizontal, typically displayed as 1920×1080 (for full 1080p). Currently, LCD HDTVs are able to be produced at full 1080p resolution at a lower cost than plasma panels of the same size. In the second half of 2007 plasma manufacturers will be coming out with full 1080p panels. Whether 1080p plasma panels will be available at prices comparable to similar sized 1080p LCDs is still an open question. Right now, we think LCD clearly wins on resolution.
- Related Post :
- Flat-Panel HDTV Choices: LCD vs. Plasma HDTV – Part 1 (Picture Quality, Price, and Power Consumption)
- Flat-Panel HDTV Choices: LCD vs. Plasma HDTV – Part 3 (Response Time, Refresh Rate and Frame Rate)
- Flat-Panel HDTV Choices: LCD vs. Plasma HDTV – Part 4 (Image Processing, Screen Burn-In, and High Altitude)
- LCD Flat Panel
- Flat Panel LCD TV
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