6724

High Definition Television (HDTV) may be the new kid on the block giving viewers an experience that has not been seen since black & white television gave way to colour. Home Theater HDTV has become a medium which is presenting films etc as good as being at the cinema especially when a high definition projector is used to throw the image onto a large screen and accompanied by true surround sound, pass over the popcorn and let me settle down.

However, I am a bit ahead of myself here; the debate of the day is which is better for HDTV receiver output, Plasma or LCD?

LCD TV's have not been around as long as the Plasma variety so their technology is perhaps not as advanced as Plasma.

Plasma use a coating similar to a cathode ray tube (CRT) TV giving them a better contrast and black level performance than LCD's, and they offer slightly wider viewing angles, so the positioning of the set in the viewing room is not as critical as it is with LCD. Plasma TV's are often described as more cinematic making them a great choice for home theater viewing. Gamers and videophiles may be ultra-critical in comparing a Plasma with a LCD TV as the latter is better in brightly lit rooms and do not suffer from burn-in as Plasma are prone to do. Both Plasma and LCD are liable to lose brightness as they age just like CRT TV's. You can now buy a 42" Plasma for about the same price as a 40" LCD making them good value for money.

Plasma produces a very crisp image and is getting better with every new model. With each new model, performance goes up and prices come down, which is the right direction. Plasma TVs have had a slight advantage for viewing sports programs because you can turn plasma on and off faster than a liquid crystal pixel so there is less blur on fast moving images.

Although LCD is closing the gap in quality, one negative with them is dead pixels, a pixel may seem very small but if you get one dead pixel on a screen, it is amazing how much you notice it. People, who are used to HDTV's and constantly pay attention to the quality level, will notice the difference between TV's. LCD televisions are a good choice if you want a smaller flat-screen TV, and their typically bright image is a good choice for well-lit rooms. That gap is narrowing, but overall Plasma flat panels are a great way to view HDTV.

David Dutch has written a number of articles with hints and tips regarding HDTV for those who are considering buying a new television, you can find these free hints and tips at http://hdtvinfoonline.com