Plasma vs LCD

Having trouble deciding between plasma and LCD televisions? You’re not the only one. The truth is you are not going to go wrong with either. Each technology still gives you a far greater picture than any analog TV, and with the widescreen image you get to see more information.

In general LCD TVs are best for more well lit rooms, however, Plasma TVs give a better image when you have solid light control.
If you tend to watch your TV a lot during the day then we recommend LCD TVs. If most of your TV watching is in the evenings, then we would recommend Plasma technology. Plasma TVs will give typically give you a sharper image but because of their reflective glass, it really depends on your viewing times.

On the other hand LCD TVs are best for playing video games, or for hooking up to PCs, as they less likely to suffer “burn-in”, which can be caused by having static images on the screen for too long. Plasma TVs, however, are best for watching movies and sports.

The key thing is that you are living in high definition, but, to help you out we’ve got this handy chart to help you determine which technology is best for you.

	Plasma	LCD
General
Screen sizes	42-65+ inches	5-65+ inches
Cabinet depth	3+ inches	3+ inches
Power consumption	Slightly less-efficient per square inch	Slightly more-efficient per square inch
Off-angle viewing	Excellent from all angles	Image fades slightly when seen from extreme angles from sides or from above or below
Reflectivity of screen	Glass screens can reflect lots of light, so may be an issue in very bright rooms. Some models have glare-reducing screens that are more- or less-effective	Matte plastic screens usually reflect less light. Some models have screens that are actually more reflective than plasma
Features
PC connectivity	Less common but still included on many models	More common than with plasma
Other features	Varies per model	Varies per model
Picture quality
Motion blur caused by display	Negligible	Difficult to discern on most models, although subject to more blurring than plasma. 120Hz models less-subject to motion blur
Black-level performance (depth of “black” displayed)	Varies, although excellent on many models.	Varies, although generally worse than plasma on many models, and better than plasma on best models
Color saturation	Varies, although generally a bit better than LCD due to black level and off-angle advantages	Varies, although the best models can equal the best plasmas
Resolution	Typically 720p, up to 1080p on high-end models. The benefits of 1080p are not obvious at screen sizes below 50 inches to the majority of viewers.	Typically 720p, but 1080p is more common than plasma at more price and size points. The benefits of 1080p are not obvious at screen sizes below 50 inches to the majority of viewers
Durability
Burn-in (faint after-images left on-screen)	Possible with still images left on-screen with very bright settings for hours, although new models much less susceptible, and most burn-in is temporary and goes away after watching moving images	May occur in extreme situations (very bright still images left on-screen for days) but much less likely than with plasma or even standard tube TVs.
Lifespan (hours until fades to half-brightness)	Typically 60,000 hours, or about 20 years if used 8 hours per day.	Typically 60,000 hours, or about 20 years if used 8 hours per day.
Program type
HDTV	Excellent	Excellent for HDTV-compatible models.
Standard-definition TV	Dependent mostly on screen size. The smaller the screen, the better standard-def usually looks	Dependent mostly on screen size. The smaller the screen, the better standard-def usually looks
DVD Movies	Excellent given a model with good black-level performance	Very good, although models with worse black-level performance are less desirable
Games	Excellent for most users, although burn-in might deter gamers who leave screens paused for hours or overnight	Excellent, although motion blur might deter the most sensitive gamers

Product Review: Samsung 52″ LCD LN-52A650 (1080p, 120hz)

Samsung’s LN52A650 dares to be different. In a world of me-too, glossy black flat-panel HDTVs, no few of which may bear the company’s own logo, this 52-inch LCD is dressed in red. Like many radical design choices, you’ll either love it or hate it, and we didn’t love it. But before you write off this red TV, we recommend you check it out in person–the product shots here and elsewhere on the Web just don’t capture the red tint of the frame properly. Aside from design, we found plenty to like about the higher-end LN52A650, and it produces arguably the best picture of any LCD TV we’ve tested so far, although it doesn’t quite beat the quality of the best plasma.

Design
Samsung’s LNA650 series incorporates the company’s Touch of Color design scheme. Instead of the standard glossy black frame, the LN52A650 sports dark-red accents that suffuse the entire frame, but are most prominent along the top and bottom edge and either side. Other eye-catching elements include a layer of transparent plastic, which is visible along the extreme edges on all sides, and Samsung’s trademark shiny screen (more on that below). The Touch definitely creates a unique look, but call us traditionalists: we didn’t really like it. The photos above just can’t capture how red the Touch makes the frame appear, especially in bright rooms, and if red isn’t your favorite color, you’re out of luck–no other colors have been confirmed for this year, despite the company touting a veritable rainbow at CES. In its favor, the red frame didn’t really detract from the color fidelity of the picture.

Including the standard-issue pedestal swivel stand, the LN52A650 measures 50.2 inches wide by 34.1 inches tall by 12.8 inches deep and weighs 76.7 pounds. Without the stand, it comes in at 50.2 inches wide by 31.7 inches tall by 4.1 inches deep and 64.6 pounds.

The remote differs from the one included on the Samsung PN50A550 because it uses a rotating, clickable wheel, similar to an iPod scroll wheel, for menu navigation, as opposed to the standard, four-way directional keys. The wheel would be a cool idea if it was more responsive, but with the brief delay between moving the wheel and seeing the results on the screen, we found ourselves more than a bit annoyed by it. The rest of the remote’s buttons are nice and big and backlit (the backlighting engages automatically when the remote is picked up, something we’ve never seen on a remote included with a TV), and we liked the dedicated “Tools” button that offered quick access to picture and sound modes, the sleep timer, and the picture-in-picture controls. We didn’t like the clicker’s glossy black finish, however, which picked up more than its share of dulling fingerprints after a few minutes.

Samsung’s new menu system is sleeker than before and blessed with big, highly legible text set against transparent backgrounds that occupy almost the whole screen. Getting around is easy; there’s helpful explanatory text along the bottom, and we dug the context-sensitive menu that would pop up occasionally to provide more options. Overall, it’s one of the best-designed and most-attractive menu systems we’ve seen on any HDTV, and it really makes setup a breeze–except for the confusing picture mode arrangement (see below).

Features
The LN52A650 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which allows it to cut down on blur and to affect judder in motion with a video-processing mode Samsung calls “Auto Motion Plus.” Check out David Carnoy’s Fully Equipped column for an in-depth discussion of 120Hz, and the performance section of this review for details on how it’s implemented on the LN52A650. Like most other LCD and plasma TV models on sale in 2008, the LN52A650 also has a native resolution of 1,920×1,080 (aka 1080p).

New for 2008, the 650 series also includes an Ethernet port, which allows the TV to access the Internet to display news, stock ticker information, and local weather. We liked the easy-to-read font in normal and large sizes, as well as the intuitive controls. USA Today provides the newsfeed, which can sit in the corner of the screen like a ticker (turn Desperate Housewives into Fox News!), or be expanded to allow you to read numerous top stories in a variety of topics. One annoying quirk was that we couldn’t remove the Setup screen easily–hitting “return,” as the manual suggested, merely turned off the whole service. Also, we’d really appreciate if the port allowed the TV to access firmware updates, but according to Samsung that’s not in the cards. A USB-to-Wi-Fi dongle that allows the TV to connect to a wireless network (model WIS-08BGX, $34.99) is also available.

The LN52A650 has three adjustable picture modes that are each independent per input. That’s great, but in addition there are three more picture presets, called “Entertainment Modes,” that cannot be adjusted and are accessible via a separate key on the remote and the Setup menu. This arrangement is unnecessarily confusing on a TV with so many settings anyway; we’d prefer to have all of the picture modes, both adjustable and non-adjustable, be accessible together from a single key on the remote and one area of the Picture menu. Also, if you’re in Entertainment mode, you’re prevented from making picture adjustments, or even selecting one of the adjustable picture modes, until you actively cancel an Entertainment mode by navigating to the Setup menu (which the onscreen instructions suggest) or toggling the mode to “Off” using the remote. That’s an awkward hitch in an otherwise smooth menu design.

Others picture controls include five color temperature presets along with the ability to fine-tune color using the white balance menu; three varieties of noise reduction, including an automatic setting; a film mode to engage 2:3 pulldown (it also works with 1080i sources); a seven-position gamma control that affects the TV’s progression from dark to light; a dynamic contrast control that adjusts the picture on the fly; a “black adjust” control that affects shadow detail; and a new color space control that lets you tweak the Samsung’s color gamut.

You can choose from four aspect ratio modes for HD sources, two of which allow you to move the whole image across the screen horizontally and/or vertically. As we’d expect from a 1080p TV, one of those modes, called Just Scan, lets the LN52A650 scale 1080i and 1080p sources directly to the panel’s pixels with no overscan–the best option unless you see interference along the edge of the screen, as can be the case with some channels or programs. There are also four modes available with standard-def sources.

We appreciated the three power-saver modes and the singular fact that, unlike most other manufacturers, this year Samsung did not use the brightest picture mode as its default. Instead, the default picture mode for Home use is Standard, which saves a lot of energy compared with the much brighter Dynamic. Check out the Juice Box below for details on the set’s energy use. As far as other conveniences, Samsung throws in picture-in-picture along with a USB port that can connect to thumb drives to play back digital photos and MP3 music. The LN52A650 is also compatible with the company’s forthcoming digital media adapter.

The connectivity of the LN52A650 is excellent. There are three HDMI inputs available around back, while a fourth can be found in a recessed bay along the panel’s left side. There’s also a pair of component-video inputs; a single RF input for cable and antenna (the ’07 models had two); and a VGA-style RGB input for computers (1,920×1,080 maximum resolution). That recessed bay offers an additional AV input with S-Video and composite video, a headphone jack, and the aforementioned USB port.

Performance
The Samsung LN52A650 is one of the best-performing LCDs we’ve tested. Its picture quality, anchored by excellent black-level performance, and accurate color, surpasses that of the Sony KDL-46XBR4–and Samsung’s de-judder video processing has improved to the point where it’s basically equal to the Sony. We did notice a couple of minor issues, and as usual we’d avoid watching dark movies on this glossy-screened TV in rooms with lots of ambient light, but that’s about it.

Our standard calibration was aided by the numerous picture controls in the Samsung’s user menu. We were able to improve color temperature and dial in saturation without going overboard thanks to the blue-only mode (check this tip to see how it works). Although we attempted to tweak the color points a bit using the custom color palette controls, primary and secondary colors were already close enough to the standard that we simply settled on the default Auto in the end. Click here for a full list of our dark-room picture settings.

After setup, we placed the LN52A650 in a comparison that included our reference sets–the Pioneer PDP-5080HD, the Sony KDS-55A3000, and the 120Hz Sony KDL-46XBR4–along with the Panasonic TH-46PX85U. We checked out Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray at 1080p from the Sony PlayStation 3.

Black level: The Samsung LN52A650 reproduced one of the deepest shades of black we’ve seen from any LCD. It can’t quite match the champ, Samsung’s own LED-based LN-T4681F, but from what we remember, it’s pretty dang close. The Pioneer and Panasonic plasmas got darker by a couple of hairs, although the Samsung solidly beat the two Sonys. Of course, as with all LCDs, those deep blacks became brighter when seen from off angle (see below).

Details in shadows were quite good, although not perfect. During a shot when Flint stares into the camera after sneaking into his daughter’s room, for instance, we couldn’t quite make out the print on the wallpaper behind him, and the shaded half of his face looked indistinct compared with the reference Pioneer, although still more natural than any of the other displays. Cranking brightness brought back the details but destroyed black levels, and the Samsung wasn’t crushing black. Its gamma was just a bit shallow in dark areas, even at the most aggressive +3 (our preferred setting).

Color accuracy: The initial color temperature in Warm2 was still a tad blue (see the Geek Box), but other than that we had no complaints. After calibration it was quite accurate, lending a natural look to skin tones and other delicate areas, like Mary Jane’s pale face. Green grass in the plaza and red balloons during the parade all looked rich and punchy, and color balance was superb. One major advantage the LN52A50 demonstrated over the Sony KDL-46XBR4 LCD was its color fidelity in dark areas–where the Sony dipped into blue, like many LCDs, the Samsung remained close to true black. Overall saturation, thanks to deep blacks and fine color balance, was equal to the superb Pioneer.

Video processing: Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus (AMP) processing is designed to smooth out motion–specifically the judder or faint stuttering inherent in 24-frame material such as most films. Judder can be perceived most easily in pans and camera movement, but once you notice it, it seems to pop up everywhere there’s any movement onscreen. Some viewers find the smoothing effect desireable, while some think it looks too video-like and even cartoonish in some instances, particularly Hollywood films. We’re of the latter camp, but we feel de-judder processing can be effective in some scenes.

AMP has been improved this year, and it suffers fewer artifacts than the version we tested on the LN-T4671F from 2007. The infamous “triple ball effect” seems greatly toned down, for one thing. We looked at one example we cited in the 71F review, a deep pass during a college football game between West Virginia and Louisville, and this time there was very little blurring and elongation of the ball. We also turned to the same hockey match between the Ducks and the Kings and noticed blurring of the puck much less frequently. It was still there in some instances, such as a flip pass into the air that spanned half of the rink before landing, but it was much less noticeable. Of course, the level of AMP made a big difference–we saw more blurring and artifacts around the puck in High mode, fewer in Medium, about the same in Low, and none in Off. For that reason, we still recommend watching hockey, and indeed all sports, in Off mode.

Comparing the Samsung against the Sony 120Hz LCD, the Samsung seemed a bit less prone to artifacts, but the Sony appeared less unnaturally smooth. During the opening of Spider-Man, for example, the camera quickly pans over a newsstand and a headline in USA Today (double-plug!) that reads “What a catch!” showed stutter and artifacts in the Sony (in Standard mode) and none on the Samsung (in any of its modes). The camera then moved to follow Peter Parker on his scooter, and the Samsung looked like the camera was on rails, while the Sony allowed a little bit of unsteadiness that made for a much more natural look in that scene. Later, the camera orbits Parker’s face at the beginning of the parade, and we saw a sort of halo effect around his head. The buildings in the background bent slightly near his head as they moved by, even in the Samsung’s Low mode, although these artifacts were worse in Medium and High. In this case, the Samsung’s Low and the Sony’s Standard were pretty much indistinguishable.

Both sets looked much better in pans over natural landscapes from the Planet Earth Blu-ray and in some other non-Hollywood movie material, especially compared with the non-de-judder-equipped sets in the comparison.

We also turned AMP off, along with the Sony’s de-judder processing, and switched our PS3 to 1080p/24 mode. We really couldn’t tell the difference between 1080p/24 and 1080p/60 on either of the sets, so we suspect they don’t perform the perfect 5x conversion from 24 frames to 120. Samsung’s engineers (along with Sony’s) claim the 52LN650 can perform this conversion, but if so, it doesn’t make much difference.

A refresh rate 120Hz should also cut down on blur in motion, increasing motion resolution. We compared the 52LN650 to the Samsung LN32A450, a standard 60Hz display, and with AMP in Low mode the LN650 exhibited less blur in test footage designed to expose it. The blur returned when we turned Off AMP, so you can’t get the blur-reduction on this set without de-judder. The Sony performed at about the same level for this test, and neither was as sharp as either of the plasma displays or the Sony SXRD. As usual we didn’t notice blurring in program material, however, including during Spider-Man.

As we expect from any 1080p LCD, the Samsung resolved every line of 1080i and 1080p sources, and unlike most sets it properly de-interlaces 1080i film-based sources as long as you leave the film mode engaged.

Uniformity: LCD will always be at a disadvantage compared with plasma in this department, and the LN52A650 is no exception. Its screen was relatively uniform for an LCD, but there was still a brighter spot visible in the upper-left corner in dark scenes or letterbox bars, and in mid-dark fields we saw that the left and right edges of the screen appeared brighter than the middle. Meanwhile, as we mentioned above, viewing the image from off angle lightened the black areas somewhat, robbing some punch from colors. The Sony LCD lost a bit less depth of black from off angle, although we still preferred the Samsung from non-sweet-spot seats because it didn’t become discolored. We’ve seen reports on AVS forum showing purplish discoloration from off angle on some 650 series models, but we didn’t see it on our review sample.

Bright lighting: The LN52A650 has a similar type of shiny screen as last year’s Samsung LCDs, and compared with a more matte LCD screen, such as the one on the Sony KDL-46XBR4, it reflects quite a bit of room lighting. With the windows open during the day and shining on the screen, we could clearly make out our reflection in the screen, especially during dark scenes, and it was a good deal more distracting than on the Sony or the Pioneer. Samsung claims the screen does increase contrast ratio and produce deeper black levels, which might be true given the LN52A650′s black level performance, but we still found ourselves distracted by the shine in bright environments while watching dark scenes.

(Article Source:cnet.com)

Cnet Video Review of the LN-52A650

Workplace: LCD vs Plasma vs Projection Systems

Plasma and LCD TVs have finally hit their stride.  Major electronics stores have all but phased out the old CRT televisions, relegating them to the unseen corners.  Meanwhile, hordes of consumers are forced to make choices between two new technologies that they know little of.  Of course you have the helpful sales associates giving out their advice.  But without background information they may be able to take you for a ride. They may sell you something not quite right for you, or may forget to mention possible alternatives if they don’t carry them.

So, below we have created an LCD TV versus plasma comparison guide to help navigate the differences between the two technologies.  We have also included a column for front projectors, which are an option frequently ignored by major electronics retailers.

Comparison	Plasma televisions	LCD televisions	Front Projectors	Advantage
Screen Size	Average screen sizes range from 32 inches to 63 inches (measured on the diagonal). Larger plasmas, like a 103 inch unit from Panasonic, are in production, but are still prohibitively expensive for consumer use. Panasonic has announced plans to release a 150-inch plasma display by 2010.	Average screen sizes range from 13 inches to 65 inches (measured on the diagonal). As with plasma, there are larger LCD TVs made, like a 108 inch display which is to be released in later this year (2008) by Sharp, but they are not readily available or affordable at the consumer level.	Typical screen sizes from as small as 40 inches to as large as 300 inches (measured on the diagonal). Projectors do not have a fixed image size so most projectors list their screen size as a range (i.e. 40-300 inches. Most buyers opt for sizes from 76-inches to 120-inches if they purchase a screen. Optimally the image should not be over 300-inches.	Front projectors are able to create the largest images by far. Projectors are also the only option which is not a fixed size (meaning your screen size can change if desired) and projectors are also more portable than an LCD or Plasma. Plasma and LCD TVs are comparable in size now with the maximum sizes over 60-inches. Maximum recommended projector image sizes are around 300-inches.
Viewing Angle	Up to 178°. Plasma images do not suffer from the same degradation at higher viewing angles that LCD TVs do because of the nature of the technology.	Up to 175°. LCD TVs were originally designed for a one user experience, as a computer monitor. As the applications for the technology grew for larger to larger displays and audiences , an issue with viewing angles emerged. Although the LCD TV can be viewed from up to 176 degrees, there is a “sweet spot” which will produce brighter, higher contrast images.	Viewing angles are not an issue with front projectors because the light source is coming from in front of the screen, and not from behind. The surface on which you project (screen or wall surface) may have a slight impact on viewing angles.	Unlike rear projection TVs, front projectors do not have an issue with viewing angles, so they have the advantage here. Between LCD and Plasma; Plasma TVs have the advantage, but by a small margin. However, your viewing experience won’t be ideal at 160 or 175 degree angles for any technology.
Screen Refresh Rates / Pixel response time	Plasma displays refresh and handle rapid movements in video about as well as CRT televisions, which is about the standard most viewers expect.	LCD TVs were originally designed for static data display, and not moving video. Therefore refresh rates had to be improved. LCD TVs with refresh rates below 16 ms or lower (5-15 ms) show very few noticeable artifacts. LCD TVs are now available with refresh rates specified by manufacturers as low as 5ms.	Projectors designed for home theater use will handle video better than a projector designed for business (though there are some good cross-over projectors on the market). Response time is not usually specified by projector manufactuers so it is difficult to compare directly to LCD and plasmas by comparing specs.	Plasma still specs faster than LCD for pixel response time, however LCD has closed the gap significantly in the past 3 years or so. For most consumers, projectors, plasma and LCD displays will have sufficient response times. For video gamers, or others to whom instantaneous response is a must, the lower the ‘ms’ spec…the better.
Burn-in or Stuck Pixels	Plasma TVs can suffer from burn-in produced by static images. After extended periods, stationary images “burn in” and produce an after-image ghost which remains permanently on the screen. With technologies such as ‘pixel orbitor,’ new plasma TVs have addressed burn-in and significantly reduced the issues of older models.	LCD TVs do not suffer from burn-in, but can have a “retained pixel charge” which may also produce ghosting. Stuck pixels are also possible with an LCD display.	Projectors can suffer from dead pixels, though there are some manufacturers with a ‘zero dead pixel’ warranty. The bigger concern for projector buyers is lamp life. After long term use, the projected image will not be as bright as it was over the first few hundred hours. Lamps are replaceable, however, and cost between $200 – $400.	There is no clear winner here. Manufacturers of each technology have worked hard to minimize issues. If stuck pixels or burn in are major concerns for you, check the manufacturer warranty for their return or repair policies. Some manufactuers offer a ‘zero dead pixel policy’ and others will repair or replace products with pixels out in the ‘sweet spot’ of your picture.
Product Life-span	Plasma TVs have a reported half life of 30,000 to 60,000 hours. Half-life is the time it takes the lamp to fade to half its original brightness. Panasonic recently reported life span’s approaching 100,000 hours.	LCD TVs have a backlight that is specified to last between 30,000 and 60,000 hours. LCD TVs also have replaceable backlights, but the expense of replacing one when the time comes may be greater than simply replacing the entire TV.	Projectors have lamps that last up to 5000 hours (usually when opperated in a low-power mode). Projector lamps are replaceable, and cost up to aproximately $400. Projector lamps can be changed more than once. A projector may not be the best choice for everyday viewing, but it is the best value by cost per viewing inch for a home theater.	Both Plasma and LCD technology should more than adequately satisfy most consumers. The average CRT TV (the kind most of us have at home) has a half-life of around 25,000 hours. If the average American household watches an average of four to six hours of television a day, even a 30,000 hour backlight would give you over 16 years of use. By then you’ll be enjoying your new ‘Holodeck.’ A video projector has a shorter lamp life, but the lamp can be replaced multiple times. Projectors are better suited for a dedicated home theater than as the sole display for a household. Projectors are the best value by cost per viewing inch.
Weight	Plasma displays are fairly heavy, and may need additional supports to be mounted onto a wall.	LCD TVs weigh less than comparably sized plasma TVs.	Single chip DLP and 3LCD projectors typically weigh between 10 – 20 lbs. They can be shipped for less than an LCD or Plasma TV over 19-inches in most cases.	Projectors are lighter and less bulky to ship and to install than an LCD or Plasma TV. Projection screens are bulky and large however. LCD TVs are second least heavy, followed by plasma.
Durability	Plasmas are somewhat fragile making them tricky to ship and install. Unlike the commercials where plasmas are mounted on the ceiling, plasmas are best installed by a professional, and should be installed on a wall that can bear a good deal of weight. However, recent improvements to plasma screens have made them significantly more durable and lighter weight.	Somewhat more durable than older plasmas. End users can easily mount an LCD TV themselves if desired, although LCD TVs should still be shipped with special care, and the screen itself should be cleaned with a streak free cleaner.	Projection surfaces vary, but a wall or screen are obviously less fragile than an LCD or Plasma TV. Screens can be washed and walls can be repainted. The projector itself is also as durable as either a Plasma or LCD TV.	A projector screen is durable and cleanable, and walls can be painted. Projectors are also very durrable. Because of this, projectors win this battle, with LCD TVs in second place, followed by plasma.
Shipping	Due to their fragile nature, plasma TVs need to be shipped by specialty carriers. Overnight or fast delivery options are not recommended. Special shipping methods and their heavier weight add to higher shipping costs.	Shipping LCD TVs is not difficult, and is not as expensive as shipping plasma displays.	Single chip DLP and 3LCD projectors typically weigh between 10 – 20 lbs. They can usually be shipped for less than most LCD or Plasma TVs over 19-inches.	Projectors are cheaper and safer to ship overall. If you purchase a screen, that will add significantly to the cost of shipping. In some cases, whether an LCD, plasma, or projector, the shipping will be paid by the reseller. Plasma’s are typically heavier and may require that you ship them on a pallet, adding to the cost of shipping.
Installation	Plasmas are heavier, use more power, and run hotter than LCD TVs, and therefore require more planning when mounting them. Plasmas are generally best installed by professionals.	End users can easily install LCD TVs themselves, or can use them just as they use a traditional TV using a stand.	Depending on how polished you want your home theater to be, a projector can be very easy to set up, or can be a longer and more involved installation. Projectors are lightweight, and can be removed from an installed location and used in other applications – like a make shift outdoor theater.	LCD TVs are easier to install than plasmas because they weigh less. Most TVs sold in the consumer market will come with a stand. Projectors are a more complicated installation than either a plasma or LCD TV when they are ceiling mounted. TVs with a stand and projectors set on a table top require similar efforts to set up.
Brightness / Contrast	Plasma TVs report higher brightness and contrast levels than LCDs. Under ideal conditions (no ambient light) this is a true advantage of plasma technology, because LCD TVs are backlit and therefore light must be blocked to create blacks. Plasmas have individual pixels that either on or off, creating deeper blacks and better contrast.	LCD TVs can often look better in ‘real-world’ situations. Plasmas are made with a special glass surface that can reflect light, which dulls the brightness and contrast of the image. LCD TVs reflect very little light, allowing them to maintain levels in well-lit rooms.	Projectors now have contrast ratios of 50,000:1 and higher, making them nearly equal by specification to many LCD and plasma TVs. However, with ambient light in a room, contrast and brightness can be significantly impacted. For best contrast that rivals LCD and plasma, low light or no light environments are best. Different specifications are used to measure brightness in a projector, so it is difficult to compare directly.	Just about any LCD TV or plasma will satisfy the expectations of most consumers need for brightness and contrast. Videophiles will look for the hightest contrast ratios and will likely ignore the brightness specs on an LCD or plasma TV. Newer home theater projectors (1000 ANSI lumens or brighter) should also satisfy in any controlled lighting environment. Projectors are not ideal for rooms with a lot of ambient light unless they have more than 2000 lumens of brightness.
Thickness	As thin as 3 inches deep.	As thin as 2 inches deep.	Projectors are simply projecting light onto a surface, so on a screen or wall the image will not take up much space. The projector itself will need to be placed on a flat surface or mounted out of the way.	The projected image is (obviously) very thin, and create a truly ‘flat’ image. LCDs TVs and plasma’s are just about equal to each other in thickness (around 2-3 inches, and for most this is not an issue. But a projector is the solution that can be easily stored away out of site (using a retractable or portable screen).
Performance at High Altitude	High altitudes can affect the performance of plasma displays because the gas held inside each pixel is stressed, and has to work harder to perform. Some manufacturers make plasmas that are specifically designed for high-altitudes, but they may be priced higher than standard models.	LCD TVs are not affected by high altitudes.	Most projectors are only minimally affected by altitude. The one difficulty with projectors will be a more active fan, which may make the projector run slightly louder.	LCD TVs or projectors have the advantage. New plasmas and projectors have evolved with new methods of dealing with the altitude issues. Ask your sales person for details if you live in a high altitude.

1080p- Does it matter?

1080i vs. 1080p: It’s all a matter of time.

1080i is the highest resolution format of the HDTV ATSC specification as well as the recently launched HD DVD and Blu-ray media. 1080p is often quoted as being a higher resolution than 1080i, and though from a certain point of view (which we will touch on) that’s true, in the broad context it is not.

In a very real way, 1080i and 1080p are the same resolution in that both consist of a 1920 x 1080 raster. That is, the picture is comprised of 1080 separate horizontal ‘lines’, with 1920 samples per line (or pixels per line, depending on your point of view). In other words, both 1080i and 1080p represent an image with 1920 x 1080 unique points of data in space.

The difference between ‘i’ and ‘p’ can only be appreciated in the time domain.

In a “true” or “native” 1080i HDTV system, the temporal resolution is 60 Hz. The image is sampled, or updated if you prefer, every 1/60 of a second. As with any interlaced format though, only half the available lines are sampled, or updated, every 1/60 of a second. The capture device (say, a video camera) does not sample the entire 1920 x 1080 at one time. Rather, it samples fields. A single field consists of every other line out of the complete picture. So we have the “odds” field which has lines 1, 3, 5, 7, etc and the “evens” field which has lines 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.

So, in an interlaced system, the camera samples one field (say the “odds”), then 1/60 of a second later, it samples the opposite field (the “evens”), then 1/60 of a second later it refreshes the odds, then 1/60 of a second later the evens, and so on. The alternating set of fields of a 1080i source each make up half the image.

The shorthand for this format is 1080i60.

The subject being captured is updated every 1/60 of a second, but only half the lines are used for each update. This has one benefit and many drawbacks.

The one virtue of this format is its high subject refresh rate: Think of a sporting event where the ball is traveling fast. We get an update on its position every 1/60 of a second. That’s really good compared to film’s 24 Hz refresh rate (even IMAX HD is only 48 Hz).

The downside on an interlaced format is that the alternating fields only truly compliment each other if the subject is stationary. If it is, then the alternating fields “sum” to form a complete and continuous 1920 x 1080 picture (everything lines up perfectly between the two fields). If the subject moves though, it will be in one position for one field and another position for the next. The interlaced fields no longer compliment one another and artifacts such as jaggies, line twitter, and other visual aberrations are a normal side effect of the interlaced format.

This animation demonstrates how objects in motion end up in a different position for each field, resulting in the “comb” effect.  Note however that areas not in motion maintain “full” resolution	This animation simulates the “twittering” of detail, inherent to an interlaced display system.

What does all this have to do with 1080p?

1080p differs from 1080i in that the entire 1920 x 1080 raster (all of the 1080 lines side to side) is sampled and/or displayed at one time. No fields. Just full, 1920 x 1080 frames. No combing. No line twitter. Just perfect pictures. But how, if our HDTV system does not incorporate 1080p does it become at all relevant?

We’re going to show you.

First we will explain how and why 1080i must be processed as best as possible into 1080p in order to maximize the potential of today’s digital displays, including LCD and Plasma flat panel TVs, as well as LCD/DLP etc, projection systems.

Let’s look at some illustrations:

If this were a scene shot at 1080i, and displayed at 1080i, it would look like this.  But today’s digital TV’s cannot do this.  The signal must be de-interlaced.
If we de-interlace it the WRONG way, it would look like this. The entire scene is reduced to 540 lines worth of resolution. Hint: look at the hands. If you display this on a 1366×768 TV (a common resolution right now), you will be wasting 1/3 of the resolution you paid for!
If we de-interlace it the RIGHT way though, to 1080p, it would look like this. Only the areas in motion are reduced in detail.  The rest remains at the full 1080 line resolution. Though you need a full 1920 x 1080 TV to maximize the detail present, on a lesser TV, say a 1366 x 768 model, you will still realize the device’s full potential.

Still wonder if you should care about 1080p?

But do you really need it?

Well, the first thing to come to terms with is, that, as we’ve pointed out, there is an abundance of 1080p24 material out there, encoded into 1080i60 format. If you want to view it at its full potential, you need not only a device capable of displaying it, a so called 1080line TV, but the ability to actually de-interlace it properly.

Some will argue that if you are seated far away and/or the screen is not enormous, one won’t “appreciate” the full detail of 1920 x 1080 (as compared to lower resolution TVs). Well, if you look at a 27″ 480i TV from 20 feet away, you could make the same argument. We could also make the argument that most people don’t appreciate, or even know of, reasonably good video quality to begin with. The strongest argument for that is to look at the quantity vs. quality of channels available from your satellite or cable provider in standard definition digital format vs. a good DVD in the same format, or even a standard definition terrestrial broadcast with a reasonably good signal. Even the most massive compression artifacts are apparently acceptable enough to most viewers such that most broadcast content providers fill up bandwidth with hundreds of programs (and maximize compression to do it) with little complaint from their subscribers.

In that realm, if that’s your baseline, then yes, the 1080p vs. 1366 x 768, or whatever your number, is more of a feel good numbers game. But, that’s not us, and if you’re reading this, we’re betting that’s not you either.

The point is, if you want to view the inherently 1080p24 content which is out there (and even native 1080i content) with maximum resolution (and we maintain that an enthusiast who sets up their viewing environment to get the most out of it can see the difference), you need a display capable of 1080p that keeps the signal in a 1080 line format from input to display surface.

(Article Source: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_14_1/feature-article-1080p-3-2007-part-1.html)