How to Compare LCD & Plasma TVs

Video Transcript

"I'm Charles with ATX audio video. Many people commonly ask me how to compare an LCD TV to a Plasma TV. Well first there's a couple of basic differences in the technologies behind the two different TVs. LCD TVs or liquid crystal display is actually two sheets of stretched glass with the liquid crystals inserted between the two sheets. An electrical charge is then sent to the liquid crystals and behind it, is a light which illuminates the screen giving you the colored picture. Where as in a Plasma TV is actually two sheets of glass with a Plasma gas pancaked between two sheets of glass, an electrical charge and the gas actually lights up without a back light. In choosing LCDs and Plasma TVs, Plasma TVs typically give you better black levels. When people speak about black levels they are talking about the blackest black on the screen. Many times you'll watch the news and there's the newscaster's black suit isn't actually black, it appears to be a light gray."