LCD vs. DLP TVs

by Bradley James

Two new technologies in the world of TV, DLP and LCD, are now in a tight competition. Not long ago, everyone was talking about Plasma and LCD - which one would win? It became clear to most that Plasma, with its short lifespan of just 3-4 years, was simply not the best choice. In fact, the LCD screen has several benefits over plasma. For instance, LCD screens run much cooler than the average plasma TV, and thus require less power to operate. Plasma TVs run so hot, in fact, that they require a fan to cool them down – which can be noisy. In addition, plasma screens have a tendency to degrade over time, slowly becoming dimmer. LCD screens, on the other hand, run relatively cool, and do not degrade over time. Some Plasma owners, who have used their TVs for a few years now, have already witnessed the dimming of their screens. Also, LCD screens tend to have overall better picture quality, and are typically 10 to 15 percent lighter than plasma.

Now the choice is mainly between LCD and DLP - two distinct technologies that offer slight differences in display, price, and performance. If you are looking to buy a new flatscreen TV this year, you are probably wondering which one is right for you.

What are DLP, LCD TV Screens?

LCD screens are made of several polarized glass panels, between which are liquid crystal molecules. An electric current is run through the crystal molecules, changing their position in respect to the glass. As light passes through the molecules, these changes in angle result in different lightness/ darkness patterns that produce images on the screen. There are usually three polarized glass panels, one with red pixels, blue, and green. This system also produced very accurate, vivid images, but angle is important. You may notice that the best colors in an LCD display are seen straight-on.

Is a DLP, LCD TV Screen better than the other?

Simply put, that is a difficult question to answer. Unlike Plasma TV screens DLP and LCD last much are longer, and are considered to both have superior image quality. LCD screens tend to have slightly better contrast, with a larger range of black and white color shades. DLP, however, still has faster refresh rates than LCD (although LCD has been vastly improved in this area over the last two years). This can have implications if you are really into high-action motion (sports, action movies), because movement may seem a little blurred with LCD at times. Also, you'll want to remember that in order for you to get the best color out of your LCD, you have to sit right in front of it. LCD TVs also have a slightly shorter lifespan than DLPs, with only 45,000 to 60,000 hours compared to 75,000 hours or more. As far as price goes, LCD and DLP are still more expensive than Plasma, but like all things in time, their price has been coming down. And right now, DLP is slightly more expensive than LCD, but not by much. DLP, in our eyes, is the best investment, at least for the next few years.

Bradley James is a senior editor at SciNet.cc, a website containing many helpful consumer electronics review articles. For more information on DLP and LCD TV technology, please visit our DLP vs LCD Tvs webpage. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/

For more on DLP, click here and for more on lcd flat panel click here. For more on lcd rear projectors, click here.

Editor comments:

Bradley doesn't make it clear that he's comparing apples to apples to oranges in that he doesn't mention lcd rear projection and describes lcd panel displays instead. Yet DLP is rear projection. To be clear:

Plasma = panel (direct view)

LCD = panel OR projection

DLP = projection

Since he wrote the article, prices appear to have come down even further as quality has increased.

Be sure to check out LCD PROJECTORS versus DLPs!

Not the cheapest, but quite likely the best LCD rear projectors (technically, LCoS projectors:)

These killer sets use Sony's exclusive silicon crystal reflective display (SXRD) technology, a version of LCoS that reduces the screen-door effect significantly and provides a few other wowser image quality benefits: better black levels; a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 or 1080p; extensive connectivity: two HDMI inputs, a PC input, a Memory Stick reader, and three FireWire (IEEE 1394) inputs, or iLink, as Sony calls it. CableCard equipped. Loaded with features. This may be THE ONE to shoot for, in 50 or 60 inch screen size.

To read more. See one. Or order one, simply click below. These may be the best lcd projectors available today!

Sony KDS-R60XBR1 60" Grand Wega SXRD High-Definition 1080p rear-projection TV