This is one of those debates that seems to have raged on for ages. To be fair it’s a tricky subject but we’re not afraid of tackling it! So, I hope you’re sitting comfortably as it takes some time to explain.

For starters, we need to understand the difference between plasma and LCD TVs. Although the finished TVs look similar they're actually based on totally different technologies.

The technology
(this gets a bit complicated so feel free to skip ahead and leave this bit for the techies!)

Plasma screens consist of thousands of individual pixel cells which allow electric pulses to stimulate rare natural gases (normally neon or xenon) causing them to glow and produce light. Each cell acts like a microscopic florescent light bulb, emitting ultraviolet light which then strikes red, green and blue spots on the screen. These spots glow to build a picture.

Have we lost you yet?

Hopefully not, so let's look at LCD TVs. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. All LCD TVs come from the same technological background being a matrix of thin-film transistors (TFTs) that supplies voltage to liquid crystal filled cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass. LCD screens create their images when light from behind the screen is shone through the screen’s matrix of tiny coloured liquid crystal cells. Signals control each cell, letting varying amounts of colour through; a process often referred to as "subtraction". This means that they block out particular colour wavelengths from the spectrum of white light until they're left with just the right colour. It's actually the intensity of light that is permitted to pass through this liquid crystal matrix that enables LCD televisions to display images bursting full of colours.

It's complicated isn't it? Fortunately you probably shouldn’t worry about the different technologies since they've both been around for a few years now and are proven to work. Indeed, if you've never seen the picture quality of a good plasma or LCD TV, you’re in for a treat. The colour representation is fantastic with bright, rich colours and a full range of tonality. It gets even better with High Definition images – but that's a different topic best saved for another day!

So which one produces the best picture?

Another tricky question since often what one person thinks is the best picture is criticised by someone else. The thing to do here is look for two key technical attributes: contrast ratios and screen resolution.

Let's start by looking at contrast ratios. This is a measure of the blackest black compared to the whitest white.

Traditionally, plasma technology has achieved quite high contrast ratios. Many plasma display manufacturers boast a contrast ratio of 5000:1 or higher. Panasonic, perhaps the market leader for plasma TVs, has long been the leader in plasma black levels with contrast ratios of 10000:1 – highly impressive. Plasma TV's achieve such impressive black levels by using internal algorithms to block the power to particular pixels in order to render a pixel "dark" or black. While this can limit a plasma television's gray scaling, it does produce exceptionally black blacks.

LCD TVs create their blacks by utilising electric charges to twist and untwist liquid crystals. This causes them to block light and emit blacks. The higher the voltage passing through the liquid crystals in a given pixel, the more fully those crystals untwist and effectively block light - all of which makes these pixels darker. Traditionally LCDs have lost the battle when it comes to contrast ratios with most LCDs offering contrast ratios of 500:1 or more. The thing is, strangely, and we can't explain why, the contrast rates on LCD sets appear much better than the numbers suggest.

So, we conclude that plasma sets win the battle of contrast ratios. However, LCD sets are now so good that most people won't be able to tell the difference!

What about resolution?

When we talk about resolution we're talking about the number of pixels, or individual points, on a screen. For example, a resolution measurement 1366 x 768 means 1366 pixels along each of the 768 horizontal lines that make up the screen (screen images comprise lots of lines of colours). In simple terms, the higher each of these numbers the better the picture quality. You'll often find that for the same size screen LCD sets will have a higher resolution than plasma. So, if you're looking for a TV less than 42 inches then view the LCD range we offer first.

Now let's consider which gives the best colour accuracy

In plasma TVs each pixel contains red, green, and blue elements to create over 16 million colours. Since each pixel contains all the elements needed to produce every colour in the spectrum plasma technology has been better at more accurately reproducing colours. Though the colour saturation resulting from the pixel design of plasma TVs is remarkable, LCD technology has now caught plasma in grey scaling colour accuracy.

LCD TVs reproduce colours by manipulating light waves and subtracting colours from white light. From a technical standpoint this is more difficult for maintaining colour accuracy and vibrancy. That said, most LCD TVs manage it very well partly because they typically benefit from a higher than average number of pixels per square inch when compared to plasmas. Now here's a key point of difference, LCDs often produce a brighter picture so if the room where your TV will live has bright lighting (perhaps from a window) we'd suggest an LCD would be the better choice.

So, our conclusion here is that plasma produces better colours but only just. However, LCDs will be better in very brightly lit rooms due to their inherent anti glare technology and brightness. When looking for TVs that have better picture brightness look for the quoted "cd/m2" figure. Generally, the higher the number the better the picture brightness.

Conclusion and other practical considerations

If you've skipped to this bit without reading the facts above then shame on you! Are we the only ones that get excited by new technologies?

Our conclusion is one of those horrible ones we hate giving: "it depends". Rubbish conclusion isn't it. If we'd been asked the same question two years ago we would have said plasma without hesitation. But LCD technology has leapt forward at a startling pace and is now just as good as plasma and produces some of the better pictures we see.

So, at the risk of giving a conclusion that's longer than the original analysis we suggest you read these top 10 points to see exactly what it does depend on:

1. 1) One of the key decisions is where you will be locating your TV. If it's in a brightly lit room we suggest LCD technology is often better (that said, Panasonic plasma's cope equally as well in brightly lit rooms as LCD's).
2. 2) If you're wall mounting then a key consideration is weight. LCDs are a lot lighter than plasmas.
3. 3) If you need a wide viewing angle then plump for plasma since they typically have 160 degree viewing angles (this is because each pixel produces its own light rather than light being spread across the screen from one central source). LCD's lose black level intensity more as you view off angle. Expect the better branded LCD TV's to have between 120 and 130 degree viewing angles. To be honest for 99% of people viewing angles aren't an issue. Who watches TV from acute viewing angles anyway?
4. 4) If you plan to also use your TV as a computer monitor then LCD is better. LCDs display static images extremely well with full colour detail and no flicker (and no screen burn). Also, since LCDs offer more pixels per square inch you get better detailing when viewing data files such as that Excel spreadsheet you created to work out your budget for a new 46 inch TV!
5. 5) If you predominantly watch sport then you'll be concerned over picture lag and drag. Stop worrying! This used to be an issue when plasma TVs first came on to the market but manufacturers have improved this aspect of their technology and it's no longer an issue. If you buy a new plasma or LCD TV and suffer shadowing or lag it's more than likely caused by a poor signal or cheap cables than the TV itself.
6. 6) You may also be worried or have heard that plasmas will at some point need re-gassing (replacing the neon or xenon gases they use to create their picture). The fact is they will but only after about 60,000 hours of viewing – or to put it another way, if you watch TV non-stop 24 hours a day for about 7 years this may become an issue! If you watch TV about 6 hours a day every day your plasma will last about 28 years (we think it likely you may well have bought a new one by then, don't you?). Still worried? Then buy a LCD TV because their technology depends on nothing more than light passing through a prismatic substrate meaning there's no gas to replace and not a lot to wear out (except the backlight source which may one day need replacing). LCD manufacturers also claim 60,000 hours longevity. We've never tested this since our boss won’t let us watch TV all day, shame!
7. 7) You may also have heard about screen "burn in". Channel 5 used to always show their logo to the top left of the screen whenever you viewed one of their programmes. Rumors suggested this caused a permanent "5" to be burnt on the screen of early plasmas. Again, stop worrying! If this was a problem it isn't anymore. By the way, it never was a problem for LCDs.
8. 8) Power consumption is one where LCDs win hands down. This is because LCD's use florescent backlighting to produce images so use substantially less power to operate than plasma TV's do. Generally, LCD TVs consume about half the power that plasma TVs consume.
9. 9) You'll typically get more LCD TV for your money than plasma. This is because they're cheaper to manufacture (apparently). It's also interesting to note that the technologies and pricing has now stabilised so now is as good a time as any to invest in a new plasma or LCD TV.
10. 10) Let's face it, you'll probably ignore 1 to 9 and make your choice based on what is surely the most important point: how sexy the TV looks!! We don't blame you for this since, as I hope you now understand, there's nothing to choose between the two technologies. So, just pick the one you like the best!

Finally, there's one piece of advice that almost always applies to electrical appliances – you get a better quality product the more you spend. Sorry, but it's a fact of life!

Confused about HD?

HD stands for High Definition, which uses the latest technology to bring clearer and sharper television pictures into your home, you will experience images like you've never seen before!

Instead of using the conventional 625 lines to plot an image, HDTV uses 720 or 1080 lines; the pixels in each of these lines are closer. This results in an incredibly improved picture quality, clarity and colour definition - so you can now enjoy your favorite programmes, films, and sport in breathtaking picture quality!

To watch HD programmes you need a HD Ready TV and a set top box which you can get from broadcasters (such as Sky, NTL and Telewest) you also need to take out a subscription with a broadcaster. Remember a HD ready TV must have HDMI or DVI connectivity in order to accept a digital signal.

So, if you are looking to purchase a new TV we would recommend that you future-proof yourself with a HD model - especially if it is going to be the main TV of the house.

We stock a range of HD Ready TV’s at affordable prices. View our range here.