What Kind Of TV Should You Buy?

Nowadays, technology is developing so quickly we barely have time to catch up with it. From smart phones and TV’s to the insane self-driving cars. So if you’re confused and don’t know the difference between LED, LCD and plasma - we’re sure you’re not alone. And if you’re looking to buy a new TV hopefully this will help you know which one suits you the best.

First, let’s make something clear - LED TVs are actually a type of LCD TVs. LED stands for light emitting diodes while LCD is an acronym for liquid crystal display. Plasmas used to be the most bought but with time LED TVs became more and more popular. That type of TV offers the best quality of the picture and energy efficiency but for that matter - it is also more expensive than other types of televisions.

Nowadays, despite their high-quality, plasmas are slowly dying. The proof of that is that only LG and Samsung are still producing them - Panasonic stopped. Why only 3 companies are manufacturing plasma TVs? When plasmas first started developing companies had to choose: produce cheap screens that can’t go below 42-inches or build a huge factory with screens of every size but knowing that the price of the TV is going to be higher? Not many companies were willing to spend that money for producing only one product. When LCD factory can produce everything from flat screen TVs to cell phone screens.

1. Picture quality

The quality of the image of plasma TVs is very high - among the best. It provides great colours and contrast ratios. The images are rendered quickly which gives you the opportunity to enjoy clear pictures. LED TVs fall in two categories: full-array(lights set behind the screen in a grid pattern) and edge-lit(with lights set around the television frame). The first type actually has contrast ratios in LED technology. It is in no way better than the one that plasma offers, though. LCD and LED are known to display a brighter and lighter picture.

2. Energy efficiency

Plasmas use far more energy than the two other types. And so we make it clear enough - they can use several hundred watts per hour while LEDs uses only about 100. You do the math. A result from this is the heat that is being put out when the TV is turned on. If you don’t want to spend extra energy then the best option for you is a LED TV. This one has the lowest energy consumption and even that can be lowered by turning down the backlight.

3. The angle

If your couch is not directly in front of the TV then the angle is really important if you want to fully enjoy your movie. The winner here is definitely plasma because it delivers the same high-quality of the picture from in-front viewing to side angles. This means that even if you’re a large group of people everyone can enjoy the movie equally.

4. Motion blur

This is when an object or an image on-screen moves and gets blurry. Sadly, this happens to LCD’s and LED’s the most. The good news is that it’s not that noticeable but you may also find it annoying. So if you’ve had bad experiences with this before, maybe next time you buy a TV, your choice should be a plasma.

5. Contrast ratio

This is the part between the darkest and the brightest part of the image. And it is really crucial for the quality of the picture. Some Samsung models have good contrast ratio but none is as good as the one plasma has. The same company manufactures local dimming LED LCDs but they are far more expensive than plasmas of the same size.

6. Brightness

LED TVs are the brightest ones out there for sure. Plasmas don’t offer that much light but they’re not as dim as one might think, too. What you need to consider here is where you’re going to put your TV? If you place it in your bedroom maybe it is not such a good idea to look at such a bright light in the night time. If you want it for the living room where it’s sunny then you can buy a LED TV. It will allow you to see all details and the light won’t dim the screen.

7. Blackness

Plasmas win this one, too. Although LED TV’s are getting better at this, for light rooms and movies, it’s important how black is the black. You can actually turn off the LEDs on the TV and get absolute black. But will you bother doing it every time?

In conclusion:

The pros and cons of plasma TVs:

A big pro to most people is the blackness factor - since each cell is lit individually it delivers amazing black colours. Plasmas produce even brightness so there are no distracting shifts when scenes change. The viewing angles of this type are far better no matter where you sit in the room. Plasmas do not have the brightest screens. They use much more energy than LED TVs.

The pros and cons of LED TVs:

Because of edge lighting these TVs can be extremely thin. The expert handymen from Greenford say people usually prefer LEDs just for that reason. These TVs also provide a wide range of colours. LEDs don’t use much power and are very energy efficient. They also offer much brightness. These ones do not work good with deep black. They also struggle with backlight unevenness. It is not the best idea to watch the TV from the side because LED’s don’t offer the same picture as when you watch from the front.

Hopefully, now you know everything you should know about the different types of TVs. It is up to you to decide which one suits you the best.