Is LED Better than Plasma?

You are likely to be bombarded with several HDTV models the moment you enter some electronic store to buy a new television - all looking more or less similar, but each boasting of an edge over others in terms of technology. Though it is a necessity, very few people put in efforts to look beyond the display of a television set when buying it. Over the last decade or so, we have taken some giant strides in the field of technology, and that has made it all the more difficult to decide whether LED TV is better than Plasma TV or not.

Before we move on to see whether LED TV is better than the Plasma TV or it's the other way round, one has to understand that the term LED TV is a technically incorrect term which became popular after some leading companies introduced their LCD TVs with LED backlighting as LED TVs. If that's the case, what is LCD vs LED vs Plasma comparison all about? As LED TVs are upgraded variants of LCD TVs which use tiny light emitting diodes (LEDs) as their source of backlighting - instead of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) used in traditional LCD TVs, the entire debate about LCD vs LED vs Plasma revolves around comparison of CCFL-backlit LCD TVs, LED-backlit LCD TVs and the Plasma TVs.

LED Better than Plasma TV: Fact or Myth

Coming to the core issue that we were discussing - is LED better than Plasma TV, there exist several factors that have to be taken into consideration when deciding the same. One of the most common mistake that people tend to do here is to go by manufacturers' claims which are often overblown for the purpose of advertising. A wise way out is to go through various reviews of both these television types before finalizing on which of the two is ideal for you.

Contrast, Brightness and Viewing Angle
Contrast ratio that these models boast of is the foremost thing to be taken into consideration when it comes to Plasma vs LED debate, with the simple rule of the thumb being - better contrast ratio, deeper black color. There do exist some LED TV models which have a better contrast ratio as compared to Plasma TVs, but when it comes to overall comparison, Plasma TVs are better of the two - with LEDs following closely of late. As with contrast ratio, LED TVs are also closing in on their Plasma display counterparts in terms of color accuracy and viewing angle. Initially, Plasma TVs - wherein each individual pixel was lit to produce the desired effect, were popular for the amazing viewing angles that they offered. Lately however, LED-backlit LCD TVs have come a long way from 30° viewing angle that they offered in the past to 70° before picture quality starts getting affected.

Plasma TV Problems
Alongside advantages like better contrast, wider viewing angle and absence of reflection, there also exist some Plasma TV problems which you need to crosscheck before you opt for it. As Plasma TVs are bulkier than LED TVs, they don't necessarily add to the grace of your living room as LED TVs do. Though not as frequent as it used to be in the past, the burn in problem in Plasma TVs cannot be ruled out even today. Similarly, Plasma TV problems at high altitude - which are typically characterized by a buzzing noise coming from the television set, also have to be taken into consideration when opting for it.

LED TV Problems
As with the aforementioned Plasma TV problems, even LED TVs have some problems of their own which you need to take into consideration before opting for them. These problems are mostly based on which type of LED-backlighting you take into consideration. The fact that the light emitting diodes are arranged along the edges of the display may hamper its brightness - especially in the center. While full-array LED TVs offer amazing contrast levels, the arrangement of light emitting diodes behind the display makes them bulkier as compared to their edge-lit counterparts.

Which is More Economical LED or Plasma?
As both LED TVs and Plasma TVs have an average lifespan of 100,000 hours, the longevity factor doesn't hold much ground when it comes to LED TV vs Plasma TV comparison. Even though you don't get to see much difference when it comes to price comparison between LED TV and Plasma TV, the latter has a slight advantage here in terms of cost per size as the production cost for Plasma units is comparatively low. LED TVs, however, are known to consume less power as compared to Plasma TVs. Even though that makes things a little bit brighter for LEDs, Plasma TVs still have the overall advantage when it comes to simple economics.

At the end of the day, both - LED TVs and Plasma TVs, have advantages and disadvantages of their own, and that brings this raging battle down to individual preference. While Plasma TV gets a thumbs up in terms of picture quality, price and various other factors, the aesthetic attractiveness of LED TVs can tempt the user to go for the latter. With the gap between Plasma and LED TVs narrowing down with time, the fact that Plasma TV is better than LED - which aptly highlights the LED-Plasma comparison today, may not really hold ground tomorrow.