Plasma Vs. DLP

In the world of flat panel high-definition televisions, Plasma TVs need no introduction. In fact, they are so popular that it has become a normal tendency to refer to all flat screen TVs, including DLP TVs, as Plasma televisions. However, DLP TVs (derived from Digital Light Processing technology that they resort to,) are quite distinct from Plasma TVs in several aspects. It is the fact that the two have a significant share in flat panel high-definition TV market that has put them at loggerheads today. In order to understand which is a better option among these two television types, one has to get to the basics and see how the two differ from each other.

Basic Difference Between Plasma TV and DLP TV

In a Plasma television, the display is made up of numerous tiny plasma cells of three primary colors. When these plasma cells are struck by light at different voltages, they change to various new colors, and produce picture that the viewer gets to see on the screen. On the other hand, the display of a DLP TV is made up of millions of microscopic mirrors which are moved towards or away from the light source using a small Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to produce the picture. Even though there do exist numerous other technicalities in the working mechanism of either of these two television types, as a 'consumer' you don't really need to get into these technical details. Instead understanding how both of them differ in terms of performance, price, etc., can be of more help for you.

Plasma Vs. DLP Features Comparison

Both Plasma TV and DLP TV have undergone a tremendous change in several aspects over the last couple of years. Both boast of superior contrast - with most of the models available in the market today having a contrast ratio of 1:1000, Plasma TV has a slight edge when it comes to black levels. Plasma - compared to DLP TVs, have better picture clarity, but that factor doesn't really hold ground of late, with the advent of high-definition technology. However, you do need to make a note of the fact that Plasma TVs rely on mega processing and conversion which is known to produce mixed results at the end of the day.

Yet another salient feature of Plasma display that is highlighted in all Plasma TV reviews is the amazing color that these TVs boast of. In fact, DLP TVs don't stand a chance when it comes to comparison with Plasma TV in this aspect. At the same time, the 180 degree viewing angle makes sure that the picture quality is at par excellence irrespective of where you try to watch it from. Size does matter, and Plasma TVs - which are much slimmer than DLPs, have a definite advantage here as they can be easily mounted on the walls. In fact, manufacturers have now begun tweaking their Plasma sets to make sure that they add to your home decor.

Going through the aforementioned information, one may feel that it is Plasma all the way. However, there do exist some attributes of DLP TV which may make you give them a serious thought. As far as price per inch is concerned, DLP televisions have a definite edge over Plasma televisions. In other words, you can get a bigger DLP TV for the price that you would pay to buy a Plasma TV of a said size. With utmost respect to amazing brightness levels that Plasma TVs boast of, DLP TVs have a slight edge on their Plasma counterparts in the brightness department. Several DLP TV reviews suggest that they have a better lifespan as compared to Plasma TVs, and that is based on the fact that you simply need to replace the DLP TV bulb which is used as a light source in these televisions.

As of today, Plasma TV edges out DLP TV in a head to head comparison by a significant margin. There is no doubt about the fact that DLP TVs will take quite some time to match Plasma TVs in terms of performance. Even though there exist very few reasons to opt for DLP TV today, the price factor, which is one of them, is a good enough reason for you to give it a thought. While DLP TV manufacturers are working on making them more efficient in terms of performance, Plasma TV manufacturers are working to bring down the production cost of these televisions by trying new technologies. With both sides trying their best to edge out the competition, you - as the end user, are surely in for a treat.