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When shopping for a new television you are bound to come across plasma and LCD televisions when you look at flat screen ratings and new television reviews. But are there certain differences and advantages in one over the other when talking about plasma vs LCD television screens?

The underlying concept is the same. Both create the picture by flashing hundreds of different colored pixels between twenty to thirty times each second to give the impression that the pictures are moving. It is how this process is conducted that varies between plasma and LCD TV's.

Plasma TVs work by producing picture created by small particles of gas superheated with electricity. Because the particles produced, known as plasma pixels, reflect the light they are much brighter than LCD screens. As a result, they look better during the daytime as well as at night. The contrast with plasma pixels is also much better because the pixels can be totally shut off, making the black color even darker.

In LCD TVs light is passed through a grid of red, blue, and green color crystals (one each per pixel) which become selectively opaque when electrical current passes through them. As compared to Plasma TVs which are susceptible to burn over a period of time LCDs do not burn since the pixels do not emit their own light. In plasma TVs one can observe a permanent image on the screen if the same image has been on screen for a longer time. However in modern plasma TVs this takes considerable period of time.

The resolutions of plasma and LCD TVs are the same on average, so their displays will look quite similar. Additionally, both types of TV carry the latest in high definition technology. Another similarity is in the price category. LCD and plasma TVs tend to cost about the same, though very small and very large LCDs tend to be a better bargain.

Choosing one over the other is a matter of compromise. If you plan on using the TV partly as a computer screen, it's better to go with an LCD. If you want the brightest picture available for use in a well-lit area, you need a plasma TV. For the biggest screen possible, get the LCD as they can be used to create rear projection TVs with huge screens. For professional video work, either can do the job well.