When it comes to choosing TVs today, things are pretty complicated. Plasma, LED, and LCD TVs are technologies that are tied together in similar packages, but they are all HDTVs. Plasma TVs use individual pixel cells that excite neon and xenon gases with the help of electrical pulses and maintain the exact balance of green, blue, or red phosphor contained in each cell. LCD screens use liquid crystal diodes placed between two sheets of glass and only the backlight would differentiate them from LED television. LED TVs use light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, while LCD TVs use CFL fluorescent lights.

LED televisions employ two main types of backlighting, local dimming and edge lighting. Edge lighting has light-emitting diodes that surround the perimeter of extremely thin constructed panels. Local dimming includes a collection of LED lights on the back of the panel that can be managed to reduce the reach of the backlight on dark sections of the screen and increase it on bright sections for higher contrast and enhanced blacks.

Picture quality

Plasma TVs are better in standard lighting conditions and are considered better HDTVs, while LCD TVs are best used in brightly lit areas like the breakfast room. LED technology has improved the contrast level of the LCD screen. LCD monitors are best for public presentations such as airport and department store signage, as these areas are well lit.

LCD panels would generate dark tones by obstructing the backlight passing through the panel, an integral problem with the technology but one that was solved by LED TVs’ local dimming method. LCDs will have dimmer whites compared to Edge-lit LEDs, while LED TVs’ colored backlights will have better color accuracy and viewing angles compared to LCDs.

Fast motion video playback

Plasma TVs work best with fast-moving images, while LED and LCD TVs have issues with blurring and minor delays in motion response. But the recent refresh rate of the LED TV has decreased motion blurs.

use of the computer

LCD screens are good at displaying still images and even with heavy use; the screens would still show full color detail and no signs of screen burn. Plasma TVs cannot withstand prolonged use and would eventually show signs of screen burn-in, but the time required for this to happen would largely depend on the anti-burn technology employed by the manufacturers.

Longevity

Both LED and LCD manufacturers have claimed displays to last for 100,000 hours, meaning the display will only last if the backlight does. But CFL fluorescent backlights can last a long time, except that the white balance will change once the fluorescent light ages. Plasma TVs, on the other hand, employ noble gas glow technology and last only half as long as LCDs. It will last until the phosphoric rudiments fade.

power consumption

Locally dimmed LED TVs use more power compared to LCDs with a similar screen size, about the same power usage as plasma TVs. Edge reads LED TVs, on the other hand, have lower power consumption compared to similarly sized LCDs.

So when it comes to HD TV, plasma TVs have well-defined contrast levels, which makes them a bit more advanced in quality. But LED and LCD technologies are determined to achieve comparable levels of superiority.