LCD / LED / Plasma TV FAQs

With promotional prices starting at S$899, a coveted plasma TV is within reach of most shoppers. But now that you can get a 42-inch LCD for just S$200 more, plasmas have to depend on factors other than price to remain competitive against their LCD nemeses.

Picture quality varies greatly between different brands, so be sure to read reviews before you plonk down your cash. Most plasmas can produce near CRT-quality blacks, with excellent color and viewing angles. That said, some similarly sized LCDs and LEDs also have higher resolutions, delivering more details and smooth game graphics.

Burn-in: This occurs when an image--such as a network logo or letterbox bars--gets etched permanently onto the screen because it sits in one place too long. In our experience, this issue has been greatly exaggerated. The burn-in risk is greatest during the first 100 or so hours of use, during which time you should keep contrast low (less than 50 percent) and avoid showing static images for hours at a time. Many plasmas also have burn-in-reduction features such as screensavers and pixel orbiting, or functions to treat burn-in once it occurs, such as causing the screen to go all white.

Plasma lifespan: Most plasma makers today rate their latest models as having a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours before the display fades to half brightness. On average, that works out to more than 17 years before the set reaches half-brightness.

Upside:	Downside:	Forecast:
Best black levels; very good home theater image quality in best examples; wide viewing angle.	Slight potential for burn-in; reflective screen; lower native resolution than similarly sized LCDs and LEDs for entry-level models.	More 50-inch and larger full-HD models to come, cementing plasma's place as a favorite among videopiles and enthusiasts.

Flat LCDs are extremely popular in screen sizes below 47 inches, thanks to their widespread availability and vast selection. Larger LCDs--as big as 70 inches--remain more expensive than plasma, but in the critical 40- to 42-inch size range, LCD prices have dropped precipitously to as low as S$1,099 during sales.

The LCD picture quality has historically suffered from poor black levels, but the latest versions are much improved. That's because LCDs cannot achieve true black since there's always some light leaking through the pixels. In this respect, color saturation is also affected as well.

Viewing angle: This is another LCD weakness compared to plasma. Some brightness and color shift can be visible when we watch from an angle that's far from the sweet spot right in front of the TV (to either side, above and below). Higher-end models based on In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology and derivatives such as Super-IPS and Alpha-IPS are known to perform dramatically better in this department.

Motion reproduction: LCD spec sheets often talk about response time, but in our experience, almost all newer LCDs have adequate response time to deal with fast motion. To further boost image fluidity, many vendors have also introduced 100Hz and 200Hz engines. Some of them are implemented using frame interpolation and/or backlight-scanning processing.

Upside:	Downside:	Forecast:
Higher resolution than comparable-sized plasmas; no danger of burn-in; available in a wide range of sizes.	Relatively expensive for 60-inch and larger panels; black level quality generally not as good as plasma due to backlighting; relatively narrower viewing angle.	Flat-panel LCD will continue to be the most popular HDTV technology, thanks to falling prices and strong manufacturer support.

LED TVs are a subset of LCD panels. Rather than use conventional cold cathode florescent lamps (CCFL) to illuminate the LCD pixels, they employ tiny light-emitting diodes. There're two predominant types used by the vendors based on conventional rear (back) and the latest edge lighting with street prices starting at S$2,199.

Backlit LED TVs also support the local dimming function which independently illuminates different clusters of pixels. This produces plasma-like blacks in scenes with concurrent dark and bright details as opposed to global dimming used in edgelit models. That said, the latter employs fewer diodes, which allow for slimmer TVs and higher power savings.

Energy efficiency: An LED TV consumes the least power among all HDTVs with a substantial energy savings of up to 40 percent compared with a conventional lamp-based LCD model. The other major benefits of using light-emitting diodes include an extended panel lifespan, low heat emission and better eco-friendliness. The latter is due to the mercury-free design of these energy-efficient bulbs.

Ultraslim design: Another advantage of edge lighting is that it frees up space behind the screen, which significally reduces bezel depth, giving rise to a family of ultraslim panels measuring as thin as 29.1mm in width. Putting aside the "wow" factor, these lightweight displays are much easier to install. Some can even be suspended on a special steel wire wall-mounting kit, just like a photo frame.

Upside:	Downside:	Forecast:
Plasma-like blacks on top of most of LCD's advantages; high energy efficiency; ultraslim design.	The priciest among all HDTVs; limited screen sizes from 40-inch and above; relatively narrower viewing angle.	LED TVs will gradually replace their LCD counterparts, though the former is probably going to cost a premium in the following years.

Some TVs are a fully capable 120Hz set and offers the Auto Motion Plus feature that enhances said 120Hz image. This set will always upscale your 60Hz signal to 120Hz, regardless of any settings you may have active. However, in order to receive the full 120Hz benefit (judder and blur reduction, and frame interpolation), you will need to have AMP active. The reason you are seeing the 60Hz in the info box is because the info box only displays the signal’s actual Hz and screen resolution and not the info of the picture on the screen after the TV processes it. Meaning that the 60Hz you are seeing is the signals actual Hz and not the screen’s Hz. Currently there is no way to display the screen’s Hz in the info box.

LCD traditionally uses a CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlighting system that runs across the rear internal portion of the unit to illuminate the LCD panel from behind. This lamp technology enjoys a tremendous following of enthusiasts, and translates into years of enjoyment of an affirmed, reliable and trusted technology.

LED is relatively new on the market, and uses specialized versions of the LED lights that have been used for years. It allows panels to be lit either from behind the panel (replacing the CCFLs with LEDs), or from the side using an efficient energy friendly infrastructure that emits light evenly behind the panel in order to illuminate the entire LCD panel equally, called EDGE-LED. EDGE-LED Technology has a few additional benefits in that the design of the LED panel can be slimmer than traditional LCD panels and reduces energy consumption.

LED also has a few additional benefits, such as offering an accurate and natural color, as well as increased performance with black levels. LED is also free from toxic materials, such as of mercury, lead or volatile organic compounds.

Samsung's LCD-LED TVs have an average life expectancy of up to 100,000 hours (this is under optimal viewing conditions. Please refer to the manual for more information). After a period of time, all TVs will need to have their settings readjusted for optimal picture quality, regardless of technology. That means you could run the TV continuously for around 11.5 years (not that I'm recommending this!). So I guess what I'm trying to say is, yeah, it'll last for a LONG time.

The Live or Hyper Real look to your picture is caused by the 120Hz motion of the panel, though it can be deactivated by turning off Auto Motion Plus. To turn off AMP, head into the TV's menu, then to the Picture sub-menu. In the Picture sub-menu, scroll down and click on "Picture Options". There, you should see Auto Motion Plus if you scroll down a bit. Adjust the setting or turn the option off to eliminate the Hyper Real look to your picture. Please note, your panel will always display at 120Hz, irregardless of what AMP settings or what the infobox may display. By turning off AMP though, the TV will deactivate the frame interpolation that causes the Hyper Real feel to the signal.

For 2010, Internet@TV is an internet content feature that allows you to access the Yahoo Widgets Engine and the Samsung Apps engine (only available on some of the 2010 "C" TVs). These Applications allow you to access internet content from Netflix, Blockbuster, Twitter, Flickr, Pandora, Games from EA and many other Apps right from an internet connected TV.

Edge Lit LED TVs will provide you with a TV that is ultra thin in depth (between 1.2" to .9"), offer lower energy consumption numbers then both traditional LCD and Back-Lit LED TVs, and provide you with superb color representation and very high contrast ratios ( up to 8,000,000:1 on the C8000 LEDs). Although there are no true Back-Lit LED TVs in Samsung's line up for 2010 thus far (unfortunately, I do not have any info on these sets yet), the back-lit LEDs will offer even higher contrast ratios, consume a little bit more energy and be slightly thicker then their Edge-Lit counterparts. When trying to choose the best TV for you, its always best to visit your local Best Buy store for a side by side comparison of the different technologies. Asking which is best is subjective, however; with only the purchaser (in this case you) knowing truly which TV would be best after careful examination.

You may have already received an answer to this, but I will put in my 2 cents...

The "LED" in the new models just means that it is an LCD TV that uses LED backlighting. This means that you will get a higher contrast ratio which is extremely important for your picture quality. When looking for a TV you should look for the contrast ratio (ex. 100,000:1). The higher that number is, the better. You will have richer blacks and brighter whites, which will enhance your colors as well.

As far as the 60hz or 120hz, or heck they even have 240hz now...it does make a large difference. Its really hard to explain how it works, but samsung markets the technology as "automotion". It makes the transitions between frames extremely smooth, and the resulting picture is kind of a weird experience, almost like your looking out of a window or something. Your best bet is to go into sears or best buy and look at the picture of a normal 60 hz tv, and then look at a comparable model that has the automotion, you will definitely see the difference and understand what Im talking about.

I recently bought a Samsung 46 inch LED LCD with 120hz automotion and I absolutely love it. The contrast ratio for that model is 4,000,000:1

Hopefully this helps some.