So, you want to treat yourself to a new flat screen TV. Congratulations! The options are many, and it’s easy to lose direction trying to sift through them. What size screen should you get? What make? What model? Can you believe the salesman – or does he only care about clearing his stocks of aging models?

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All these are important questions, and the answers vary. In this article we’ll try to take a look at one of the first questions you need answered – should you get a Plasma or LCD?

You can decide by answering the following 5 questions. The answers should give you a good direction.

Question 1 – Are you looking for a small or large screen?

It is normal to want the largest screen size you can go for. But with newer models in the upwards of 80 inches, it may not be practical. The first guideline for screen size is price. The larger the screen – the more you’ll have to pay.

However, you should also consider the distance you are going to sit from the TV. There’s no sense in getting a 52 inch plasma if your living room is small and you’ll sit 8 feet away – the screen will just be too large.

As a general rule of thumb, 42 inches is the largest you want to go with LCD. Over that – most LCD TVs sold today just don’t cut it in terms of viewing experience and you really need to go with a plasma.

Question 2 – Will you use the TV for gaming?

If you enjoy playing console games, and are definitely going to use your new flat screen TV for playing, then you should consider the screen burn effect.

A screen burn happens when the same picture is displayed for long periods of time on the screen. In some cases, especially with older plasma models, the picture will remain permanently on the screen. This happens a lot in gaming where at least parts of the picture remain quite constant. With LCDs and newer plasmas this is not a real concern.

Question 3 – Do you want a lower environmental footprint?

If your environmental footprint matters to you, then you need to consider going for LCD. Plasma screens are heavier and larger, and they also consume about 30% more power compared to LCDs. Plasmas also usually have a shorter life expectancy, meaning you’ll need to buy a new TV sooner, and throw away your old one.

Question 4 – Price

If you don’t want to spend too much on your new TV, you should probably go for a plasma – as they cost less than a comparable LCD. Note that this price difference is offset over time due to the higher power consumption with plasmas.

Question 5 – Picture Quality

The picture quality is probably the biggest difference between plasma and LCD sets. Plasmas excel at displaying the black colors – meaning you get more contrast and better quality with dark scenes. LCD screens, due to the technology they use, do not actually display true black. However, it is worthwhile noting that with every new LCD generation the black quality improves.

Older generation LCDs also have a slower response time for changing the picture displayed. This results in picture blurring for fast moving scenes such as a football game. This problem also improves with every new generation, and you should look at the specific model’s response time when you consider buying it.

On the other hand, LCD screens have more pixels than plasmas of the same size. This means that LCDs give you a sharper picture.

So, To Sum It Up

LCD or Plasma – there’s really no one straight answer that fits every one. The answer depends on your specific needs and preferences.

To find the right answer for you – ask yourself the questions above, or read and personalize the TV screens comparison on the Choozza website.