So Which Display Technology is Best?

LCD vs. Plasma Screen TVs: The Flat Picture
As mentioned, the Plasma TV has the edge in terms of size, black levels,brightness and, currently, slight refresh rate advantages. Of those parameters, LCD is quickly catching up in terms of refresh rate and will eventually support larger sizes (the largest LCD display is 57” and is manufactured by Samsung). Once this happens, Plasma will lose its edge and LCD technology will win out. Of course, Plasma will also make strides in new performance and all this may change again. As many of the CRT manufacturing plants are slated to convert over to LCD (Sony decided to quietly phase out its 17” and 19” CRT displays by March of this year), you can imagine that the technology as a whole will benefit from smarter, more efficient manufacturing processes. As this happens, prices will continue to drop and the smaller LCD market will drive larger flat panel display products into the homes of consumers.

DLP vs. LCD vs. LCOS Rear Projection Televisions
This is where the competition gets interesting. This is essentially a battle between Texas Instruments, Intel and all of the LCD manufacturers (Sony, Philips, Toshiba, Samsung). Many companies are hedging their bets on this one (Samsung manufactures all 3), however the real winner will be the one who can produce the best picture at the lowest cost. My bet is on DLP or LCOS. DLP is currently in its third iteration (HD2+) and will have its fourth generation product (xHD3) out, or at least announced, by the end of the year. The advances in DLP both current and forthcoming are exceptional, but so is Intel’s LCOS chip which is essentially a densely-packed LCD – creating a finer picture without any of the “screen door” artifacts found in many LCD displays. Intel has claimed that LCOS will enable 50-inch HDTV displays for less than $2,000 within a year.

LCD rear projection does have some advantages, however. It is being developed further and further and will benefit from rapid price drops as manufacturing ramps up and technologies improve. Right now you can find large, HD-ready LCD-based RPTVs for under $1500. A similar DLP or LCOS version (currently) will cost you at least $1000 more.

The Cost Factor: How Much Do I Spend?
How much do you have? Seriously, though, budget and intended use will determine the direction you take in what technology you choose. Those with the strictest budgets will want to break into HDTV via LCD rear-projection or CRT rear projection. At this price range ($1500 - $2000) CRT rear projection will most likely be the better performer, but at the cost of weight and power consumption.

If you are desperate for flat panel, it’s going to be a question of size v. performance. LCDs cost more than Plasma TVs at equal sizes. The reason for this is production yields and undersupply. There is currently a condition of undersupply for many sizes of LCD displays due to the number of manufacturing plants available and the current configuration of those plants. Couple this with lower yields on larger display sizes due to burned out pixels and quality control, and you have a demand situation which forces LCD prices up for larger displays. A fair estimate would be that above 30” an LCD TV costs at least 30-40% more than a comparable Plasma display. If you want the benefits of LCD you will have to pay for it – and we thought Plasma was expensive!

If you are made of money and want the biggest flat panel around, Samsung and LG have been battling it out for years, but Samsung has won largest in both Plasma and LCD this year. They unveiled a 57” LCD TV and an 80” Plasma screen, both are top in their category and are priced at… well, more than you want to know.

So, as always, the choice is up to you. Spend your money wisely, and keep your eyes peeled for the new technologies as they break into the marketplace. Competition is always good and should do well to make all the technologies strive for better performance and lower costs to the consumer.

Enjoy the movies!

Clint DeBoer
President, CD Media, Inc.