LCD Television Identification

• An LCD, or liquid crystal display, television uses liquid crystals to illuminate the on-screen pixels of a movie or television show. LCDs are the successor to CRT, or cathode ray tube, televisions, which were popular for decades before the advent of new viewing technology.
  
  

Plasma Television Identification

• A plasma screen television uses plasma cells to light on-screen pixels. Unlike LCD sets, plasma televisions use phosphors in their lighting procedures. This technology can cause images to be burned into the screen long after the image has disappeared. Newer plasma models, however, have largely addressed this issue.
  
  

Advantages of LCD

• An LCD television set possesses several advantages over most plasma models. For one, LCD sets are cheaper. They also come in all sizes, whereas there are no plasma models for smaller (sub-35 inch) needs. LCD televisions are seen as more reliable because they do not have the burnt-in image problem of some plasma sets.
  
  

The Smartest Choice

• The best choice between a plasma or an LCD screen depends on your needs and budget. Though LCD sets have many advantages, their picture quality is typically poorer than that of their plasma counterparts. If general viewing on a budget is your aim, an LCD television will serve you well. However, if budget is of less concern than picture and color quality, plasma may be the way to go.