TV: LCD vs. DLP vs. plasma
2005/08/22 14:11:44
I am leaning toward an LCD rear-projection TV because I don't want to deal with the rainbow effect of DLP rear-projection sets or the burn-in issues with plasma flat panels. I hate the fact that I have to replace a bulb every few years, but it's only a couple hundred bucks, so I guess I can stomach it. Have any strong opinions about one technology over another? Thanks.
-- Submitted by: Nesby
Answer by:
John Morris, CNET.com
First, you need to decide whether you want a microdisplay (also known as a rear-projection set) or a flat panel, such as a plasma or LCD TV. There are three basic types of rear-projections: LCD (liquid-crystal display), DLP (digital light processing), and LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon).
Rear-projections are thinner and lighter than the CRT rear-projection sets that are still kicking around, but for the most part, you still can't hang a microdisplay on the wall. By contrast, you can easily hang a plasma or LCD TV on the wall, but they are not widely available in very large sizes, and they cost significantly more, inch for inch. Each type of microdisplay has its pros and cons, but they all use a lamp that needs to be replaced every few years, so that shouldn't be a factor.
The rainbow effect you mention has been an issue specifically with DLP rear-projection sets, which use a colour wheel to create red, green, and blue. Some viewers can see streaks of colour on DLP TVs, especially when moving their eyes across the screen. Newer and faster color wheels, however, have significantly reduced the rainbow effect, and most people never see it at all. Furthermore, DLP has some performance advantages over competing technologies, including the deepest black levels of any projection technology (though LCD is coming on strong) and high resolution chips that show every pixel of high-definition sources.
As far as plasma TVs go, that danger of burn-in has been greatly exaggerated. Burn-in occurs when a relatively static image such as a stock ticker, a network logo, or a letterbox bar gets etched permanently onto the screen. The potential for burn-in is greatest during the first 100 or so hours of use, during which time you should keep contrast rather low (less than 50 percent) and avoid showing static images or letterbox bars on the screen for hours at a time. After this initial phase, plasma should be as durable as any television technology. Many panels also have burn-in-reduction features, such as screensavers and pixel orbiting. Under normal viewing conditions, you should have nothing to worry about.
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Mick C
19/04/2008 05:11 AM
I have owned an LG 60" DLP tv for about 8 months now, and I love it. I have no issue with 'rainbowing' and in 1080i (max) it is a stunning picture. Blue-Ray movies via my PS3 and HDMI Cabling are really good. Best value big TV you can get in my opinion.
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