As South Africa migrates to HDTV, consumers need to decide whether to opt for LCD or gas plasma screens.<\/p>\n
Brad Buchanan, the group buyer at discount retailer Game, says the choice is one of preference, though the viewing patterns and the home play a part.<\/p>\n
LCD is the flavour of the moment as it is seen as a newer technology, but both screens have their pros and cons. For example, a room that has plenty of light might call for an LCD screen due to its non-reflective plastic screen. However, people who watch a lot of sport and action movies may prefer gas plasma.<\/p>\n
LCD screens have some motion judder, or response lag, though the technology is improving and the lag has reduced significantly.<\/p>\n
“The serious sports or action movie fan may want to go for gas plasma, though there is very little in it these days,” Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
That does not mean people should opt for gas plasma regardless; LCD screens tend to have better picture quality. “LCD resolution is crisper and clearer. LCD picks up the colours much better than plasma. Another important consideration is the size of the room. The larger the room, the larger the screen you will tend to need,” Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
In terms of screen life, he notes that some people reckon gas plasma screens burn out sooner than LCDs, but a plasma screen that is used eight hours a day will last at least 16 years. With the pace of technology, most people will have replaced their TV set long before that.<\/p>\n
On the issue of sound, all HD sets have HDMI inputs for plugging in sound systems such as surround sound. “The HDMI slots allow you to install a home theatre system, a PVR, and if there is a third you can also install a PlayStation 3,” Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
People who have several gaming consoles may wish to install an adaptor that plugs into the screen. This prevents damaging the sockets on the screen itself through pulling out and plugging in and it is cheaper to replace an adapter than to repair the screen. <\/p>\n
Gerdus van Eeden, chief technology officer at MultiChoice, says full HD is better suited to larger formats such as projectors or screens bigger than 50 inches.<\/p>\n
Most broadcasts are still in standard definition (SD) so the screen will need to cope with mixed usage.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Van Eeden said, people should ask stores to set up an LCD screen next to a plasma display and ask them to show an SD broadcast on both so they can compare the two. <\/p>\n
Next, put an HD signal through the two sets and compare.<\/p>\n