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Flat Panel LCD HDTVs
Flat Panel LCD HDTVs are similar to Plasma HDTVs as they are thin, attractive sets that speak as much about status as they do performance. Additionally, flat panel LCD TVs have phenomenal picture quality when hooked to a high definition source. LCD TVs, however differ from Plasma HDTVs in even more ways. While they are thin, light and bright, they currently do not have the size potential of a Plasma TV. In fact, the largest flat panel LCD TV is only about 46 inches. When an LCD TV gets into that range, they are even more expensive on a per-inch basis than a Plasma HDTV.
A flat panel LCD TV is a brighter set than a Plasma TV so it will look better in a well-lit room, however it does not reproduce black as effectively as a Plasma TV. Additionally, LCDs do not always have a fast "refresh rate" which can make fast-moving programming (such as video games) appear choppy. If you're a gamer, make sure to review an LCDs refresh rate. At the same time, an LCD TV does not suffer from the possibility of "burn in" and has a very long life expectancy (up to 90,000 hours). While large flat panel LCDs are currently expensive, the price is coming down. We expect larger flat panel LCD TVs to compete with Plasma TV technology in the near future. However, at this point a flat panel LCD remains best suited for placement in the kitchen, office or perhaps in a bedroom as the price-value equation works best with smaller sizes such as 17" - 32".
- Pros: Attractive, thin, bright, long life without burn in, awesome HDTV picture
- Cons: Larger sizes over 32" are expensive, do not reproduce black very well, most options are currently small in size
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