If you put the two television sets side by side in a room with light, chances are that you will not see a dramatic difference between the two pictures. However, if the light is turned off, the picture on the plasma TV will appear to be clearer and crisper. This sharper contrast and brightness in the plasma TV is due to more light being blocked from the background. On an LCD TV, some of the background lighting is not effectively blocked, which makes it look like weakened background color.

Another factor in the picture you see when comparing a plasma screen TV with an LCD TV is the angle at which you are viewing it. If you are head on, watching from the center of a room, you will have a more accurate comparison. When you view from an angle, plasma TVs tend to have the edge on the LCD models. The LCD models lose quality in brightness and contrast as you move away from their center. Plasma TVs, then, are great if you plan to put them in a room with a lot of seating options from various angles so more people can see a good picture.

When it comes down to making a decision between choosing a plasma screen TV or an LCD screen TV, the truth is that it is simply a matter of personal taste. Both kinds of television sets have the same approximate life span, about 25 years if the television is watched six hours a day or less. Both even pull the same amount of electricity on which to operate. At one time, this was not the case. In the beginning days of plasma TVs, those models required more power to run them. Advanced technology has evened out that issue over the past few years.

The big advantage that the plasma screen TVs have over the LCD TVs is size. Most plasma TVs are two to five inches thick. The LCD TVs are much thicker. Because of the flat, thin nature of the plasma television, the owner of a plasma TV can choose to wall mount the television. It becomes more of a piece of art than a mere entertainment accessory!