Flat-out fight: LCD vs. plasma HDTVs

Updated December 19, 2005

We've been talking about the pros and cons of the two flat-panel TV display technologies, plasma and LCD, for quite a while now, and we usually end the discussion with something like, "Plasma wins, since it's less expensive and has better picture quality." Well, we recently got a chance to review two of the best examples of flat-panel LCD technology yet: Sony's 40-inch Bravia KDL-V40XBR1 and Philips's 42PF9830A. If these new models are any indication, the gap has narrowed quite a bit. Both can deliver home-theater-worthy picture quality, characterized by relatively deep shades of black that previous flat-panel LCDs just can't match.

So does that make us want redeclare a winner in the plasma vs. LCD prizefight? Not quite yet. The best plasmas still deliver better image quality for home theater, with deeper, more detailed blacks than LCDs, and LCDs' resolution advantage just isn't that noticeable in most circumstances. And perhaps most importantly, you'll have to pay a lot more for the best 40- to 42-inch LCDs than you will to achieve the same image quality with a plasma--although that gap is narrowing quickly as well.

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