The Flat Panel Display market in India is maturing and coming of age. Today, the Indian customer is prepared to spend a little more to lay his hands on an attractive and technology-laden product.
Today, buying a television set can be quite a difficult task, especially if you are looking for an LCD or Plasma. Choices are galore. Moreover, there are some myths about the technologies, too. Unlike what many believe, there are major differences between the two types and you can’t substitute one type for the other merely on their looks.
Plasma TV screen consists of millions of multi-coloured gas-filled cells. When electricity passes through the cells, they light up and produce a picture. LCD (liquid crystal display) TV screens are made up of a thin layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates. When electricity is sent through the crystals, arrays of tiny multi-coloured pixels light up to create a picture. LCD TV screens are thinner and lighter than plasma screens. They are the most apt screens for computers, and are quickly gaining popularity as TV screens as they have an eye-catching high look and high brightness Regarding screen life, both Plasma and LCD TVs have a screen life of about 60,000 hours. In terms of viewing experience, LCDs score well on data-related displays as the image is almost fixed and the changeover time is more. However, in Plasmas, it is more for pure entertainment purpose and gives a home theatre feel like experience. It is good for fast-moving picture and has fast response time of 0.001ms.
Also earlier, LCD screens had a tendency to blur images, particularly during fast-moving scenes in movies or in sports. While that was true for older generation LCD screens, newer models have improved significantly so much so that the differences in performance between LCDs and plasmas in this regard are almost negligible. Earlier, a consumer who would opt for a 29-inch TV did not have the options in Plasma as smaller screen sizes were not available. With demand increasing, the starting screen size for Plasma now is 32 inches .The 32-inch Flat Panel Display is an affordable solution for buyers looking for plasma TVs in a small size range where LCD TVs are dominant. Thus, there is a gradual increase in the consumer base too.
When it comes to pricing, it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a large-screen TV, larger plasma TVs are currently cheaper than similar-sized LCD TVs. LCD’s price ranges from Rs.17,000 to Rs.2.5 lakh and Plasmas price range is from Rs.38,000 to Rs.3.5 lakh. At the end, it does not matter who wins the battle between Plasmas and LCDs for a wider viewing experience, as it is the customer who will be the ultimate winner. He is the one who will be the final choice maker. For customers, LCD and Plasma technologies are alternative. For LG, both LCD and Plasma are complementary.
