Plasma vs LED TV: Difference and Comparison

Now having a television in a home is not that expensive. A distinct type of television is present in the market according to the customers’ requirements. From cheaper to high-quality, everything is available.

Recently, LCD, LED, and Plasma TVs are popular in the market as they have good picture quality, a high-resolution screens, sound quality, etc. They came in different sizes and with different power consumption. 

Key Takeaways

1. Plasma TV uses plasma cells to create images by lighting small gas pockets with an electrical current.
2. LED TV uses an LED backlight to illuminate the liquid crystal display (LCD) to create an image.
3. Plasma TVs have better color accuracy, contrast, and viewing angles, while LED TVs are more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan.

Plasma TV vs LED TV 

Plasma TV is a type of display that uses small cells containing plasma or electrically charged ionized gases to create images. They are an affordable option but consume high power. LED TV is a television display that uses a backlight comprising of light-emitting diodes (LED) to create images. It is a costly option that consumes less power.

A plasma TV is a television display where the screen of the TV is illuminated by the use of gas diodes or cells present at the back of the screen. These gas cells (plasma cells) are light up when electricity is passed through them. They consume more power and are cheaper. 

LED TV is a television set that uses light-emitting diodes (LED) as the source of the backlight of the screen. They are small and consume 70% less power compared to Plasma TVs. They come in various screen sizes, and so is their varied cost in the market.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Plasma TV	LED TV
Thickness	The thickness of the Plasma TV is less than 1 inch.	The thickness of the LED TV is a minimum of 1.2 inches.
Power Consumption	Consumes more power	Consumes less than 70% power
Screen Size	Above 42 inches	Above 90 inches
Life Span	The life span of the Plasma TV is around 20,000-60,000 hours.	The life span for the LED TV is around 100,000 hours.
Cost	Cheaper	Varies from $100 – $ 25000
View Angle	The color and the brightness of the screen changes with the viewing angle.	The angle is the same throughout the screen.
Screen Thickness	Thick	Quite Thin
Backlight	Absent	Present

What is Plasma TV?

Plasma TV is referred to as the television model, which uses plasma gas as the backlight source to help in displaying images on the screen. Some of the manufacturers of Plasma TVs are – Panasonic, LG, and Samsung. 

Below are the steps of how a Plasma TV works although the working of the Plasma TV is based on fluorescent light bulbs –

• The display of the Plasma TV consists of cells.
• Every individual cell consists of the insulating layer, address anode, display cathode, and is separated by two glass panels. In between the glass panels, neon-xenon gases are filled, which are then sealed in the form of plasma while manufacturing the unit.
• While in use, the electric current charges gas at regular intervals, which further strikes on the red, blue, and green phosphorus, which helps to create images on the screen.
• The group of red, green, and blue phosphors is known as pixels. 

What is LED TV?

LED TVs are said to be the television model which uses light-emitting diodes as a backlighting source to create images rather than using CFLs as the external backlighting source. Some of the companies manufacturing LED TVs are – LG, Philips, Panasonic, Kogan, ProScan, etc. 

Below are the steps of how an LCD TV works –

• In an LCD panel, two transparent, polarized layers are present, which are glued together. 
• On one of the layers, liquid crystal coating is present, which is held by the application of a special polymer.
• From these crystals, electric current is passed through, which allows it to pass or block the light to create the images.
• The LCD crystals in the TV panel do not produce light; therefore, an additional backlighting source must be used, which can be CFL/HCFL or Light-emitting diode (LEDs). These external light source helps to create an image, and the picture is viewed on the screen.

Main Differences Between Plasma and LED TV

1. The thickness of a Plasma TV is said to be about less than 1 inch, while the thickness of an LCD TV is about 1.2 inches or more than that.
2. A plasma TV consumes more power, whereas an LCD TV uses about 70% of the less powerful.
3. The size of the Plasma TV screen is said to be above 42 inches, whereas the size of the LCD TV screen is above 90 inches.
4. Plasma TV is supposed to have a short life span of about 20,000 hours – 60,000 hours, whereas the life span of the LCD TV is believed to be longer than the plasma tv it is about 100,000 hours.
5. Plasma TV is much cheaper, whereas an LCD TV costs between $100 – $25000 in the market.
6. The brightness or color of the screen of a Plasma TV changes with the position of the viewer, whereas the color and the brightness of the screen of LCD remain the same throughout every view angle of the viewer.
7. The screen of a Plasma TV is said to be thicker, whereas the screen of an LCD TV is thinner.
8. Plasma TV sometimes does not have any backlight screen source, while LCD TVs use a light-emitting diode (LCD) as their backlight source. 

References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2637-496X.2011.tb00444.x
2. https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/318265
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11747-012-0305-6

Last Updated : 17 June, 2023