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Choosing either a High Definition Plasma TV, or a DLP Projection set
Tim Moore
If you're thinking of acquiring a new TV for your den or living
room, it probably goes without saying that you'd like to have a
high-resolution television with a great picture. But which set
to buy, and more, importantly, which type of television should
you consider buying?
Today, in the "high def" arena, there are a number of choices
available to the consumer: LCD flat panels, High definition tube
televisions, high definition projection televisions, DLP
projection sets, and, of course, plasma televisions. However,
since tube sets and standard projection systems are, for the
most part, on their way out, and since LCD flat panels are still
rapidly evolving (they seem to get bigger and pricier with each
passing month), we'll narrow this discussion to two high
definition television types: plasma sets and DLP projection
sets.
Plasma TV's use hundreds of thousands of tiny cells containing
natural gasses that have phosphors to get their color. DLP (DLP
stands for digital light processing) TV's, on the other hand,
use a system of over 1.5 million micro mirrors used to project
light on or off of a single bulb which is filtered through a
color wheel.
How can you distinguish between the two formats to decide which
is best for you? As with any type of television the first and
foremost consideration is picture quality. Plasma sets,
according to most reviewers, do look better, though the actual
picture quality of a plasma TV is not markedly higher than the
picture quality of a DLP set. In either case, however, a plasma
or a DLP television will represent a major upgrade for anyone
who currently owns a large tube set.
And since the resolution on either format is, a thousand times
better by comparison, any prospective buyer who spends the
occasional Saturday or sunday haunting electronics stores, would
surely be satisfied to own either type.
Size is another consideration to ponder when it comes to
choosing between a plasma or DLP set. DLP projection sets have
come quite a long way from their forebears (those huge box
frames that double as wall units) and now have a depth of only
seven to eight inches. However, DLP televisions still need to
fall a bit further from their family tree--when it comes to size
considerations, plasma sets that are only three and a half
inches deep and can be hung on walls are the clear winner.
So far, you may think the plasma sounds a little better; it's
smaller so it can hang on the wall and it's picture quality is
slightly better. However, there are other things to consider,
aside from size and relative picture quality, such as
maintenance and "lifespan".
While a plasma television does sound better at this point, it
does have a limited lifespan. In fact, at 60,000 hours most
plasmas are dead. At 30,000 hours, the gasses are only half as
bright, therefore your picture is half as bright as when you
bought this expensive object of adulation. Unfortunately, there
is nothing that can really be done about this since all plasma
sets are known to progressively leak gas. By contrast, DLP
projection TV's leak no gas, simply because they have no gas to
leak. DLP technology, instead, uses, a bulb, and therefore a DLP
TV can be repaired "relatively" easily. How easily, of course,
may be up to you. Some DLP sets are user friendly enough that
you can replace the bulb yourself; on the other hand, there are
models for which a technician will be required to accomplish
this. And technicians, as a general rule, are not cheap. Nor are
the replacement bulbs for a DLP TV, as these can cost up to 200
dollars, or more. The solution to the technician problem, of
course, is to find a model that allows the average layman to do
the work.
When it comes to maintenance and lifespan considerations with
regard to either of these high definition formats, consumers can
choose a TV that, at some point, may require costly maintenance,
or a TV that, basically, like people, will be in slow decline
from the day of its "birth".
Price, of course, will probably be the deciding factor in most
consumer's decision-making process. DLP TV's usually cost much
less than plasma televisions, sometimes only half as much.
But, regardless of the choice made by a consumer considering a
DLP projection television or Plasma television, either decision
will represent a major leap forward from a old fashioned tube
tv.
About the author:
The author of this article is Tim Moore, who publishes a website
on http://www.vitaminstuff.com>Vitamins, herbs, and
nutrition which features a section on http://www.vitaminstuff.com/antioxidants.html>Antioxidants
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