Anyone who has shopped for a new TV has heard of plasma and LCD screens. If you've researched ratings for flat screens or browsed new television reviews, you've been inundated with information. So, what is the difference between the different types available? What are the advantages and drawbacks for plasmas and LCDs?

The basic idea is identical. A picture is displayed in hundreds of thousands to millions of pieces called pixels, and flashed twenty to thirty times a second to create the perception of motion. The difference in plasma vs LCD TVs is the mechanisms they use to create their pictures.

The plasma television works when small amounts of gas are superheated with electricity to create a picture. The plasma pixels can show brighter than LCDs because they actively throw off light and in turn are better for seeing the screen during daytime hours. The contrast in the image ends up being greater because the pixels shut off completely causing the blacks to be blacker.

In an LCD display, a light is filtered through blue, red, and green crystals, one of which is in every pixel. These crystals can be activated in response to electricity. Since they don't shine on their own, they're less likely than plasma crystals to experience "burn in," or the permanent displaying of an image that has been shown for a while. (Modern plasma screens only experience burn in after a few weeks or months of showing the same image, though.)

There is no difference in potential resolution between plasma vs LCD TVs, meaning the picture can be just as detailed on either one of them as the other, and both are available in all the high definition resolutions the market has to offer. And prices tend to overlap between the two TV technologies, but for very large and very small screens LCDs are the more cost effective option.

To make the right choice, you have to determine what your requirements are. If you need the television to also function as a computer monitor, you should go with an LCD. On the other hand, if you need a really sharp image and the set will be placed in a room with lots of light, you should get a plasma TV. The LCD is the correct option again if you are looking for the largest possible screen, since they come in rear projection versions. If you are working with videos professionally, you'll find that both can handle the job with equal results.

If you're in the market for a new television, you've undoubtedly researched flat screen TVs. You've surely came across the comparison of plasma vs LCD TV. However, have you looked into the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as the flat screen TV ratings? Read the new television reviews, and you will discover it becomes a matter of compromise when you choose one or the other. If are looking to use the television as a computer monitor your best bet is the LCD. If you are looking for the brightest screen for an area brightly lit the plasma television is best.