LCD versus Plasma – 42 inch LCD TV

42 inch LCD TV

By Anne Ahira

Many people want to upgrade their existing televisions to a larger size, and 42 seem to be a popular number. It is quite a bit larger than standard TV’s but not necessarily, what you would consider a big screen.

In recent years, the choices in technology have increased considerably. You now have a choice between LCD and Plasma televisions. In a side-by-side comparison, the LCD seems to win. However, what are the differences and which should you choose – 42 inch LCD TV or plasma?

Video Game or Computer

Believe it or not, some people get a kick out of using their 42 inch LCD TV as a computer screen! The question is can you do this with a plasma screen? The answer is no, due to burn in factor it is likely not a good idea.

Plasma screen televisions have a bad habit of burning an image that is displayed for long periods, into the screen. Depending on manufacturer, this can happen quickly or over extended use. LCD on the other hand does not have this problem.

If you have a video gamer in the house, your best bet will be to go with the 42 inch LCD TV instead of plasma for this very reason.

Repeated displays of the characters on the screen could leave you with a permanent image of Crash Bandicoot on your set!

Power Consumption

With all the news about energy consumption and going green energy, consumption has become top priority for consumers. A 42 inch LCD TV will consume about half what a plasma screen will. This is due to the LCD’s florescent lighting.

Picture Quality

A 42 inch LCD TV will have a slightly better picture resolution than plasma. The demand today is for a television that will produce high definition images. The lowest resolution of an LCD TV is easily 1366×768, high definition by any standard. Plasma on the other hand is 1024×768, not high def but close enough that it is hard to tell the difference.

In picture quality, the differences between a 42 inch LCD TV and plasma is too close to call. It will pretty much come down to other considerations, such as price, size and need.

Price

No comparison is complete without talking about price. Comparison shopping on Amazon brought these results:

• 42 inch LCD TV- LG 42LB5D- This unit was advertised at $999.00 for a brand new model and $899.00 for a refurbished one.
• 42 in Plasma- LG 42PG20- This model weighed in at $899.00

Prices will vary from one retailer to the next and according to brand. The one clear piece of information is this as technology has increased the price differential has decreased.

Choosing a new television leaves you a lot to think about. After you have weighed the pros and cons of each type of television, you will have to decide on manufacturer. That many times comes down to personal choice or brand loyalty. Overall, the 42 inch LCD TV has the advantage in most aspects. Happy hunting!

Also, check out my other guide on LG LCD TV and Cheap LCD TV

Here's 42 inch LCD TV Selections:

LG 42LH30 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black...	Customer Review: The TV picture is great. I did have some issue with the HDMI connection being not tight enough, but I am blaming that on the cable (see below, you can read my review on that page).The one other issue I have with this tv is the strange little "bump o... Read More	(22)
Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with...	Customer Review: Before you buy this tv, google toshiba regza sound problems!!!!!Toshiba acknowledges they have a problem with ALL of their regza series tv's and they admit they do not have a fix for it. They should recall all of these tv's and stop selling them unt... Read More	(39)
LG 42LH40 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Gloss Blac...	Customer Review: Excellent Product. Specs perfect for what i was looking for. Ease of purchase transaction was great through Amazon.....Would Highly Recommend..... Read More	(71)
LG 42LH50 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz Broadband LCD HDTV, ...	Customer Review: I have been looking at LCD TV's for over a year and reading reviews like this one that I am giving for a TV that I would have to live with. I also based my decision on the spec-sheet given out by the manufactures. I found that the bigger the integ... Read More	(28)
Samsung LN46B530 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV...	Customer Review: Found this TV by accident at Walmart the Saturday after black Friday (they didn't sale all of them). The price was right in my budget of less then $800. THE best decision I could have made. As of after the first of the year I have not seen any price ... Read More	(33)