Sharp Plasma TV

Sharp Plasma TV

Sharp Plasma TV Advantages

For Sharp Plasma TV, the advantages over LCD, are: Better contrast ratio, better ability to render deep blacks, more color depth, better motion tracking (response time), and more availability in very large screen sizes.

Sharp Plasma TV Television Disadvantages

However, the disadvantages of Sharp Plasma TV vs LCD include: more susceptible to burn-in (although this is not as much of a factor now, due to technology improvements in the past few years), more heat generation (as well as more power consumption), does not perform as well at higher altitudes, screen glare in brightly lit rooms, heavier weight, and more delicate to ship.

The Mercury Issue

Also, one argument that Sharp Plasma TV are making about LCD Televisions is that they use mercury as part of the chemical makeup of the florescent lighting used to illuminate the screen surface.

However, this is a "red herring" with regards to choosing a Sharp Plasma TV over an LCD Television. In LCD sets, the amount of Mercury used is not only small, it never comes in contact with the user. Also, keep in mind that most common high-efficiency florescent lamps also use Mercury.

Mercury is one of the Earth's elements; its existence in nature is a part of natural processes and has both beneficial and non-beneficial uses, just as most other elements and chemical compounds. You are probably in more danger eating fish, that may contain traces of Mercury, a couple of times a week than watching, touching, or using an LCD TV. Also, with the development of LED lighting sources for use in LCD televisions, which is Mercury-free, this issue will resolve itself in the years ahead.

Closing Thoughts

My recommendation is to go to a dealer and really take a look carefully at several Sharp Plasma TV and LCD televisions and compare the performance based on the above factors and narrow down your choices to one or two of both types and make your decision based on what type will give you the most pleasing image, connection flexibility, and fits your overall budget expectations.

However, both Flat Panel Sharp Plasma TV and LCD televisions are viable options for home theater, and, with prices continuing to come down and features and quality continuing to go up, both types are quickly becoming a good value for consumers.