There is a common misunderstanding that LCD televisions do not get a burn in, but that is simply not true. While the Plasma TV might be more susceptible to burn in, LCD TVs can still fall victim to this curse. However, burn in is becoming less of a problem as major television producers are learning how to control it. While a faint stain will remain, it will slowly fade with time. So if burn in is not the major difference between LCD and plasma televisions then what is? The two televisions are actually entirely different technologies. They use completely different modes for projecting an image on the screen, thus resulting in separate but equal quality. At this point in time, it is very hard to really put one above the other in terms of quality.
Plasma televisions use thousands of pixels that pulse to create colors with natural gases. By using neon and xenon gases, they exude a red, blue and green blend, making for a crisp picture, particularly with darker colours. The LCD TV on the other hand uses liquid crystals aided by a lamp light to display a picture onto the screen. Through this system, the LCD TV fares well with brighter colors, making it quite the opposite of a plasma TV in that regard. The unique pixel method of plasma TVs makes for a wide range of colours. What the LCD TV lacks in colour, it makes up for in crisp imaging.
With both technologies you will always run into the problem of finding the right place to sit. The viewing angles on these newer televisions have not quite been figured out yet. If you sit too far to one side, you might see nothing more than a blank screen. Plasma TVs are nearing a point where you can get a fairly clear view from the side, but it is still far from perfect and I am guessing that it will be another couple of years before you can truly view your LCD or plasma from a 180 degree angle.
