Plasma and DLP (Digital Light Processing) televisions are both fairly new technologies, which are competing for the hi-resolution television customers. Their target customers are pretty similar, but the technologies themselves actually differ quite a bit in the way they display their pictures. Plasma TV technology uses hundreds of thousands of individual pixel cells, that glow and produce light to make the pictures on the screen. The DLP televisions use light reflected by over a million mirrors, which is then filtered to produce images on the screen.
When comparing plasma to DLP technology, you really need to compare the most important feature, which is the quality of the picture. The higher level models of plasma televisions are a step ahead in the ‘contrast’ category as they can deliver ratios of about 4000 to 1. Unfortunately, not all the manufactures can actually accomplish this level. The main ratio is more in the neighborhood of 1000 to 1. However, some DLP manufacturers are able to come lose to this ratio of 1000 to 1, but most would fall short of that.
When looking at the clarity of the picture, it can sometimes depend of which model of plasma or DLP you are viewing. Since DLP uses the mirror technology, it appears to have an inherently superb display clarity. On the other hand, plasma uses ‘mega processing and conversion’, which often succeeds at producing crystal clear images. So both can certainly deliver high quality images, a lot depends on other variables such as the signal quality etc.
One place where plasma definably beats out the DLP is in the color saturation and accuracy. With plasma, the colors appear richer, fuller, and deeper. The DLP color often appears hazy or pale when viewed next to a plasma. DLP has good color in most areas, but is often spotty, or missing some colors here and there. DLP televisions are still a relatively new technology, so there should be some improvements in this area down the road.
The DLP televisions are rear-projection devices and therefore better suited for larger sizes. They obviously require a bit of room, but the 40 to 60 inch models can fit pretty well on tabletop stands. Plasma technology allows for an extremely slim design, the norm being a little more than three inches deep. This feature allows them to be mounted in various places. The most popular location is to mount them on walls, which can save a lot of space and make for a cleaner and more stylish looking entertainment area.
The lifespan of DLP units are longer than the plasma. DLP manufacturers list the life of the backlight bulb at around 80,000 hours. This bulb can be replaced for a minimal cost, which means the actual lifespan of the entire unit would be almost indefinite. Plasma, on the other hand, has an estimated lifespan of about 60,000 hours. The gases in plasma TVs cannot be replaced, so there is nothing that you can do to ‘renew’ its lifespan.
The DLP televisions clearly possess an advantage over plasma when looking at the price per viewing inch. DLP technology is much less expensive to produce than plasma as they utilize many common technical materials in their design keeping a lid on the cost of its processors and screens. Plasma TVs have been getting more affordable in the past few years. Many new manufacturing facilities have been opened in China and Korea to produce the glass panels used by plasma televisions, which has been bringing down the cost.
When it comes to deciding which the best overall television is, there are many pros and cons to both. Which one actually performs better based on consumer reviews, often depends on what web site you go to. Some will say that plasma is better than DLP, and others will say that DLP is better than plasma. Either of these televisions would be a great choice. You really have to see them and judge for yourself which one suits you and your pocket book the best.