Whether you need a TV for your home, want to hire a TV for an event, or are hosting a corporate presentation, you will need the right TV to suit your purpose.

Options include plasma TVs, LCD TVs and LED LCD TVs. But with all the jargon, it’s confusing. And it can be difficult to know which screen type is best for you.

But fear not! Here, we have deciphered the lingo and explained the true differences for you!

Plasma TV Screens

Truth be told, plasma TVs are old technology. Samsung, LG and Panasonic stopped producing plasmas in 2013/2014. So, if you are looking to hire a TV screen for an event, we wouldn’t recommend hiring a plasma – LCDs and LED LCDs are the way to go.

How Do They Work?

Essentially, the plasma TV consists of cells and inside each cell are two glass panels. A neon-xenon gas is injected and sealed within the gap between the glass panels.

When using a plasma TV, the gas generates red, green and blue light which creates an image on the TV screen.

Key Features

• Pro – Flat and thin
• Pro – Good colour accuracy and saturation
• Pro – Cheaper than LCD or LED TV screens
• Con – Not as bright as LCD or LED screens
• Con – Use more energy compared to LCD and LED screens
• Con – Shorter display life-span
• Con – Screen-burn of static images
• Con – Not suitable for rooms with ambient light (screen glare)
• Con – Heat generation due to the burning of phosphors (gas)

 

LCD TV Screens

You will likely be most familiar with these TV screens – you may even have one in your home, courtesy of JB Hifi or Harvey Norman. LCD screens are still popular both for household and commercial use.

However, not all TVs are created equal. The type of LCD screen in your home (a ‘domestic’ or ‘consumer’ screen) should be different from the type of LCD screen used for events, digital signage, or corporate applications (for these applications you would need a prosumer, semi-commercial or commercial screen).

So, keep this in mind when buying or hiring your LCD screen – make sure it suits your purpose.

How Do They Work?

LCD stands for ‘liquid crystal display.’ It consists of two layers of polarizing film and a layer of liquid crystals between the two films. These liquid crystals allow light to filter through when electricity is passed through them. The crystals do not produce light on their own however – there are millions of fluorescent lights at the back of the screen to produce the light, as well as shutters to control the passage of light through the liquid crystals.

Key Features:

• Light and thin
• Does not emit harmful electromagnetic radiation
• Fluorescent lights to illuminate the images on-screen
• More energy-efficient than plasmas
• Does not generate a true-black colour
• No burn of static images
• Cool running temperature

 

LED LCD TV Screens 

Essentially, an LED LCD TV is a type of LCD screen, it just uses LEDs instead of fluorescent lights. Technically you could call them ‘LED-backlit LCD TV’ screens, but mostly they are called LED LCD screens.

How Do They Work?

LED stands for ‘light emitting diodes’. LED screens are very similar to LCD screens, except that they use LEDs instead of fluorescent lights to illuminate the images on screen.

LEDs can be placed at the back of the screen (known an ‘backlit LEDs’ or ‘full array lighting’), or around the edges of the screen (known as ‘edge lighting’).

Key Features:

• LEDs to illuminate the images on screen
• Slimmer than LCD screens
• Much better image quality
• Sharper colours and more realistic images
• Very energy-efficient
• Very bright
• Great viewing in a room with ambient light
• Produce a better picture than LCD screens

 

So, this gives you an overview of the different kinds of TV screens commonly available.  Whether you are considering buying one for your home or hiring a TV screen for an event, make sure it fits your purpose!

 

What You Need to Remember

Whether you are buying or hiring a TV screen, you need to consider:

1). where the TV will be located;

2). the amount of ambient light in the location;

3). what size of TV will be most suitable in the location; and

4). what content will be displayed.

If you are wanting a TV for a professional or commercial application, we would recommend a semi-commercial or commercial TV screen.

Think of it this way, you wouldn’t drive a Mini across the Nullarbor Desert – you’d need a good SUV which has the power and performance to ‘do the job.’ This analogy applies to TVs – don’t hire a ‘domestic’ TV screen if you are using it for a high-profile event or corporate presentation, trust us, the difference is obvious.

For all your screen hire needs, contact the experts at Mega Vision today!