Customers in rent to own stores who are considering purchasing or renting a flat panel TV frequently ask which is better - LCD or plasma TV? The answer to this question is that it all depends. In order for the customer to make the correct decision about which is best, several important considerations must be taken into account. To begin with the customer should consider which of the two types looks best. This means which screen image looks best, and also which type of frame fits the existing furniture scheme. Another consideration is what light conditions in the viewing environment might cause glare or make the image difficult to see. Similarly, the viewing angle must be taken into account - whether the customer will be seeing the screen straight-on, or from the side. Another consideration is whether computer programs or games such as Sony Playstation or Nintendo Wii will appear on the screen. Another question to ask is whether the customer will be watching primarily sports, movies, or video games. The customer has to consider what size screen he or she prefers; and how much money he or she is prepared to spend.

The LCD and plasma screens offered by the rent to own industry both measure about four inches deep and so both can be considered to be flat panel TV’s. However the two types use very different technology in order to create an image. In an LCD there is a matrix consisting of thin transistors which supply the voltage to film cells of liquid crystals between two glass sheets. These liquid crystals open and close in response to an electrical charge, and this action filters the white light from a lamp located behind the screen by blocking out certain wavelengths of light to produce specific colors. The vibrant color of LCD screens is due to the intense light which shines through the banks of liquid crystals. Plasma screens, on the other hand, consist of thousands of pixels which permit electrical impulses to excite neon and xenon gas. The pixels are basically tiny florescent light bulbs on a black background which receive impulses from the TV signal. The pixels glow when excited, which produces light. Red, blue, and green phosphors in the pixels mix to make up the entire spectrum of colors visible on the screen.

Although plasma TV screens have a higher contrast and deeper levels of black, LCD screens are getting better all the time, and many tier one brands of LCD screens currently perform almost as well as plasma screens. Also, a plasma screen has the ability to produce over 16,000,000 colors, so plasma screens have traditionally demonstrated higher color accuracy than LCD’s. But the newest LCD screens are almost up to plasma screens in reproducing color fidelity and hence quality-wise are an equivalent rent to own business opportunity. Because LCD screens are so bright and don’t glare as much as plasma screens, LCD performance beats plasma in bright rooms. On the other hand plasma screens perform better than LCD screens when viewed at an angle, although the newest LCD screens are almost as good as plasma screens in this department and LCD technology is closing the gap.

If the screen is going to be used in conjunction with a computer, then LCD is clearly the better choice. On the other hand, if the customer will be using it primarily for sports, video games, or any programs involving fast motion, then plasma looks better than LCD. When it gets down to the question of price for screens 42 inches or larger (plasma is not used in smaller screens), then plasma clearly is less expensive per inch than LCD.

Thus both plasma and LCD are viable rent to own industry options. Customers of rent to own stores have to carefully consider their own particular needs and viewing conditions to make a wise choice. Both plasma and LCD have their pros and cons which can make either type the best rent to own business opportunity in an individual case.

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Tags: Industry, Plasma