LCD TVs vs Plasma TVs. Which one life longer?

The question rages amongst those who are looking for a tremendous difference between the Plasma and the LCD market, in regards to whose will last the longest.

The simple facts are that the life of your LCD television will last you long enough, that by the time your back light goes on you, you’ll be in the market for a new television all together.
Early flat-screen TVs, especially plasmas, were notorious for their limited lifespan. Measured in terms of half-life, the LCD monitor has improved dramatically with the latest technology, however, not to an eternal length of time.

The general rule of thumb is that an LCD television will last longer than a plasma TV, if care is taken. From this conclusion, people have started thinking that LCD displays will last forever, and that they don’t suffer wear and tear over time. Of course, neither one of these things are true. LCDs are said to have a slightly longer lifespan to plasmas, but the difference is not particularly significant. Plasma’s half life ranges between 30,000 to 50,000 hours, while LCD offers around 60,000 hours.

In viewing terms, if you were to watch your TV for an average of 4-6 hours a day, then a screen with a half life of 30,000 hours will last you over 16 years, which should be a significant enough time for the technology advancements to completely outdate your television. Based on scientific tests, the research has concluded that flat-panel LCD screens have a lifespan around 60,000 hours. Some manufacturers have made claims that their LCDs can last up to 80,000 hours, in standard viewing atmospheres. Whether 60,000 hours or more, the point is LCD screens will last a very, very long time.

Now comes the point of qualifying how enduring the quality of the monitor will be. LCD displays have historically shown some wear from extended usage. This generally comes from the powerful lamps use to generate the light source for the liquid crystals to produce the displays on. If you’ve ever had to change a light bulb, you know that over time lights lose power and dim. LCD displays will do the same over time, because the lamp will become less powerful. Not only can they cause dimness, but because they are fluorescent bulbs, they can cause colors to become unbalanced.

Many televisions over time experience this. You may have witnessed a television that has a green tint, or a red one, and wondered what causes this. This is where the lifespan of your television has become compromised, as the colors have become unbalanced from the aging of the fluorescent lights.

Now of course it is possible to change the lamp for both plasmas and LCDs, but not all manufacturers offer this service, and the cost is usually greater than the expense of simply buying a new TV. There are several technical problems that can afflict flat screens during their lifespan, including dead pixels, backlights and, in plasmas, screen burn-in, where a lasting image leaves an imprint on the screen. But manufacturers don’t usually offer repairs and therefore it’s best to find a screen with a good guarantee. Equally important to extending the lifespan of a flat-screen TV is finding a model with a future-proof specification. This includes features such as integrated Freeview, high-definition compatibility and multiple HDMI connections.

In other words, LCD TVs will last as long as the light sources will. This means that the light source is the most critical aspect, regarding the lifespan of your LCD television screen.

To get maximum extension out of your light source, you will want to adjust the contrast setting on your LCD TV. The higher your contrast, the more premature your light source will weaken. This means you want to address your contrast setting to find the best picture display. Typically, the more light you have in your room, the higher your contrast level will be. Keep this in the consideration, when considering how long you like your LCD television lifespan to last.

Overall there is a set limit to the possible life of your monitor; however there are certain factors that can cause your LCD to come short of this estimated timeline. So whether it’s 60,000 or 80,000, or even more if you can keep your room temperatures at a constant, the fact remains that it will outlast a Plasma. And a definite is that by the time your LCD does go out on you. It was time for a new one anyway!!