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Once upon a time, televisions only changed a little bit, and the only big questions you had to answer were how big the screen should be and whether you wanted a floor or portable model. Then three forms of high-def televisions burst onto the scene all at one time, along with a wide variety of new peripherals and trends you could use in your own home, and suddenly the questions became complicated: 720p or 1080p? Projection or flat-screen? and Will the Superbowl look as good on this screen as How Stella Got Her Groove Back?

After looking at screen quality and the amount of room available for the set, most people opted for plasma or LCD TVs. The problem: as the technology advances, it is increasingly hard to see a difference between them. So which one do you choose?

LCD TVs: Sturdy, Functional, and Cheaper

Most of the smaller flat-screen sets you will see are LCD TVs - smaller being below 40 inches. LCD technology has been around for decades, used in a variety of flat electronic displays like wristwatches, but only recently has the size and cost of the electronics involved come down far enough to make LCD technology practical for large scale home applications, first computer monitors and then television sets.

An LCD TV has a very thin screen, no more than two inches deep in most cases, and is easily mountable on the wall. While LCD TVs originally were thought to be limited in size, today's LCD TVs go up to an insane 108 inches, and the limit probably has not yet been reached. This makes them competitive with plasmas even in the high-end large-screen market. They have resolutions available just as good as plasma TVs.

Drawbacks to LCDs include burn-in problems, "dead pixel" issues, and not-quite-black blacks. Most newer LCD TVs are not heavily prone to burn-in, but if you leave a single image on for an extended period, you can get light ghosting that may be permanent. Pressure or damage to an area of the screen can give you a "dead pixel", a spot where a pixel will no longer respond. The most serious problem, though, is the black issue; because LCD TVs are backlit, black is never quite black, though it can approach it if you keep the TV dim and watch in a darkened room.

Plasma TVs

Plasma TVs are displayed in the same place as LCD TVs, they look similar, they're slim flatscreens, and they're hi-def TVs. However, the technology they use is very, very different: neon and other inert gases trapped between two panes of glass create the images you see on screen. Plasmas are most distinct from LCD TVs by their incredible dense blacks, so dark they almost glow, and experts agree that plasmas have easily the most realistic images of all modern TVs. Plasmas, however, tend to be expensive, and are generally found only in sizes of 40" and up. They are mountable, but more delicate than LCD TVs; laying them flat can destroy them.

Be sure you make the decision between plasma and LCD with an informed mind. Both technologies are excellent; however, understanding their respective strong and weak pointss can prevent you from making the wrong choice.