Both companies have run ads that promote one technology over the other. For Panasonic, it’s plasma that offers the goods (despite the fact that Panasonic, as it says in a recent ad, makes both plasma and LCD TVs). Sony has taken up the LCD banner, challenging any plasma maker to compare its models to Sony’s.

Both, of course, claim they’ve got the hunt’s winning dog. But what are the real facts behind plasma and LCD TVs? And which is better?

Plasma TVs use charged gas to produce a bright, pretty picture that’s often larger than LCD TVs — although that dynamic is changing. According to analyst Russ Rubin of The NPD Group, "Plasmas TVs generally start at about 37" and go up to about 60" or 65", and LCD TVs start as small as 15" and had been constrained up to about that 37" form factor," he said. But LCDs saw a number of size gains this year and now come in 40", 42" and 46" models, Rubin added.

Plasmas also win the battle of refresh rates. Simply put, they tend to update their picture more frequently, which makes them better for watching action shots or fast-moving pictures, such as that game-stealing touchdown or a Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader duel. LCDs were first designed for data, not fast-moving pictures, and offer a refresh rate that sometimes leaves on-screen artifacts, also called smear, as a result. (Note, however, that new and high-end LCDs offer lower — that is, faster — refresh rates, so check your model before buying.)

And the picture itself? Both plasmas and LCDs have their benefits. In the lab, plasmas tend to produce better contrast, since LCD’s can’t product a true black and use dark grey instead. Hence the contrast ratio (the difference between the darkest black and the lightest white) is better on plasmas.

LCDs are putting up a fight and a strong one at that. First off, they’re a good deal lighter than plasmas, which makes them a lot simpler to move around. They’re also easy to install.

LCDs offer a slightly better viewing angle, too, giving you a crisp picture from a wider range of angles than most plasmas. Just bear in mind that neither an LCD nor a plasma will look great if you’re sitting far off to its side, although LCDs maintain a slight edge.

And while they may not offer the contrast of plasmas, most LCDs offer a better picture under real world conditions of mixed lighting in the average house. LCDs don’t have the crisp contrast that plasmas do, but LCD makers claim their models outperform plasmas when you take them out of the lab and put them under the bright lights of a Best Buy showroom or a living room.

So which is right for you: plasmas or LCDs?

"Today, at retail, plasma generally has a pricing advantage over LCD at the same screen size," said NPD’s Rubin. "That’s a key advantage. But beyond that, it becomes a lot more objective. It starts to become a lot more model-specific."

As for the battle between Sony and Panasonic, Rubin notes that it’s not always about technology. "It’s really where they’ve made their investments that determines their allegiance," he said.

Via Yahoo!