Grenage,
I would add that there are several reasons why one would choose Plasma over LCD:
- Deeper black levels (as you mentioned)
- Better motion performance (easily beats LCD's that are not 120Hz, but even those that are have a hard time matching plasma. 240Hz LCD's with LED backlighting are the only exceptions)
- Superior viewing angles (LCD though has come a long way the past couple years...plasma only has a slight advantage now)
- Better "native" contrast ratios (not to be confused with "dynamic" contrast ratios)
So for my theatre room, I would still heavily consider plasma over LCD. But for an open area with a good amount of light, LCD is usually the better choice. Plasmas need a dark setting otherwise they're hard to see. Regardless of the other advantages or disadvantages, that might be the most significant factor in the decision.
gbaughma,
Keep in mind that the comparisons between the two have changed a lot over the years. Old complaints on plasma such as burn-in and fade no longer apply to newer models. Advancements in the phosphor gas and a new technique of slightly shifting the image in intervals (not detectable by the human eye) prevents burn-in. Although plasmas will eventually fade, lifespans have significantly improved. Many claim 70,000 hours or more. That's the equivalent of leaving the plasma TV turned on for 8 years straight, which is not likely to happen! Therefore, it is safe to assume that you can easily get over 15 years of life out your plasma purchase before fading becomes an issue.
~cdogg
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