Plasma HDTVs are better than LCD HDTVs.

What? Didn't we just say there is no "better" when discussing the choice between LCD and plasma? There's one exception: in a room in which you can control the lighting.

For a variety of technical reasons, plasma HDTVs produce greater contrast, deeper blacks, and more accurate color. For example, LG's PG60 full HD 1080p plasma TVs offers a stunning dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 (30,000:1 native).

But in a brightly-lit room, these advantages almost disappear because plasma screens reflect too much ambient light. Turn out the lights and close the shades, and plasma's advantages are more evident. Plasma's ability to display deeper black levels translates into greater details in shadows and dark scenes, which you'll be thankful for when watching film noir, horror flicks and any movies set largely at night, in nightclubs, underground, underwater or in submarines.

So other than people who live in basements, who keeps their living rooms dark? The easy answer is platinum-eyed, serious movie fanatic videophiles. But the easier answer is anyone who enjoys movies. After all, how would you feel if a movie theater kept its lights on during the feature? Movies are simply better in the dark, and so are plasma HDTVs.

As you scan the specs for plasma HDTVs, you'll also notice no listing for refresh rate. This is because top-tier plasma HDTVs such as those from LG work in such a way that refresh rate is irrelevant. Speeding objects such as baseballs, hockey pucks and text scrolls look as crisp when they're moving as they do when they're still.

What you will find on LG's LG70 and LG60 1080p LCD HDTVs and its PG60 plasma 1080p models is 24p Real Cinema, which translates film's 24 frames per second frame rate to match the TV's native 30 frames per second.

Also for technical reasons, you won't find plasma HDTVs in screen sizes smaller than 42 inches. Optimum screen sizes for plasma are 50 and 60 inches, the sizes in which all LG 1080p plasma models are available.

The Name Game
But LG, a founding member of the Plasma Display Coalition, has taken plasma's imaging advantages and expanded them with assistance from two big names in picture quality: THX and ISF.

LG's 1080p PG60 plasma HDTVs all carry THX Display Certification. THX was developed by Lucasfilm as a way of assuring consistent audio and video quality in both movie theaters and in your home of its films. THX leverages Lucasfilm's expansive expertise and experience in filmmaking, cinema design and post-production to partner with display manufacturers to certify best-in-class video products.

THX certification is your assurance that LG's HDTVs presents high and standard definition video content at maximum resolution with the correct color and light levels. For consumers who demand peak performance from their entertainment systems, LG's THX certified 1080p PG60 plasma HDTVs deliver image quality and a more immersive movie, broadcast and video game experience to your living room.

But no self-respecting videophile watches any HDTV, plasma or LCD, right out of the box. LG's 1080p LG70 and LG60 LCD HDTVs and its 1080p PG60 plasma model all include three levels of user calibration.

Content-specific A/V Modes, the most basic calibration settings, enable anyone, including the HDTV beginner, to adjust picture and audio quality to their optimal settings. Three pre-set modes, cinema, game and sports, customize the picture and sound based on content type. For example, the cinema mode automatically adjusts colors to the movie color standards set by SMPTE (the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers). Sports and game modes perform similar adjustments to maximize your enjoyment of the action.

If you're a more experienced HDTV viewer, there's LG's Expert Mode. Using Expert Mode's intuitive menu system, you can achieve a deeper level of change by adjusting each specific picture value.

If you seek the highest level of calibration, there's the Imaging Science Foundation Certified Calibration Configuration, or ISFccc. The ISF is the professional video optimization organization which sets picture optimization standards and certifies professional video installers. ISFccc helps to deliver picture quality representing what the filmmakers intended you to see.

Using the LG Expert Mode, an ISF-certified calibration technician will use professional equipment to calibrate your LG LCD or plasma HDTV using ISF parameters based on your specific home theater environment and ambient lighting. Once calibrated to the optimal setting, the calibrations are saved as ISF "Day" and ISF "Night" modes. With ISFccc, LG offers a superior 10 point calibration. This provides an extra level of precision for gray scale calibration resulting in a more uniform picture.

Looking good and good looking
You may have heard something about plasma's life span. All LG 1080p plasma HDTVs panels are rated for 100,000 hours – that's more than nine hours of watching a day every day for 30 years.

Of course, your room isn't going to be dark nine hours every day for even a week. At some point, the lights will come up and everyone will see your set.

Thankfully, LG's 1080p plasma HDTVs are every bit as good looking as LG's LCDs HDTVs. LG's flagship 1080p plasma PG60 models are slim, elegant single-layer designs. The single layer design mimics a pane of window glass, creating a sleek, sophisticated look. The glass' non-reflective internal cell structure help minimize excessive glare typically caused by harsh ambient light.

In addition, LG's 1080p plasmas incorporate many of the design elements found on LG's LCD 1080p HDTVs, such as Mark Levinson-tuned invisible speakers.

So if you can make your living room near movie theater dark, love Star Wars and love to tweak and tinker with the picture, your decision is an easy one.

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