Geek 101: LCD And Plasma TV Basics

A guide to terms like ‘refresh rate,’ ‘backlighting’ and ‘contrast ratios’

If you've gone shopping for a new PC or HDTV, you've probably seen a dizzying array of display-technology terms bandied about in the fine-print specs listings on store shelves. You may have asked yourself, "What do these terms mean? Does any of it really matter?" We hear you. Here's our no-nonsense guide to what these specs mean, what you need to know about them, and what you should be looking out for.

LCD and plasma are the most common types of displays you'll see on the market. Plasma is predominantly used for HDTVs, while LCDs are common in both TVs and computer monitors. Several other interesting technologies are on the horizon, as well.

Some of the most important factors contributing to a display's quality are its color depth (how accurately the screen can reproduce colors), its viewing angle (whether any color shifting occurs when you view the screen from the sides), and its motion processing (how well the screen can handle fast-action scenes). We'll look at all of those topics in this primer.

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