Each of these types of televisions offers a unique set of features that are optimal for different viewing situations but they all also have restrictions that make them a poor choice for certain situations.

Plasma televisions are often a great choice because they have a very wide viewing angle and show the least motion blur which makes them optimal for watching sports and playing video games with friends where you will be looking at the TV from different angles. They also offer the best contrast ratios with the darkest blacks as well as warmer colors in general. The issues with plasma are that it consumes more power than LCD or LED and they cannot be made as thin as them either. The biggest drawback with plasma is that it can be difficult to view in well lit areas or sunlight. People often shy away from plasma because they are afraid of a picture getting burned on to the screen if it is left on for an extended period of time and this was a legitimate problem in the past but with today’s plasma the picture will return to normal in a few days. Plasma is also only available in sizes larger than 42” so it usually isn’t a good choice for areas where space is limited such as kitchens.

LCD TVs are really good for bright rooms because they have a florescent back light. They are also thinner, lighter and more energy efficient than plasma TVs. There issues are that they do not offer as wide of viewing angle and they have worse contrast ratios. When playing quick moving videos they can also become slightly blurry. They also aren’t capable of producing as many colors as plasma televisions mainly because they lack in the contrast department and can’t differentiate between a lot of the darker colors.

LED TVs are really just LCD TVs that are backlit with LEDs and they offer a lot of the same features but in many ways they surpass standard LCD TVs. LED televisions are the thinnest, lightest and most energy efficient out of all the types of TVs in today’s market. Another way in which they are an improvement on standard LCDs is that they offer more contrast which allows them to portray nearly as many colors as plasmas but plasma still has the edge.

In the end plasmas offer the best picture for a theater like experience but if you have a very bright room or need a TV under 42” then you should go with LCD or LED. If price is a major factor in your choice plasma is generally more expensive.