Flat Panel

What is the difference between a Plasma and a Lcd Flat panel TV?

I am looking at buying between a 40 to 50 inch Wide Screen flat panel television and would like to know the following differences between plasma and LCD:
-cost
-performance (longevity, clarity, gaming hook ups)
-track records (proven to last)
-weight (will it be able to hang on the wall with out major damage)
-best brands for plasma and LCD
-stores with the best deals
-do you recommend getting the extended warranty
-do you recommend getting the set up (I think it is a rip but want to know how easy each of them are to set up and hang on the wall)
-best for gaming.

I will be using this TV for gaming and watching sports and am looking for something that will show the details. I also would like something that would last longer since I will be spending a lot of money on it. Thanks in advance for all the help.

LCD TVs use an Lcd Panel to create the picture. It's the same Lcd Screen technology you find on laptop computers and digital cameras. Plasma TVs use gas suspended within glass panels and stimulated by an electrical field to create the picture.

Each technology has its advantages. Plasmas tend to have a better picture than LCD TVs, while LCD TVs promise better long-term reliability and freedom from screen burn-in worries.
LCD is available in small sizes such as 15 inches and go up from there, while plasma sets start over 30 inches in size. LCD tends to be more expensive than plasma TVs of the same size.

If I was buying one for myself, I would lean plasma because of the better picture quality -- the new Panasonics are especially good. In LCD sets Sony, Sharp and Toshiba are all very good, as is Samsung.

Bargain shoppers should check out the LCD sets from Westinghouse -- they have excellent pictures and are a great value at the asking price.

An HDTV standard has been in place in the United States for years. The new digital television specifications have many different available resolutions, not all of them HDTV.

To be considered HDTV broadcasts must be either 720p (720 progressively scanned lines) or 1080i (1080 interlaced lines).

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