Comparison of CRT, LCD, Plasma, and OLED

Parameter	CRT	LCD	Plasma
Contrast	Over 15,000:1[1]	5,000 to 10,000:1[2]	10,000:1[3]
Color depth	24-bit per pixel resolution; offers better resolution for grayscale	6 to 10-bit per subpixel panels;[4] smaller dot pitch, better detail[5]	6 to 8-bit per subpixel panels; best color gamut[6][7]
Response time	Less than 1 µs[8]	1–8 ms typical (according to manufacturer data), older units could be as slow as 35 ms[9]	Less than 1 µs; can get up to 0,001 µs[10]
Frame rate	60–85 fps typically, some CRTs can go even higher (200 fps at reduced resolution[11]); internally, display refreshed at input frame rate speed	60 fps typically, some can do 120 fps; internally, display refreshed at up to 240 Hz[12]	60 fps typically, some can do 120 fps; internally, display refreshed at e.g. 480 or 600 Hz[13]
Environmental influences	Sensitive to ambient magnetic fields, which can adversely effect convergence and color purity.	Prone to malfunctions on both low (below -4 °F\-20 °C) or high (above 45 °C\113 °F) temperatures[14]	High altitude pressure difference may cause poor function or buzzing noises[15]
Flicker	Perceptible on lower refresh rates (60 Hz and below)[16]	Depends; as of 2013, most LCDs use PWM (strobing) to dim the backlight[17]	Does not normally occur due to high refresh rate.[18]
Size	Up to 43"	Up to 108"(2.78m)[19]	Up to 150"(3.8m)[20]
Energy consumption and heat generation	High[21]	Low[21]	Varies with brightness but usually higher than LCD[22][23][24][25]
Maintenance	Hazardous to repair or service due to high-voltage, requires skilled convergence calibration and adjustments for geographic location changes[26]	Risky and expensive to repair due to complexity of the display;[27] mercury lamps make it a minor environmental hazard[28]	Screen itself cannot be repaired if the gas used to generate images leaks[29]
Electro-magnetic radiation emission	Can emit a small amount of X-ray radiation.	Only emits non-ionizing radiation.[30]	Emits strong radio frequency electromagnetic radiation[31]
Other	No native resolution. Currently, the only display technology capable of multi-syncing (displaying different resolutions and refresh rates without the need for scaling).[32] Display lag is extremely low due to its nature, which does not have the ability to store image data before output, unlike LCDs, plasma displays and OLED displays.[33]	The LCD grid can mask effects of spatial and grayscale quantization, creating the illusion of higher image quality.[34]	Screen-door effects are more noticeable than LCD when up close, or on larger sizes;[35]

References

1. Display "Technology Shoot-Out: Comparing CRT, LCD, Plasma and DLP Displays", Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, DisplayMate Technologies website
5. COP 3502 Introduction to Computer Science
7. CNET Australia – Plasma vs. LCD: Which is right for you?
8. "An investigation of the test process used to date for determining the response time of an LCD monitor, known as input lag – Thomas Thiemann at prad.de"
9. "LCD Monitors, TVs: Electronics – Microcenter", Scroll down and look at the bar on the left to see the number of monitors they offer that have certain specifications. Retrieved April 2013
11. http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP169.pdf
12. HDTV Refresh Rates Explained: 60Hz, 120Hz, and Beyond, Retrieved April 2013
13. "What is 600Hz Sub Field Drive?", Retrieved April 2013
14. Does Altitude or Temperature Affect LCD Monitors?
15. PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com Plasma TVs at Altitude
16. "CRT Monitor Flickering?". Retrieved 4 October 2009.
17. Explanation of why pulse width modulated backlighting is used, and its side-effects, "Pulse Width Modulation on LCD monitors", TFT Central. Retrieved June 2012.
18. How Do Plasma TVs Create No Flicker?
19. "Sharp to Introduce World’s Largest*1 108-Inch LCD Monitor for Commercial Applications; Now Accepting Orders" (Press release). Sharp Corporation. 13 June 2008.
20. Dugan, Emily (8 January 2008). "6ft by 150 inches – and that's just the TV". The Independent (London).
21. Tom's Hardware: Power Consumption Benchmark Results for CRT versus TFT LCD "Benchmark Results: Different Brightness Testing"
22. "LCD vs Plasma TVs". Which?. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
23. G4TechTV.ca: Plasma vs LCD power consumption shootout at the Wayback Machine (archived March 5, 2012)
24. Plasma vs LCD vs LED - Digital Direct
25. Power! | Sound & Vision
26. "Monitors: Earth's Magnetic Field Affects Performance". Apple Support Knowledgebase. Apple. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
29. Plasma Repair Answers
31. eham Amateur Radio Forum "Plasma TV – Mother of All RFI Producers", Retrieved April 2013
32. Native Resolution - AfterDawn: Glossary of technology terms & acronyms
33. https://web.archive.org/20150220052714/http://meleeiton.me:80/2014/03/27/this-tv-lags-a-guide-on-input-and-display-lag/. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
34. M. d’Zmura, T. P. Janice Shen, Wei Wu, Homer Chen, and Marius Vassiliou (1998), “Contrast Gain Control for Color Image Quality,” IS&T/SPIE Conference on Human Vision and Electronic Imaging III, San Jose, California, January 1998, SPIE Vol. 3299, 194–201.
35. https://web.archive.org/20120426051605/http://www.home-theater-automation-and-electronics.com/PlasmaTelevisionGuide.html. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)