Do I need a Plasma or LCD display ?
Many business people think that flat panel (LCD / TFT) monitors are just an expensive fashion item that are used by large companies.
I believe that they are wrong, by using flat panel screens you can save desk space and power amongst other things. Add to this the fact that you can install a larger screen meaning that more people can see the screen and in the sales or training situation you can display the images on the screen to a larger audience. In fact at a recent exhibition we used a 39" plasma screen at the back of the stand to display what was being shown on a laptop and this generated a terrific amount of interest and passers by were stopping to look at the display. This then meant that we were able to spend a few minutes talking to them rather than letting them walk straight by.
When buying a flat screen you need to consider at least two things :-
Size
The size of the screen can be dictated by the technology you are using. LCD screens start at a 14" diagonal and can go up to over 70" in size. Plasma screens on the other hand start at about 30".
You should also bear in mind that plasma screens are heavier and thicker that lcd screens and also seem to throw out more heat from the front of the screen.
If you consider where you are going to use the screen this will give you a good indication of the size you need, if it's to replace a CRT monitor then a 17" or 19" screen will be ample, if you are planning to use it as a display in your reception or in a meeting room you may want to think about a 26" or bigger screen.
Picture quality
As the lower end of the market the LCD screens are adequate for powerpoint presentations using a resolution of 800 x 600. If you want to show DVD's or even HDTV (when it's commonly available) then you need to think about a higher resolution. You should also bear in mind that LCD's are better in brighter light than Plasma screens as their contrast ration is better.
If you can afford it, it is probably best to go for a screen that is HDTV ready, this will allow you to get the best from television broadcasts in the future (and who knows even if you are not worried about this now, in the future you may want to show live television on the screen - don't forget that you would need a TV licence to do this in the UK though). You should bear in mind though that HDTV broadcasts are not likely to become commonplace until around 2012 according to the latest reports, although some cable and satellite broadcasts will start HDTV transmissions towards the middle of 2006 for a limited number of programs.