CRT/LCD/Plasma(PDP)/OLED = display types (optics that produce the image)
LED = lighting method
HDTV = minimum number of pixels in the matrix optics (1920×1080)
• Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is a typical tube TV where phosphorus is illuminated by a ray. So in essence bot the color production and lighting are one and together. But like all TVS of old, the are heavy and bulky and do not produce the sharpest picture.
• Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Just like a calculator, but a bit more advanced. And like a calculator, the display has not lighting. So to light it there is usually three methods. Most laptops use a small fluorescent tube at bottom with a diffuser behind the LCD matrix. Just like an office light. But they take a little time to warm up, especially as they age. And as they age, they loose lumen. Then there is a phosphorescent paper. Think the once popular "indiglow" (sp?) watches. They vary in colors even. Again, they dull with age. LED, while not a new technology, has finally evolved to the point where they produce a lot of light in a very small package. Its really the best for displays since there is practically no warm up time, they consume less power and they will not dull with age.
• Plasma Display Panel (PDP) is like an LCD, but the pixels themselves produce light. So its like a CRT but no huge back tube. They are flat panels like LCD. But they can be very heavy.
• Organic Light Emitting diode (OLED) is sort of the end-all tech. Its like plasma in that is both produces an image while emitting light. Therefore there is no separate system to back light the image. But display life is not the best right now. However, its FAR lighter than plasma, so this is more often used in cell phones, etc. Where life duration of the display is not very critical. It will probably pass up plasma due to energy and weight savings. I think they are easier and cheaper to produce also.
So stay away from most Plasma and all OLED TVs right now. And LCD with LED backlighting is the best bank for the buck and will last a long time. It will also not take up the room of the traditional CRT TV.
The real question is p versus i and 50 versus 25....
