The objectives of the research were to assess consumers’ opinions about the relative merits of plasma and LCD TVs; the only sensible method of securing candid feedback is a side by side comparison.
Comparison suites were set up in locations in Paris, London, Cologne, Rotterdam, Milan, Madrid, Stockholm and Moscow. Four LCD and plasma displays were used in the research – one each in the 42-inch and 50-inch category with three comparison suites set up to compare the models side by side.
Conditions were designed to reflect typical viewing environments in the home.
The screens were watched in default settings, seats were positioned two to three metres from the displays in a central position and light conditions were of 50lux brightness with no daylight or neon lamps allowed in the room. The brand name of each TV was covered to ensure that preferences for particular manufacturers didn’t influence the feedback. 75 per cent of respondents agreed that the environment was either identical or highly similar to their homes (when watching TV in the evening). Additionally, the environment and TV settings were verified by a third party auditor (SGS).
Respondents viewed a 90 second video sequence of images that showed everyday objects such as buildings, animals and colourful drawings. The objects were shown in a mixture of daytime and night settings at different motion speeds. The objective of using such images was to provide content that would objectively present the various qualities that were measured. The content was presented in high definition (1080i) and supplied to screens via a HDMI digital interface.
At its conclusion, respondents were asked a series of questions relating to technical parameters including: sharpness, colour, response speed, contrast, black quality, resolution and image depth and wide viewing angle.
To provide a benchmark for the research, the sample was split into two groups: those who claimed to have prior knowledge of plasma and LCD displays and those that did not. While all 1592 respondents watched the short film, the 803 people who claimed to understand plasma and LCD were asked to provide their opinions on the overall quality of each display type and the range of technical issues outlined above before watching any content. These base findings were used to track opinion shifts after the content was viewed.
Demographics
Age 18-44 (50 per cent) and 45-65 (50 per cent)
Male/female split: 50:50
Exclusion of persons with a sensitive occupation
