1st, yes agreed Plasma consumes more electricity than LCD, but that is not much higher, it ranges between 18% to 28% more than LCDs depending upon the panel quality...
2nd, you are very much wrong when you say that picture quality of LCD is better than plasma...LCD uses the same technology of CRT of backlight, which is focused on the spectrum of RGB(Red Green Blue) pallette, and which are then being focused on to the Liquid Crystals, and create a mirror image, that you view from your eyes...
Plasma uses the technology of neon gas, which is duly filled in Plasma Panels, and vaccumed to dry it up in pixels, what we term as resolution, than a force of possitve and negative current is being applied from both ends in the 0 1 ratio to produce the picture...
When you are watching LCD, the picture looks great, not because the PQ is good, but, the backlight is so bright that even 1 colour spreads into several of its light parts...
If you are watching an LCD in a dark room, and if someone switch on the lights, you will react the same as you do when somebody puts torch light in your eyes...
You like LCDs in showrooms, as the light effects in the showrooms is much brightly lit, compared to your house...so but obvious picture will be better...
and same place if you look at plasma you will feel the quality to be dull...
LCD sells only for two reasons, 1st Plasmas are not available in smaller sizes, and those available are not worth buying...2nd LCDs are pretty good only for data use, as the sharpness out there is better than of plasma, that too because of the backlight...
Another problem with LCD is, if you compare a 42" LCD and a 42" Plasma simultaniously, you will observe that the same picture in LCD in center is bright but when you look at LCD corners, they will be darker, but when you look into plasma the picture is uniform...
LCDs have something as response time, but plasmas dont have anything as its response time..so picture is much faster in Plasmas...
3rd i am not a dealer in sense to sell whatever i have, i have to sell...
I basically deal with Home & Office Automation, Car Audio/Video, and all other are just accessories for me, and i provide my suggestions to customers/clientel/corporates which one will be better for what...
But, yes till date i have just sold QUALITY, not just the product...
When to be of concern, for Plasmas i only look in for HITACHI, PANASONIC, NEC and PIONEER. You all would be amazed to know, but the fact is these were the only PLASMA PANEL manufactures in the whole world, 2 yrs ago, and were the only Japnese companies to manufature LCD & Plasma panels...
But, NEC only manufactures the PLASMA PANEL not TV (i.e. TV Tuner is not included)..Sharp is also japnese but only in LCDs and Pioneer & NEC only for plasmas...
Till last 2years none of the companies (Sony, Samsung, LG, etc) use to make there own panels, but LG started 2yrs back in CHINA & INDIA, and Samsung started in CHINA, and Sony still buys from HITACHI or SHARP (use to buy)...
4th, yes you are right, goto any of the magazines, and try comparing LCD & Plasmas, i have answered your question for the more sales of LCD, its only because of their size...and for your kind information Plasmas sale is too good in the sector of 42" and more...
5th, regarding panel life, here again the Panel life of plasma is more than LCDs. as per the latest technology the panel life of a plasma is 1,48,000 hrs (73,000 hrs half life), where LCDs are stick onto 65,000 hrs only...
on the topic and why Plasma is better even as a PC monitor