Facts About Plasma TVs

With so many options available now, if you're shopping for a new TV you may feel overwhelmed by the glut of information. Which type of TV is best for you--plasma, LCD or DLP? It depends on what you are looking for. If you want a good HD-capable TV to build a home theater around or simply watch your shows on, a plasma TV might be just the ticket.

Facts

Plasma TVs have a 16:9 wide-screen viewing area and are built thin, usually only 3 to 5 inches deep. Unlike the old CRT televisions, which used a large cathode-ray picture tube, plasma TVs use a combination of xenon and neon gases charged by electricity to produce their pictures. Plasma screens produce a brighter image with a higher contrast ratio than a digital-light processing (DLP) television. And plasma televisions have good image reproduction in high-motion scenes, something that all but the most high-end liquid-crystal display (LCD) TVs have a problem with.

Function

A plasma TV makes a good centerpiece to a home theater system, as it tends to produce acceptable images from standard-definition DVDs. It's with high-definition content, however, that plasma TVs shine. Most new plasma models have "1080p" capability, so they can display the full quality of Blu-Ray movies. And because they are thin, plasma TVs can also be a good choice if you want a big-screen television but don't have room for a DLP TV.

Size

Although they come in smaller sizes, plasma screens can reach the big-screen range of 50 to 60 inches and up. You can get one as small as 37 inches, but the best deal for the money can usually be found around 46 to 52 inches, as their prices tend to be just $200 to $300 higher.

Considerations

One important thing you should consider is what you are going to be using it for most often. Plasma TVs are susceptible to screen burn from static images. For example, if you watch news channels or sports most of the time, the static scoreboard or news ticker can lead to permanent screen burn-in. Gamers should note that the static images in many video games or paused screens can also burn in.

Solutions

All plasma TVs have some screen burn protection, generally a white-out option or other anti-burn tool to help remove a ghost image.

Resources

• Plasma TV Science