Plasma Televisions

This technology is different from that of a traditional television. A traditional television has a Cathode Ray Tube, or CRT. A CRT is basically a large vacuum tube in which an electronic beam, emanating from a single point in the neck of the tube, scans the face of the tube very rapidly, which, in turn lights up red, green, or blue phosphors on the tube’s surface in order to create an image

 Question: How Long Do Plasma Televisions Last?

Answer: The early plasma televisions had a half-life of about 30,000 hours. However, due to technology improvements made in recent years, most plasma set units have 60,000 hour lifespan, with some sets rated as high as 100,000 hours.

What a lifespan rating means is that a Plasma set will lose approximately 50% of its brightness during its rated lifespan time. Based on even the modest early 30,000 hour rating, if such a Plasma television is on for 8 hours a day, its half-life would be about 9 years – or, if on 4 hours a day, the half-life would be about 18 years (Double these figures for a 60,000 hour half-life).

However, with some sets now rated at 100,000 hours, this means that if you watch TV 6 hours a day, you will have an acceptable viewing experience for about 40 years. Even at 24 hours a day, a 100,000 hour half life is still about 10 years.

Keep in mind that, just as with any television technology, display lifespan can also be affected by environmental variables, such as heat, humidity, etc. However, in most cases, a Plasma Television can provide many years of satisfying viewing.

Keep in mind that a standard television loses about 30% of its brightness after about 20,000 hours. Since this process is very gradual, the consumer isn’t aware of this effect, except for the need to periodically adjust the brightness and contrast controls to compensate. Although the performance of individual Plasma televisions can vary, overall, as a product class, a Plasma television can deliver many years of acceptable viewing.

 Question: Can a Plasma Television Work at High Altitudes?

Answer: Decreasing external air pressure present at higher altitudes can be a problem with plasma televisions. Since the pixel elements on a plasma television are actually glass housings containing rare gases, thinner air causes greater stress on the gases inside the housing. Most Plasma Televisions are calibrated for optimum operation at, or near, sea level conditions

 Question: Are All Plasma Televisions HDTVs?

Answer: Although most newer Plasma Televisions are HDTVs, many older Plasma sets are not.

In order for a Television to be classified as an HDTV, or HDTV-ready, the television must be able to display at least 1280×720 pixels. Some of those “budget” Plasma televisions priced at $1,000 or less, that are “selling like hotcakes” only display 852×480 or 1024×768 pixels. These sets are referred to as EDTVs (Extended or Enhanced Definition televisions) or ED-Plasmas

 Question: What Else do I Need for My Plasma Television?

Answer: Here are some tips on what you need to budget for in addition to your Plasma television in order to use it to its full potential:

1. A place to hang it or place it on a stand.

2. Input sources: Blu-ray Disc, HD-DVD, and/or DVD player (Upscaled DVD player desirable), VCR, video game console, satellite or cable box. In addition, some Plasma televisions will accept an input from your PC.

3. A sound system. Although some Plasma televisions have an internal sound system, it is best to connect it to a home theater receiver for optimum home theater enjoyment.

4. A surge protector (which is good advice for any component in your system).

5. Connection cables to connect your Plasma television with your other components

 Question: Is a Plasma TV Really Better Than Other Types of Televisions?

Answer: The answer to this question is subjective. Plasma Televisions are on the cutting edge of technology, but most of their appeal lies in its style rather than substance.

On the one hand Plasma Televisions offer “hang-on-the-wall” desirability consumers have been promised since the invention of television. Plasma television technology also contributes to its lighter weight, extremely wide viewing angle, and ability to provide a consistently focused, color accurate, and properly proportioned image no matter where on the screen you are looking.

On the other hand, full 1080p Plasma Televisions can be expensive. A rear projection 1080p capable DLP television is much less expensive, when comparing the same size screen. In addition, there are very few Plasma televisions available in screen sizes larger than 61 inches.

Plasma vs LCD

An alternative to Plasma Television is an LCD television. Appearances are deceiving when comparing LCD and Plasma televisions. Both types of televisions are flat and thin, but employ different technology to deliver similar results. LCD flat panels have both advantages and disadvantages in comparison to Plasma televisions.

Plasma Television Advantages

For Plasma televisions, advantages over LCD, are: Better contrast ratio, better ability to render deep blacks, more color depth, better motion tracking (response time), and more availability in very large screen sizes.

 Plasma Television Disadvantages

However, disadvantages of Plasma vs LCD include: more susceptible to burn-in (although this is not as much of a factor now, due to technology improvements in the past couple of years), more heat generation, does not perform as well at higher altitudes, and shorter display life span (although this too is changing due to technology improvements – many plasmas have a 60,000 hour or longer life), heavier weight, and more delicate to ship.

LCD Television Advantages

LCD television advantages include no burn-in susceptibility, cooler running, less screen glare, more functional at high altitudes, longer display life (although improvements are being made in Plasma screen life), looks better in brightly lit rooms.

Also, LCD televisions have made strides in upping-the-ante in native pixel resolution, with a growing number of sets offering a full 1080p (1920×1080) display capability at affordable prices in screen sizes ranging from 37-inches and up. On the other hand, the number of Plasma Televisions offering 1080p native pixel resolution although increasing are not as common counterparts.

One factor in favor of LCD over Plasma (at least for the near future) is that if you are planning to purchase a Blu-ray Disc, HD-DVD, or Upscaled DVD Player, LCD may be a more cost-effective option as you can get a 1080p LCD set from 37-to-42-inches at a lower price than and 42-inch size Plasma set that has 1080p resolution. 1080p Plasma sets are typically more expensive in comparison to 1080p LCD counter parts in the same screen sizes.

Another factor to consider is that LCD televisions are typically lighter (when comparing same screen sizes) than their Plasma counterparts, making wall installation easier.

LCD Television Disadvantages

LCD televisions do have drawbacks in several areas vs Plasma televisions: Lower contrast ratio, not as good rendering deep blacks, not as good at tracking motion (although this is improving), and not as common in large screen sizes above 42-inches (although the number is growing).

Also, although LCD televisions do not suffer from burn-in susceptibility, it is possible that individual pixels on an LCD television can burn out, causing small, visible, black or white dots to appear on the screen. Individual pixels cannot be repaired. The whole screen would need to be replaced at that point, if the individual pixel burnout becomes annoying to you. Finally, LCD televisions are more expensive than an equivalent-sized Plasma television (especially in sizes above 42-inches), although the price gap is closing.

 LCD and Plasma Televisions – HDTV Reception

On the HDTV part of the equation, both LCD and Plasma sets are now equipped with both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) tuners for reception of both standard and high definition televisions signals. However, both LCD and Plasma offer monitor-only configurations with require the addition of an external tuner, such as HD-Cable or HD-Satellite box for reception of HDTV programming. When shopping for either an LCD or Plasma television, make sure you are aware of sets that have onboard turners and those that don’t.

My advice; compare all types of televisions in order to see what will work best for you. First of all, make sure the image on the screen looks good to you. Also take into consideration how and where the television will be used, and how it will fit into your decor. Also consider additional costs to get up and running, such as the addition of a tuner, sound system, mounting fixtures, and other components. Also, make sure it is easy to use. Lastly, make sure the television and everything you need with it fits into your budget…and don’t forget the service plan offered by the dealer, just in case…