Honest Plasma TV Ratings

Plasma TV Vs LCD TV:The Debate Continues

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:32:56 +0000

Plasma televisions have several advantages over LCD TV’s. Plasma sets are much cheaper than an LCD set of the same size, and are also offered in larger sizes. You can currently find many affordable 58 inch TV’s, with the largest Plasma television screens measuring around 76 inches diagonally. It is hard to find an LCD TV larger than 52 inches that is also not prohibitively expensive. For a true home theater experience with a large, projector-like screen, Plasma TV’s are currently the best option available. Plasma TV’s have great motion tracking, meaning less blurring for high speed images such as sports and racing. Plasma offers a better range of colors than LCD, with deeper blacks and more accurate shades of lighter hues. The contrast ratio is also superior to LCD TV’s, meaning the image is sharper and less prone to blurriness. Improving technology means Plasma TV’s have nearly the same lifespan as their LCD counterparts (about 60,000 hours total, or 8 hours of viewing a day for 18 years) Another benefit of Plasma television is that Plasma is not susceptible to dead pixels. LCD TV’s often have a couple dead pixels upon delivery, which results in a tiny blue, black, or white speck being permanently displayed on the TV set. The only way to fix this is to replace the entire screen, which can cost almost as much as the whole TV itself! This is especially aggravating if it is in the middle of the screen, rather than on the perimeter or corner, or if the pixel only decides to die after the warranty has expired. Fortunately, Plasma TV’s do not have pixels so the screen is never obstructed or damaged by dead pixels. Plasma TV’s are currently a very good value for the quality you receive, and have a very good lifespan once brought back to your home. They are a great choice for watching TV, playing games, watching movies or connecting a media server to. If you want a big-screen, blockbuster experience, your money will be best put towards a large Plasma TV that can be had for the same price as a much smaller LCD TV.

The Most Important Feature Of A Plasma TV

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:31:45 +0000

The most important feature when buying a Plasma TV is its contrast. Not its resolution, or its inputs, speakers, wall mount capability, etc. You want a TV that is going to enhance your viewing experience and contrast ratios make that possible. You can find a host of TV’s with similar hookups, but not similar contrast ratios. Plasma TV’s have always stood out next to LCD’s because of the phosphorous gas that is used inside the screen to help produce the color. This technique can allow for more accurate colors. Most plasma’s have high contrast ratios, but the higher the contrast, the more vivid the picture will be. A good contrast ration ranges from 30,000 to 50,000. Anything less and you are missing out on image quality. It may seem as this particular characteristic is over emphasized, but it is actually just beginning to gain recognition. Consumers are getting smarter and are starting to understand what the characteristic of high quality are compared to standard quality. Go to a store and look around. You will notice the difference in color quality on all the plasma tv’s. You will also notice how bright and vivid certain plasma TV’s are compared to the other they are lined up next to. These TV’s standout amongst the rest because they have higher contrast ratios compared to the others. Every plasma TV these days usually comes with 3 HDMI inputs (if they don’t, don’t waste your time). These will help with enhancing the color capability of your plasma. Most people think the resolution is what is most important. Frankly, most HD channels broadcast are in 720p, so your 1080p resolution is useless (unless you have Blu-Ray). That is why contrast ratio is the most important. It is the one thing truly defines one TV from another. It enhances the picture by allowing for deeper black levels and better color tones. It is especially helpful for giving a large range of reds, which makes images and tones much more accurate. So remember, all the other features may sound great. The sales guy may brag about features such as PC inputs, HDMI, 1080p resolution, but that’s all generic; most of your midline televisions (both LCD and Plasma) have those features. The thing they don’t always mention is the contrast ratio. You can get a good mid level plasma TV with high contrast for very reasonable prices these days. For the cost conscious shopper, a lower contrast ratio would suit you best.

Important Feature of Plasma TVs

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:37:08 +0000

Bezel frame width is an important consideration when looking at plasma TVs. They start at practically non-existent and climb to a total of 2.75 inches, so if rimless is important to you, examine the TV while it is turned both on and off to experience the effect of the bezel frame on your view. Does the TV include a stand? This is important to notice, you need to know if you are going to have to buy a stand later to hold the television. There should be a way to attach speakers if you want, enhancing your audio after you have splurged on the newest TV you dare afford is the icing on the cake. A way to attach DVI or other computer mediums is something to look for. You may want the option of using this like a computer monitor in the future as well as being able to transfer data from various computer channels if you choose. Maybe there is a slot for and SD memory card to view digital camera photos or camcorder on the set. Many sets include this feature. The size of the screen determines what the optimum viewing distance will be. For instance a 58 inch screen is best viewed from a distance of 15 feet. The remote control should be reasonably easy to use, maybe designed with all or at least partially large buttons, so you can reach them in the dark if you want. Plasma TVs are noted for their ability to handle dark things well, most any of the sets beat out the competition on this one. Plasma TVs typically have some problem with screen glare, but many companies are implementing new designs as in a gray screen covering that matches the bordered rim of the screen or an anti-reflective filter which can reduce any glare without lowering the contrast of the picture. The viewing angle that is considered optimum or perfect is 170 degrees and most plasma sets on the market measure up to this standard. Many of the sets have multiple HDMI connections, which is very nice. Probably, though, the most important thing you want to look for is the size of set that will fit into your environment comfortably.

Why is Plasma TV Better Than LCD TV?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:36:12 +0000

The LCD TV is a great invention, with its polarized panels, while one panel is infused with liquid crystals. Your pass current through the crystals, while some block the light and some pass the light and together this creates the image to be displayed on your screen. The crystals are then fed light from an external source such as a florescent bulb thereby forming the viewable picture. Less power is needed for these functions than either a plasma or traditional television, as well as the light source used generates less heat. Also, LCD TV has absolutely no radiation emitted from the screen. Even though plasma TV may not enjoy being as radiation deficit on the whole as LCD TV, there are many more pluses to consider. Plasma TV enjoys a higher resolution than any of the other modes of TV transmission. Plasma TVs can display full HDTV and DTV signals in addition to XGA, SVGA and VGA signals that come from a computer. There are no scan lines with Plasma TV. The images projected onto the screen are digitally reproduced, unlike conventional televisions which scan the pictures from top to bottom at set intervals and then lighting the phosphorous glass and creating the image and with it visible scan lines. Furthermore, the plasma TVs usually include line-doubling that is built in to improve image quality for standard analog sources such as TV broadcasts and VCR tapes. Plasma TVs display exceptional color capabilities with 16.77 million colors possible thus creating more realistic image displays due to the ability to display a very large standard of color and shade gradations. Plasma televisions exhibit richer blacks than LCD screened TVs, and have a better motion tracking, which means there is less lag or no lag in fast moving images. Plasma TVs are also available in a wider range of large sizes than the LCD TVs, that can be mounted in multitudes of ways. You can hang them on a wall, or even from the ceiling, giving the effect of a real movie theater to your own home. The display screen of the Plasma TV allows a viewing angle of 160 degrees, meaning from top to bottom and from left to right, this is more than you get from the LCD display, plus this means more viewers will be able to view the proper reproduction from a bigger selection of locations in the room that hosts the television.

Plasma TV Buying Tips

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:07:02 +0000

When buying a plasma TV, you must consider many things: the first being the value. Many companies may offer you a variety of plasma TVs, some with HDMI inputs, some with built in speakers, some with DVD / blue ray players built in. The important thing is to think about what features you might need and will use. If you own a DVD player, then you can save yourself a hundred dollars by buying a plasma TV without one built in. If you have surround sound speakers then again you can save yourself a couple hundred. Another important thing to consider is the cost. How much money are you willing to spend on a TV? If you are smart about it, you can easily get a couple hundred dollars off a plasma TV by buying it through a direct retailer or eBay. You can also buy a plasma TV through stores such as best buy, and they often have deals to save you a lot by buying installation or items such as a PS3 to complement the TV. If you buy from a retailer such as best buy or circuit city, make sure to ask the person working there how often the TV needs to be tuned. It costs a lot to tune it, so it may be in your best financial interest to get one that needs the least tuning possible. The long term value is the most overlooked and important aspect to consider when buying a plasma HD. This is a big investment, so you probably can’t afford to update the TV every year and buy a new version of it. If you keep up to date with new technology, such as HDMI, blu ray, and other recent technological advances, then you can save yourself a lot of money. Make sure to get a plasma TV that doesn’t need to be tuned that often, and that can run in 1080p high definition. You always want to match the quality with the cost. If there are 2 plasma TVs, one for $2000 and another for $2200, but the second one has a blu ray drive built in, you definitely want to make the investment into the second one since blu ray drives are in the $500 range.

Tips for Buying a Plasma TV

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:53 +0000

The important thing is to think about what features you might need and will use. If you own a DVD player, then you can save yourself a hundred dollars by buying a plasma TV without one built in. If you have surround sound speakers then again you can save yourself a couple hundred. Another important thing to consider is the cost. How much money are you willing to spend on a TV? If you are smart about it, you can easily get a couple hundred dollars off a plasma TV by buying it through a direct retailer or eBay. You can also buy a plasma TV through stores such as best buy, and they often have deals to save you a lot by buying installation or items such as a PS3 to complement the TV. If you buy from a retailer such as best buy or circuit city, make sure to ask the person working there how often the TV needs to be tuned. It costs a lot to tune it, so it may be in your best financial interest to get one that needs the least tuning possible. The long term value is the most overlooked and important aspect to consider when buying a plasma HD. This is a big investment, so you probably can’t afford to update the TV every year and buy a new version of it. If you keep up to date with new technology, such as HDMI, blu ray, and other recent technological advances, then you can save yourself a lot of money.

Make sure to get a plasma TV that doesn’t need to be tuned that often, and that can run in 1080p high definition. You always want to match the quality with the cost. If there are 2 plasma TVs, one for $2000 and another for $2200, but the second one has a blu ray drive built in, you definitely want to make the investment into the second one since blu ray drives are in the $500 range.