Plasma TV Buying Guide

How to Buy a Plasma TV

You have decided to take the next step in your home entertainment system and buy a Plasma Television. You’ve watched as your friends got one, as coworkers picked up a Plasma TV and finally your parents bought one, it’s time for you to get one. Before you go out to Best Buy or Circuit City and immediately buy one there’s a few things you’ll need to decide. Hopefully, this article will help you with those decisions.

Review of Plasma Technology

Pioneer was the first company to offer a plasma television back in 1997. Since then the Plasma TV market has mushroomed to the point where it’s estimated that over 50% of Televisions owned in the US are either Plasma TV’s or flat panel TV’s. As the volume has increased the price of a typical Plasma Television has really fallen to price where many consumers can afford one.

A plasma television is basically similar to a fluorescent light bulb. The display is a bunch of cells and with in each cell two glass panels are separated by a small gap in which neon – xenon gas in plasma form is injected and sealed in the cells. When the gas is electrically charged it strikes red, green, and blue phosphors which create the colors which create the image we see. These groups of phosphors are called pixels, just like you see on your computer monitor for more information check out this great web site supported by plasma manufacturers.

Along the way Plasma TV’s have grown in size, capabilities and technology. The current largest Plasma television is a whopping 150” by Panasonic Corporation. Plasma TV’s are perfect for a home theatre system. Enough history, what‘s so great about Plasma TVs?

•Flat – Plasma TV’s like LCD TV’s have a very slim profile.

•Weight – Lighter than CRT’s and can be wall mounted.

•Viewing Angle – Plasma’s have around a 178 degrees a little more than LCD TV’s

•Size – Range from 32” – 150” rule of thumb the larger the more expensive.

•Refresh Rate – Overall Plasma TV’s have the best refresh rate by LCD is not too far behind which makes those sports games and action movies spectacular.

•Life Span The time until they are half as bright as a new unit) – range up to 30,000-60,000 Hours, about the same rate for LCD TV’s.

•Durability – Slightly less durable than LCD TV’s they still handle pretty well, but don’t drop it.

•Installation – Requires a little more work due to weight may be worth a professional installing it.

•Brightness – Plasma Televisions have individual pixels that turn either on or off, creating deeper blacks and better contrast especially in low ambient light areas.

•Widescreen aspect ratio - Plasma TV’s have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, the relationship between the screen's width and height. This is the proper aspect ratio for HDTV, and also allows many DVD-Video movies to be viewed in widescreen format, as originally seen in the theater.

•Higher resolution- Plasma Televisions have higher resolution than conventional TV sets, and are capable of displaying full HDTV and DTV signals as well as XGA, SVGA and VGA signals from a computer. For example, you can get plasma displays with a 1024 x 1024 pixel high-resolution that can display images at true 1080i and 720p HDTV resolution, as well as 480i and 480p HD signals.

We will talk about some of those key features later on, but for now let’s take a look at what you need to decide before purchasing your Plasma TV. Below is a set of questions to ask yourself and beneath the questions each paragraph explains the questions in a little more detail.

1. Where will you be watching your new TV?
2. What will you be watching on your new television?
3. What audio and video connections do I need? Do I want?
4. How much are you willing to spend on your Plasma TV?
5. Time to go Shopping what do I do?
6. Where do I buy online, in store, etc.?

Where – Location, Location, Location

Why does it matter where you’re going to be watching your TV? First if the area has a lot of windows you’re not going to get the most out of a Plasma TV. In fact because of the reflection on Plasma TV’s LCD Televisions actually do better with a lot of ambient light especially if it’s directly on the TV. Second space is an issue. Sure you want that 60” Plasma TV, but you’re going to be sitting only 3 feet it’s not going to look good. For optimal viewing a 60” Plasma TV should be viewed 12”-15” away. Take a look at this cool viewing distance calculator if you’re not sure what size to get.

What – So many things I could use a Plasma TV for!

This becomes important when you get down to selecting the right Plasma TV brand. Some will have better brightness and contrast others may have features you like. I would suggest you decide if Movies, Sports, Gaming, Computer stuff, or just plain TV watching is going to be your main use of the Plasma Television. Or go for a brand that provides a cross section of all of these. Here are some things to look out when you’re deciding on a TV.

• Movies – You want brands with high level of resolution and brightness. Also check out the type of Audio and Video Display connections that come with the TV.

• Sports – Once again resolution is important, however the connections are not unless you want to put you own championship basketball game on.

• Gaming – Connections are a big deal here; make sure you have enough to hook up your X-box, HD-DVD player, sound system, Video camera, etc. Look for front connections so you can setup your game easily or switch to your Wii.

• Computer Stuff – Stop now don’t go with a Plasma look at the LCD instead. Can you use a Plasma yes, but you’ll be happier with the LCD.

• Just TV – Well it depends on the shows, but Discovery is amazing on an HD Plasma Television.

Resolution – Does it really matter?

I mentioned resolution earlier so let’s talk about it for bit. Resolution is another factor in the cost and image quality of a plasma display. For pixel based devices like plasma televisions (computer screens), native resolution refers to the number of unique pixels provided along the display's horizontal and vertical axes. The more you cram in there the better the picture and the less likely you’ll notice the individual pixels. The larger Plasma Televisions 50” or more usually will provide 1080p native resolution. Native means that no conversion is necessary to get this resolution. Just realize that you’re cable only comes in at 720p, but you’re DVD player may be able to use 1080p.

For smaller Plasma TV’s less than 50” have a range of resolutions from 852 by 480 pixels (enhanced definition) to 1,024 by 1,024 pixels. Any widescreen TV that offers at least 720 lines of vertical resolution is considered a high-definition display. Horizontal resolution is not factored into that definition. Many 42-inch HD plasma displays provide a native resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels. These and smaller displays have lower horizontal resolution than the 50-inch and larger models; that is offset somewhat by their smaller size, but smaller plasma TVs will lose some image detail when formatting a widescreen HDTV picture into their native resolution

HDTV – So I just need a Plasma TV Right?

Please make sure you know if the TV you’re looking at is HDTV complaint. HDTV – High Definition Television allows for whole new three dimensional viewing experiences. Is it worth it, definitely if you’re setup for it? Meaning an HDTV is useless with HD Cable or HD Satellite and an HDDVD or Blu-Ray DVD Player or an HD Tuner to receive local channels in HD. Many HDTV’s have HD Tuner’s built in, but not all of them. You may have to buy it separately so make sure to include it in your cost pricing. Also beware there are still Plasma TV’s that are only EDTV which is a lower simulated version of HDTV. Don’t bother with it, although it takes awhile to see the difference the price comparisons between the two have dropped dramatically almost making it pointless to buy an EDTV. If you don’t believe me check it out at the local Best Buy or Circuit City.

Audio & Video Connections – Who needs them?

We mentioned that Audio and Visual (A\V) connections are important to your Home Theatre Setup and you’re not buying the Plasma TV to sit by itself. So we need to make sure it has all the connections you need. There are two way to approach this. You can take a look at your current “Home Theatre System” and make sure they all contact to your new plasma television. Or you can decide to upgrade your entire system when you buy the Plasma television or within the next few months. So here are the key A\V connections here is a link for pictures of the A\V Connections :

RF or Radio Frequency - Used for Antennae, VCRs, cable and satellite boxes which produce a low quality analog signal. Although some HD Digital Tuners are RF and produce a high quality signal.

Composite Video - The good old yellow connections when combined with the red connections gave you audio and video together. Used on VCR’s, older DVD players, and older game consoles and produces a low quality analog signal especially when compared to newer connections like HDMI.

S-Video- Used for cable and satellite boxes, S-VHS VCRs, DVD players, and game consoles. Okay resolution that is better than composite, but less than HDMI. It uses an analog signals.

Component-video - This connections has Green, Blue and Red colors that can produce 1080i; 720p HDTV resolutions. HD cable and satellite boxes, HD & DVD players, HDTV tuners, and game consoles. Great resolutions using using analog signals.

FireWire(1394)- Some HDTV Tuners and computers can connect with FireWire. High Resolutions using digital signals.

DVI-D (Digital Visual Interface)- Mostly computers and old HD cable boxes only provide visual no audio. High Resolutions using digital signals.

HDMI- Most HD cable & Satellite boxes, HDTV tuners, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players, game consoles etc. Excellent resolutions in pure digital.

So basically you’re looking for HDMI connections. Make sure there are at least 2 connections as you don’t know what other devices you may want to hook up to the Plasma TV later. If you need to the Component Video offers the best analog inputs. Also make sure you take a look at the location of the A\V inputs. You may want external connections on the front to hook up your video camera to embarrass you’re kids by watching thier 1st birthday video when thier dates come by.

Most plasma displays include stereo speakers. Though a decent surround-sound setup will provide a more compelling listening experience, the speakers bundled with most plasma displays are typically easier to set up and use. Some displays have side-mounted speakers, which make the unit wider and may mean the difference between a perfect fit or doing without. Some inexpensive plasma TVs have permanently attached speakers, which you may want to avoid for aesthetic reasons.

How much to spend? – I just won the lottery.

Okay if you won the lottery just pick out the best of everything and anything they recommend to you and you’re done. For the rest of us it’s a game of what we want vs. what we can afford. First don’t buy it if you can’t pay cash. It’s not worth going into debt for or spending your tax refund on. Second decide what is important to you size, resolutions, brightness, connections, etc. You should have a good idea by now. Third don’t forget you will need to buy cables, possibly sound system, dvd players, satellite or cable tuner, etc. Hey if you get an HDTV don’t forget the HD cable or satellite additional cost it adds up.

Here are some rules of thumb for how much to expect to spend on accessories (anything except the TV). For a full home theatre system double what you’re paying for the TV and expect the same quality as the TV. For high end system this may be $3,000 for the plasma television and $3,000 for the accessories. For just a Plasma TV and the normal cables expect to spend around $100 on top of what you paid for the TV. Don’t forget you may need a wall mount of new TV stand for your huge Plasma TV. Look to spend $300 on a stand or a wall mount.

Time to shop – I know it can be hard, but this time it’ll be fun I promise

First thing you do is get in your car with your handy notebook and head off to Circuit City or Best Buy whatever is close to you with Plasma TV’s. Just browse around and get a feel for which TV’s you like best. Be sure to stand directly in front of the TV and at least 8 feet away depending on the size. Once you narrow down the selection take a look at the specifications. What type of resolutions does it have, connections, what vendor, etc.? Write this stuff down it’ll save time later. Ask the salesperson any questions you may have. Most importantly figure out which one’s look right to you.

Believe it or not we all our eyes are made differently so what looks amazing to me may look like junk to your eye. Some people like bright colors, others prefer to see the variations of black, some just like the colors to blend well, and it’s all in the “eye of the beholder”. Also remember store lighting is totally different from your house, funny you never see windows in these places, I wonder why. Some things you can check out are:
•Shadow Detail – do peoples faces show a gradual shadow or do parts of there face just disappear on the TV. Also check the Letterbox on widescreens it should look inky black not grey.

•Resolution – can you tell the difference between two different resolutions. Make sure you find out what is showing on the TV cable or an HD Movie.

•Brightness – is it too much for your eyes, or is too hard to see. How will the light in the room you’ll be watching affect the brightness?

Finally are you willing to pay for the differences you see? You’ll be surprised if you just look at the set before the specifications you may like the Plasma TV that is not the latest and greatest remember everyone’s different. Make sure to write down you’re top picks and then do some research on reviews for your choices. Check out cnet.com and Plasma TV Buying Guide.com .

Where do I buy – Online, In Store so many choices, oh my!

Well this question really depends on you and what you’re buying. First if you getting an entire home theatre system I would go to one store. It’ll be a little more expensive, but if you’re willing to negotiate you should be able to get some type of discount for spending it all at once. If you’re a risk taker and are comfortable with the Internet you’ll find the best prices almost all the time online. Check out www.buyplasmatvs.com for quick look at both new and used Plasma TV’s. Most online stores will allow you to return you item within a certain period, but be sure to check out the shipping costs as well as the price. Don’t forget you may be able to avoid sales tax by buying online.

Well, that’s it, almost you can spend a lifetime learning everything and analyzing all the latest brands in fact some people do just that check out cnet.com. Eventually you just have to take the plunge and decide what you want. We hope we’ve helped get on the right path and wish you the best of luck in you’re search.