Purchasing a new Plasma TV can be an overwhelming experience because consumers are presented with so many choices. To simplify your shopping trip, we have gathered a list of tips that should come in handy when at the electronics store, and may even be able to narrow down your choices considerably. Please continue reading on, for what we deem the most useful tips when buying a new Plasma television.
Color Accuracy and Saturation. You are buying a Plasma because you want the best color and sharpness on the market. This is when the colors on the screen are more vibrant and dynamic. You will feel as if you are watching a movie or a show the way it was intended to be seen.
Contrast Ratio. Plasma Televisions have much higher contrast levels that most LCD models that are available. Plasmas have deeper blacks and significantly better contrast. A contrast ratio is the measurement that determines the variation between the darkest and whitest parts of an image. When shopping for a Plasma TV, you should at minimum, get a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Anything lower will show dark images that look muddy on screen and lighter images that will look washed out. This will provide you with the ultimate viewing experience.
Burn-in/Pixel Shift. This was a big disadvantage of older model plasma TVs. What it is any remnants that are left or burned onto the screen after an image has been left on for a long period of time. To limit burn-in try to see if the plasma panel has built in burn-in protection, such as, full time pixel shift technology, power management settings, or even an automatic screensaver function.
Plasma Life. Individuals who are looking to buy a quality Plasma TV, should regard this as big consideration especially if you expect to have the TV for an extended period of time. The average life of a brand name Plasma TV should be 50000 to 70000 hours. What this equates to is 20 years, if the television is in use for at least 6 hours a day. This number could be a lot less with lesser-name models.
HDMI inputs. At a minimum, try to look for these specs on a Plasma TV connection: DVI-I or DVI-D, RCA or Composite, Component, and S. Video. Although, HDMI is the newest input that is used because most devices (DVD players, satellites, cable boxes, and gaming units) come equipped in HD, most Plasmas should work with any existing video component.
Resolution. If you are looking to buy an HDTV, the minimum resolution should be 1024 x 720. If EDTV, 852 x 420 is the minimum for the best listening and viewing experience.
Altitude. Consumers that live in places with higher altitudes (above 6,000 feet) should try to purchase a Plasma TV that was designed for high altitudes. You may pay more money for these models but you will have your television for a longer period of time. Higher altitudes will affect the performance of your Plasma TV because the gas within each pixel of the plasma has to work a lot harder to produce an image.
Although a Plasma TV can be purchased for a lot less, it is still a big purchase. These tips should help you in your decision making process.
