Despite the advances in LCD and LED technology plasma TV’s are still selling well. Ask any Naples video retailer and they’ll tell you plasma isn’t dead yet. It has many advantages over LCD, such as better performance in dark rooms and the ability to project proper black. If you’re in the market for a plasma TV, here are a few things to bear in mind.
Although 1080 is almost default now, there are still plenty of 720 resolution TV’s around. To be honest, unless you’re a home theater buff you probably won’t even notice the difference between the two unless you’re watching an HD broadcast or Blu-ray movie.
More important is the contrast ratio. The higher the better as it signifies how lifelike the picture will appear. It also indicates how black the black will be. The deeper and darker the black, the better the contrast within the picture. Blacks are one of the advantages of plasma over LCD. LCD simply cannot do black at the minute, more dark gray. The lowest right now is 800:1, and you certainly wouldn’t want anything lower than that. Current plasma TV’s are something in the region of 30000:1.
The other advantage of plasma over LCD is the speed. Most LCD’s are rated in Hz, the lowest being 60Hz, going all the way up to 240Hz. Plasma’s work at a native 480Hz which basically means they react quicker to changes in picture, making movement smoother in fast moving scenes.
Connections is the other factor when choosing a TV. Most modern sets will have at least one HDMI, a couple of Scart and maybe an analog or S-video port. If you have Blu-ray and an HD satellite of cable service you might need two HDMI ports. Check the set against your requirements and make sure you don’t have to compromise.
The other buying information is more about the buying experience than the TV itself. Make sure you see the TV in action in a store, even if you don’t buy it from there. Stand approximately at the distance you will be sitting when you own it and check it from different angles. Not all stores have an HD feed, find one that does to make sure you’re getting what you want.
Use consumer reviews, home theater magazines and talk to your friendly Naples video store to get analysis and opinion on different options. Don’t get paralyzed though, learn what you can, but don’t overdo it, or over think it. You want to get the absolute best for your situation and your money, but don’t let yourself get too tied up in the details. For the most part you won’t even notice the difference between most models if the major aspects are there.