Let’s
Separate Fact From
Fiction:
Myths
About Plasma TV
•
Rumors
and myths about Plasma TVs fly past cold, hard facts at the speed
of light; sometimes it can be difficult to separate fact from
fiction.
•
There are
lots of self proclaimed “experts” willing to tell you
how Plasma TV screens give off deadly radiation, or will burn out
in a year if they’re not refilled with fresh plasma.
•
It’s dangerous
to take half-baked information as fact: you then make decisions
based on lies. Lets try to puncture a few of the more common
misconceptions:
Top 10
Myths And Lies
About
Plasma TV
•
A Plasma TV will burn out in a year or two and need to be
replaced: A top
of the line Plasma TV like a Panasonic
or
Pioneer
has a
life expectancy of 60,000 hours. So does a Sony LCD. If you watch a
Plasma TV eight hours a day, it would take about twenty years for
the unit to burn out.
• “Plasma TVs blast radiation at you, it’s
dangerous to sit closer than ten feet from the
screen!” This
is one of the wilder myths about Plasma TV. A tiny amount of UV
radiation comes out of a Plasma display (you can measure it up to
one inch from the screen). The tube television (CRT) that you put
your nose on while you watched cartoons in the seventies shoots
radiation at the screen to form the image. Radiation floods more
than one foot into the room! You probably have several of these TVs
in your house right now!
• “I can’t afford to own a Plasma TV,
they’re too expensive!” The
price of both Plasma and LCD TVs has dropped dramatically in the
last few years. You can find 42” Plasma TVs for under $1000,
and 50” screens for under $2000. See Discount Plasma
TV.
• “My Plasma display will look great right out of the
box!” A
Plasma TV is often shipped with the picture, contrast or brightness
controls set too “hot”; turned up so they’ll look
great in a brightly lit TV showroom. Your living room is probably
nowhere near this bright; you should adjust these controls to a
level more pleasing to you. This will also extend the life of your
Plasma display.
•
Plasma TVs have better pictures than LCD TVs (and vice
versa): THE
TRUTH: Either type of television will give you a sparkling, razor
sharp image on a gorgeous giant flat screen television. Plasmas
have better color, contrast and black level; LCDs can have a
sharper image quality. See Plasma vs
LCD.
•
“I heard the plasma in the TV screen needs to be refilled
every few years!” It’s
impossible to refill the plasma inside a TV screen. I suspect con
men have told unsuspecting customers such tales to sell extended
warranties, but it’s not true.
• Plasma TVs are difficult to install: Well .
. . yes and no. With a few strong friends you can easily table
mount your Plasma with the included base stand. A wall mount is
much more complicated and may require professional help (see
Installing Your
Plasma).
• HD (High Definition) Plasma displays create a better image
than ED (Enhanced Definition) displays: This
is usually true, but there are exceptions. To create a pleasing
image, the TV’s converter must handle high and low resolution
images from VCRs, DVDs, regular cable, digital cable and HDTV, as
well as control contrast and motion blurring (ghosting). A top of
the line ED converter can outperform a bargain brand HD converter.
ED is being phased out: all Plasma TVs should soon feature HDTV.
See HDTV
Plasmas.
• Plasma screens are plagued by image burn-in:
Again
. . . yes and no. Advances in screen technology have greatly
reduced the problem of static images like station logos, game
graphics and stock tickers burning permanently into the screen.
Although it’s now harder to do, you can still experience
burn-in with a Plasma TV. If you want to use your TV with a
computer, video game or in-store product display, you should
consider buying a LCD TV, which has no burn-in.
• Handling a Plasma TV is just like handling any other
TV!” A
Plasma screen has the thousands of image cells sandwiched between
two thin sheets of glass. You can't lay a Plasma TV flat on
it’s face or even rub hard on a Plasma screen, for fear of
causing the screen to crack. If your Plasma screen cracks, it
cannot be repaired. See Care and Cleaning
and
Delivering Your
Plasma.
LG 42" 720p Flat-Panel
Plasma HDTV
Philips 50" 720p
Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
123
Guide
To Plasma TV
• There’s
lot’s of misinformation flying around about Plasma TVs. You
may hear that they’re too expensive, they will fry you with
radiation, they’ll burn out in a year or the plasma must be
refilled.
•
Learn the
facts about Plasma TV before you consider making a purchase.
That’s
what we’re here for! Armed with the facts,
you’ll have no problem picking the TV that will thrill your
family for years to come!
•
Enjoy!
It’s as easy as
123!
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