Buying a television used to be easy. There were only a few televisions of varying sizes in most stores and each television used the same technology. Today this is not the case. Shoppers much choose from LCD, Plasma, CRT, rear projection and other technologies when shopping for television. So, should you buy a plasma TV?
A plasma TV is a flat panel television and it has benefits and disadvantages just like every other piece of technological equipment. Therefore, you must weigh the advantages against the disadvantages to decide whether are not to buy a plasma TV. These advantages and disadvantages will be discussed at length.
Lets take a look at the disadvantages of plasma televisions. First, plasma TVs are normally heavier, require more power consumption and run hotter than LCD counterparts. Also, flat panel plasma TVs carry a bigger risk of screen burn in. but this risk is greatly diminished by the fact that most plasma televisions are up to date with the newest technologies. The final two disadvantages of flat panel plasma televisions are the fact that they do not perform well at high altitudes and they tend to have more glare on the screen.
There are also advantages to owning a plasma television. Other technologies cannot provide the superior motion tracking, deep blacks and collars, increased contrast ratio and the large assortment of big screen televisions sizes that plasma technology does. If you are purchasing a television specifically for the use of high definition cable services and Blu-ray picture, then you should probably purchase a plasma television if you want flat screens.
There is a common argument that is made by plasma television producers regarding the use of mercury in the manufacture of other flat panel television technologies. Many flat panel plasma TV manufacturers claim that LCD televisions are dangerous because they contain mercury. However, the amount of mercury is so small and well contained that this argument is a nonissue.
So, should you purchase a plasma television? That argument is largely based on your perception of the advantages and disadvantages of owning a flat screen plasma TV. Consider the following scenarios.
Most homes today are air conditioned and do not rely on a lot of natural sunlight. Therefore, the heat buildup and glare disadvantages of plasma televisions are likely be relevant to the modern home. On the other hand, if you relied mainly on primitive cooling methods and natural sunlight, then you may find that the disadvantages of owning a plasma television are more prevalent in your home.
The wisest decision you can make as a consumer is to fully research the benefits and disadvantages of owning every product you buy. Plasma televisions are no exception. Read the literature about the product, and make your decision. However, make sure to give plasma televisions a thorough look because they tend to be superior in picture and overall utility.
