Are There Any Reasons I Should Not Buy A Plasma TV?

Question

Everyone says that LCD televisions are better and they even cost more.

Although, my mom wants a plasma cuz of the glass screen. We don't have problems with reflection on our present tv which is obviously glass.

I don't plan on playing video games, I just want to watch cable tv and movies. I also want it to be affordable.

Are there any reasons I should NOT buy a plasma tv? <-----

(also if anybody can answer this)

What price should I expect a 42" plasma 1080p with a good contrast ratio (and what's a good contrast ratio amount)? and is there anything else I should look into while choosing to buy the tv?

thank you!! I just really want to know if i shouldnt go plasma.

Answer 1

There really isn&#039;t any reason for you not buy a plasma, if you prefer it to LCD&#039;s.  Plasmas produce better black levels than LCD&#039;s, but LCD&#039;s are getting better.

For the same screen size of an LCD, you can get a plasma anywhere from two to four hundred bucks cheaper.  

The only reason I can think of to not buy one would have to deal with the life of plasmas and if they need to be fixed, the availability of a specialized technician to do it and the incurring costs.  Also, plasmas tend to run hotter than LCD&#039;s so you might want to think of this, too.

A good contrast ratio would be anywheres from 10,000 to 30,000 for a mid-level plasma set.  Which is very good.  Look for connectivity.  What components do you want to plug into your set and if you are going to have enough inputs to accommodate your sources.  Prices can range anywhere from $1000 to $2000 for a 42 inch.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

The reasons to not buy a plasma are:

- Plasma&#039;s don&#039;t do well in bright rooms (not just direct sunlight, but higher levels of light overall in the room - in other words, they like a dark room)

- Plasma&#039;s have more reflective screens (although so do several of the new Samsung LCD&#039;s)

- Plasma&#039;s use more power so the cost of operation is higher, plus they generate a fair amount of heat (just put your hand in front of a plasma screen and you&#039;ll feel it).

- Image retention and burn-in - pixel shifting technologies have helped to reduce this problem, but plasma&#039;s can still have burn-in problems if you leave a static image on the tv for long periods of time (hours).  Image retention can occur (like when a station has their logo in the lower corner of the picture for a long period of time), but that can usually be reversed.  You just need to be careful with static images displaying on a plasma tv

I&#039;m not saying don&#039;t buy one, I&#039;m just answering your questions.  The better plasma tv&#039;s have outstanding pictures, and if the above mentioned isses aren&#039;t a problem for you, then a plasma tv is a great choice.

Answer 3

LCD is better.  If plasma goes out, you have to buy a whole new TV.  An LCD can be replaced much cheaper than buying a new set.

An LCD set would be anywhere from $400-$2000, plasma is in the same price range.