There are many frequently asked questions about plasma TV that the average consumer asks when comparison shopping for television sets.

Some of these questions are things everyone should ask before buying. To make it quicker, here is a quick summary of some the answers.

  • It is a fallacy that LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs last longer than consumer plasma TVs. Both are designed to last approximately 600,000 hours.
  • Plasma does not have to be recharged or refilled. Of course, if the plasma starts to leak from your television set, it may be cheaper in the long run to buy a new one than to have the old one repaired.
  • Resolution can be defined in three areas. HD (high definition) is the best and gives you 5x the digital transmission than standard television. ED (enhanced definition) is pretty good and gives you 2x digital transmission than standard TV. And standard is standard. Most consumer plasma TVs are set up for ED or HD.
  • When you get your plasma TV home and set up, play with the brightness settings. Although the picture may look great, some manufacturers have preset the brightness so high that it will burn out quicker than at a reasonable and comfortable viewing level.
  • 16×9 aspect ratio is also known as ‘widescreen’. It part of the HDTV standard and what you see at the movies. Most of the DVDs and Blu-Ray disks are widescreen and should look great on consumer plasma TV.
  • Today’s consumer plasma TVs can now be used as PC displays and you can purchase certain models that you can use to watch television and work on the computer at the same time.