Plasma TV

Purchasing a new television involves numerous decisions. Once consumers have waded through the various features and made their selection, there is yet another decision that will be necessary. Finding the right location and method of placing a new plasma television is an important step in assuring optimal viewing as well as the safety of the new screen.

There are a number of viable options for the placement of a plasma television. These space saving flat screens can be mounted on the ceiling, on the wall, or placed on a stand. Some methods of mounting the screens are less costly, others allow for greater ability to save space, and some provide more flexibility to assure that the television can be viewed at different angles and heights. Looking at each of these options in advance will help consumers make the choice that will best suit their needs.

If a wall or ceiling mount is preferred it is important to realize that a plasma television can be heavy for its size and therefore wall studs or a ceiling joist must be present to support it. Any additional hardware needed for installation should be available with the mounting device purchased but will be dependent upon whether the television will be mounted on wood or metal studs/joists or concrete block. Therefore, consumers should go into the buying situation knowing where they wish to place their new plasma television and what type of structure is present.

A ceiling mounted plasma television can save floor space. A ceiling mount often has an extension pipe in addition to the mount itself to allow for comfortable viewing. Some owners use a “plasma lift” with a ceiling mount option that keeps the screen hidden until they are ready to use it.

Wall mounts can be flat, tilt, swivel or an articulated arm. A flat wall mount is generally the least expensive and is the greatest space saver as it adds only 2 inches to the depth of the display but because it is often fixed, does not offer a flexible viewing angle. Getting a tilt mount for a plasma television adds about 4-6 inches to the depth but is often used when needing to mount the display above eye level; such as over a fire place.

An articulating arm mount allows users to keep the display pulled back flat against the wall but also provides the flexibility of pulling out the display and turning/tilting it as needed.

Table stands are generally customized to the specific plasma television that is purchased but do tend to take up a bit more space. Some stands offer options that allow tilt and other movement of the display including “plasma lifts”.

Obviously any mount purchased will need to fit the specific plasma television selected. The television will have a pattern of holes on the back that will need to correspond to the screws on the mount. Some mounts also have adapter plates available that will match up to popular plasma television models.

Selecting the proper mount for a plasma television can help to assure that the television is stable and positioned so as to reduce the risk of being struck or knocked over. A proper mount can also help to assure optimal viewing and comfort and should be carefully considered to assure years of viewing pleasure.

By: Christine Peppler

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When it comes to flat TVs, two technologies come to mind, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and Plasma. A lot of people are puzzled about these two types of flat screen technologies and choosing between them can be quite a bewildering task. If you need to compare LCD to Plasma TV, you may find something useful in the following information.

Flat Screen Technologies Compared

The LCD screen is comprised of two clear panels that have a crystal-filled liquid between them. These crystals reposition themselves to either block light or let light pass through and the result of millions of crystals doing this is the picture on the display. The action of the crystals is triggered by voltage.

Plasma TV, on the other hand, is composed of millions of small glass cells filled with rare gases such as xenon and neon. These cells are lit by phosphors that are activated by electrodes. Each cell contains three different colored phosphors – green, blue and red. Like in the LCD screen, the combination of the millions of cells forms the image on the display.

Picture Quality and Performance Compared

Brightness – according to independent viewers, LCD TVs are brighter than plasma TVs. On the average, plasma screens have brightness ratings of about 100 candelas per square meter while LCD TVs have around 450. This perception of this brightness is of course dependent on where the TV is located and what is being watched.

Contrast Ratio – contrast ratio measures the distance between the darkest and whitest display of the TV, a high ratio means greater details can be discerned. In the real world, LCD TVs reportedly have higher contrast ratios which can amount up to 450:1 compared to 200:1 for plasma TVs.

Color Saturation – color saturation measures the accuracy of the colors on screen based on the present of gray shades, higher gray shades results into lower saturation. Plasma TVs are famous for their high color saturation due to the method it emits light. The ability of Plasma pixels to be turned off when they are not in use prevents the emission of stray light that diffuses color. This is why tints and hues in Plasma TV are noticeably more vivid and vibrant.

Size – plasma TVs are generally larger than LCD TVs. Plasma TVs can be as big as 60 inches but can only be as small as 32 inches. LCD screens can be as small as 13 inches but no larger than 46 inches. Sizes beyond these ranges are being developed, however.

Viewing Angle – pictures in plasma TVs are still clearly discernible at about 160 degrees and even 180 degrees for some models. With LCD TVs however, the picture becomes dull beyond 100 degrees.

Lifespan – Plasma TVs can last for 20,000 to 30,000 hours which means that it could run for around 20 years with an average usage of 4 hours a day. LCD TVs last longer, with a lifespan reaching to 50,000 or even 60,000 hours, meaning it could last 40 years with an average daily usage of 4 hours.

Costs – since LCD TVs are generally smaller, they are also less expensive compared to Plasma TVs. LCD TVs also use less electricity

Flat screens are continuing to be the popular choice among televisions these days. Whether it is Plasma or LCD, a flat TV can definitely give you a more hip viewing pleasure.

By: Nathalie Fiset

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Thinking about getting a Panasonic plasma TV? If so, you’ve come to the right place because I have some important and detailed information to share with you.

My research team collected data from at least 550 actual Panasonic plasma television owners. The sources for this data were nearly 100 different online message boards, which tend to be among the best places to find unbiased and helpful product information.

Picture Quality

Virtually all owners were pleased with the picture quality, including the accuracy and richness of the colors, brightness, contrast and clarity. In addition, they had no complaints with how well the TVs render black color.

While virtually all owners were impressed with how their TVs displayed high definition, many were less than impressed with how they displayed standard definition. Standard definition was not described as bad by owners who complained; it just was not as good of a picture as they wanted.

Screen glare can be an issue with plasma TVs, and it was somewhat of an issue to Panasonic owners, according to our data. While not a widespread complaint, several owners were not pleased with how much their screen reflected light.

Image retention and burn-in can also be issues with plasmas. In regard to image retention, which is what occurs when an after-image appears on the screen temporarily, a handful of owners voiced displeasure. In regard to burn-in, which is what occurs when an after-image appears and remains on the screen permanently, virtually no owners reported this problem.

Motion blur was not a problem to speak of, nor was difficulty viewing the TV from different angles than just from the front.

Ease of Use, Sound and Appearance

Owners generally found the TV easy to set up and use. Some owners would like a better designed remote control, however.

When it came to the sound quality of the built-in speakers, the clear majority of owners were happy. In regard to the appearance of the TV, that is, how it looks as a piece of furniture, owners almost unanimously had praise.

Quality

What about the quality and durability of the Panasonic plasmas? Problems and defects were reported, such as issues with the power supply and unwanted noise, but complaints about quality were not common overall. The majority of owners who had contact with Panasonic’s customer service were satisfied.

Satisfaction Rating

The bottom line is that, based on our research, 93% of the Panasonic plasma owners included in our data were satisfied with their TV.

By: Nick Robinson

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