Best Plasma TV

Which is the best Plasma TV has more to do with personal choice than just cost alone.

At the end of the day, I guess you would be looking for the a TV Set that was both aesthetically pleasing and had excellent picture quality, I know I would, but for some strange reason we throw simplicity and logic out of the window and get bogged down in "Sales Patter".

"Here's the ideal set for you Sir/Madam. It's an HDTV which is far superior to EDTV as it comes with 1080i resolution as standard. It's a little more expensive than the other models you looked at but if you want the best Plasma TV you have to pay for quality bla bla bla".

Clearly, what is the best Plasma TV for me is not necessarily the best for you. These matters are subjective.

Here's my advice.

Visit your favorite TV and radio shop and take a good look at the Plasma TVs that are on display (and preferably "Switched On")

Decide what size set would be most suitable in your circumstances. It's no good falling in love with a 50 inch screen if you live in a tiny apartment.

Short list 2 or 3 models that you find pleasing to the eye. Remember, you'll be looking at it sometimes as a piece of furniture.

OK. So now you know what size and style Plasma TV suits you, it's time to see if the picture quality is as good as you would like.

You need to see the screen display from various distances. Maybe you like to sit close to the screen, I now my kids do (I think they'd sit on top of it if they could). If you're tight for space you may have no choice. Now take a couple of paces away from the set and look at the display again now look again from 4 paces. This way you will get a good idea of how sharp and clear the picture is from various distances.

The display on some Plasma TVs can appear "fuzzy" when viewed up close. On others when viewed from a few paces away. Some models have excellent picture quality when viewed from any distance or angle and yet each of these can vary between the same make and model of TV and of course, different family members may view from varying distances.

Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is broadcast along with standard HDTV video signals, allowing full surround sound capabilities.

The other important point in all this is that the Plasma TV that you finally choose is affordable and good value for money.

When your happy with your choice, go ahead and purchase.

Now the chances are that the set that is delivered and installed in your home will have come from stock, not the actual set you that you viewed, and now you know that picture quality can vary between the same make and model you would be wise to carry out the "fuzzy" checks again, in your own home and if you're not satisfied with the picture quality (or anything else to do with your purchase), insist that the set is replaced.

OK. So now you can settle down to your favorite program or the latest Hollywood block-buster. But wait. I forgot to tell you about the most important feature of all.

Donuts.

The picture and sound quality of your new Plasma TV will be massively improved if you have a box of Donuts to hand when you settle down to watch. OK, maybe thats just me!

If you would like to know what the "salesperson's" patter for the best plasma tv meant, read on.

High-definition television (HDTV) potentially offers a much better picture quality than standard television. HD's greater clarity means the picture on screen can be less blurred and less fuzzy. AD also brings other benefits such as smoother motion, richer and more natural colons, surround sound, and the ability to allow a variety of input devices to work together. However, there are a variety of reasons why the best AD quality is not usually achieved. The main problem is a lack of AD input. Many cable and satellite channels and even some "high definition" channels are not broadcast in true AD. Also, image quality may be lost if the television is not properly connected to the input device or not properly configured for the input's optimal performance.

The "i" in these numbers stands for "interlaced" while the "p" stands for "progressive". With interlaced scan, the 1,080 lines are split into two, the first 540 being painted on a frame, followed by the second 540 painted on another frame. This method reduces the bandwidth and raises the frame rate to 50-60 frames per second. A progressive scan displays all 1,080 lines at the same time at 60 frames per second, using more bandwidth.

I hope this helps you choose the Best Plasma TV for you and yours.

Happy Viewing.

Ian D. Major