The year 1964 was when Donald Bitzer and Gene Slottow created the first prototype for plasma televisions. They were from the University of Illinois and they referred to it as a plasma display monitor. However this was a bit before its time and these televisions were not a reality until the advent of digital technology.

The original was essentially a speck of light and it wasn’t until technology allowed for the recreation of geometric shapes was it feasible to create plasma televisions for the consumer at home. The first full color version of plasma televisions was in 1992.

What to look for when buying plasma televisions

1. The ideal screen size

One of the most important things to consider when buying plasma televisions is the size of the screen, and probably the first thing you need to consider when purchasing these televisions. This is because the size often relates to the price so that will narrow your search to the plasma televisions that fit with your budget.

Budget however is not the only reason that you consider screen size when buying plasma televisions. You also need to consider the room that it will be housed in and the amount of space that can be allocated for the optimal installation of the television. A word of warning is that you need to not just match the size of the television to the wall size but also the screen size to the recommended viewing distance.

If you are too close to the plasma televisions screen you may be able to see the pixels and start to experience video noise – neither of which make for the optimal viewing experience.

2. The ideal display resolution

The original plasma televisions that were released mostly came with lower resolutions that were designed to support the standard television. However with the advent of HDTV which needs 1280 pixels x 720 lines and 1080i/1080p HDTV needs 1920 pixels x 720 lines.
If you are buying new these televisions the standard resolution is no longer available and the minimum that you will find on 42-inch plasma televisions is 1024 x 768.

3. The connectivity that you need

When you buy plasma televisions always check the inputs that they have as standard to make sure that it fits the set up that you would like to create at home. The most common are composite, component, multiple HDMI, RGB and S-video.

Front or side inputs on these televisions are handy if you can get them for adjusting components without having to squeeze behind the back of the televisions installation. Ethernet ports are also a great advantage if you can, as it is more common now to want to connect a PC or laptop to the plasma televisions to view movies and other applications.

The features of plasma televisions

1. Speakers for the best sound

Most plasma televisions do not have inbuilt speakers but there are a number of models that do have inbuilt amplifiers that can have outboard speakers attached to them. If these are not strong enough for you at a reasonable 8 watts then you may want to consider a complete home theater system.

If you don’t have the budget perhaps lining it to the stereo system that you already have in place. Make sure that the plasma televisions that you consider have the right connections for this.

2. The screen brightness for your viewing pleasure

Plasma televisions lead the way in screen brightness when compared to other types of televisions. But not only that they have an image quality that id uniform across the whole screen without annoying bright spots that you may find with other types of televisions.

3. Plasma televisions have flat screens

Unlike a number of other types of televisions, plasma televisions have perfectly fat screens, which equals no picture distortion, unlike televisions with curved screens. Apart from reducing picture distortion the other advantage of these televisions flat screen is the wider viewing angles that can be enjoyed.

What can damage plasma televisions

1. Burn in: if you leave an image that is not moving on the screen of plasma televisions for over 30 minutes burn in may occur. What this means is that a faint imprint of this image will remain on the screen and it cannot be rectified.

2. Ambient light: adjust the contrast and brightness settings to allow for the ambient light in the room where the plasma televisions will be located. These can be lowered at night when it is no longer necessary, as the ambient light is different. This will help to elongate the plasma televisions life.

3. Temperature: these televisions need to be situated in rooms that have good ventilation. If they are located in a room with constantly high temperatures they may sustain damage and the life of the television will be compromised.

4. Trauma: plasma televisions need to be handled with care. The very small tubes of gas can be broken if the television is dropped or hit which causes black spots on the television screen.

5. The first 200 hours: the first 200 hours that you are using the plasma televisions is very important. This is when plasma televisions are more likely to be damaged. It is recommended that in this period of time that the brightness and the contrast levels need to be kept to a minimum to prevent damage.