Guides

Plasma Burn-In was a somewhat serious problem with the first plasma display models. However, in the past years great improvements have been made to the technology, latest flat-panel plasma TVs being very resistant to the burn-in phenomenon. Today’s plasma TVs are not burn-in proof though, the risk to develop this annoying problem existing in all displays based on phosphors. However, the chance to get permanent burn-in on the latest TVs is slim to none if you don’t abuse it. You don’t have to retain yourself from playing games on your plasma nor do you have to switch the channel every five minutes. You can use your TV as you like, and you don’t even have to think about the chance of getting plasma burn-in as long as you follow a few common sense rules.

If you want to buy a plasma TV and you are not comfortable doing so without learning all the important facts first, you have come to the right place. This guide will get you up to speed by explaining all must-know stuff. The plasma TV buying guide is invaluable if you are new to the world of HDTV. It will help you not only have the peace of mind that you bought the right thing but also avoid a lot of the marketing crap out there and probably even save some money along the way or spend them wiser.

When you want to buy a HDTV one thing you have to do is to understand the differences of plasma vs. LCD TV. This is a must read guide because by choosing the right type of HDTV display for your needs can be the difference between good and great. This is an in-depth guide covering plasma vs. LCD TV topic in a very practical way and you will certainly find it useful.

Probably the most important decision you must make before buying a plasma TV, other than the budget, is to chose the size you wish your plasma TV to be. Most plasma TV models have sizes from 42" up to 65" and the bigger they are, the higher the price is. But the cost is not the only factor you should use when deciding what size your plasma TV should have. One very important thing you have to know, is how the plasma TV size, resolution and the viewing distance relate with the amount of picture detail you are capable of seeing.

When it comes to resolutions, one might get a bit confused from all the numbers and specifications. In this guide I will explain the differences in 1080p vs 1080i. Many plasma TVs as well as other types of HDTV have their screens rated as having a native resolution of 1080p and/or supporting 1080p and 1080i resolution. There is a difference between native and supported resolution and I will explain this focusing especially on 1080p vs 1080i. I will also explain the only visible difference to the viewer when it comes to 1080p vs 1080i and tell you when and how much it matters.

Is 1080p worth the extra money? Do I miss something if I buy a plasma TV that is just 720p? What are the differences between 720p vs 1080p and which one is better for me? I will answer these questions in this guide and more than just telling you what are the differences between 720p and 1080p I will actually show you so you see with your own eyes. This is a guide where the expression “an image is worth a thousand words” applies perfectly.

In this guide I am going to explain to you what the resolution is, the various resolutions found in TVs and HDTVs, as well as the difference between them. I will also describe in detail why buying a HDTV with the highest resolution (1080p) might not give you an advantage over one that has a lower resolution (720p). When you finish reading this guide, you will have enough knowledge about this matter to avoid some serious mistakes that sales people and marketers want you to make. So let’s get started, shall we?

If you want to get the best picture quality out of your plasma TV and you don’t feel confident you can do it yourself, your best bet is to hire a calibration technician. Be prepared however to pay a few hundred bucks for this. It is probably the best calibration money can buy. It will not be a huge difference from what you can do yourself with a calibration DVD but it is a visible difference. This is for those people who don’t mind spending some extra money to know they get everything their plasma TV can offer.

You are probably willing to pay a few bucks for a calibration disk so you get great picture quality without having to spend a whole day calibrating your plasma TV. This guide explains the process of calibrating your TV using a calibration DVD. As opposed to the DIY/free approach this is likely to take less time and produce better results.

You can calibrate your plasma TV for free without having to buy a calibration DVD but it is going to take you more time and it will probably not look as good. This is still a must-read guide because it explains the steps you have to take when calibrating your plasma TV and how each setting affects your plasma TVs picture quality. Even if you plan on buying a calibration DVD do read this guide first because it explains the basic concepts.

Learn how to calibrate your plasma TV for the best picture quality. First guide discusses the advantages offered by calibration and explains how you to setup your room lighting. The following three guides explain to you each approach that you can take to calibrate your plasma TV.

When you have a plasma TV it is a good idea to maintain it in a good state. You should do this with any device, but especially with a plasma TV since it is much more expensive than other devices you might have around in your house. Plasma TV maintenance is not a complicated thing and it doesn’t cost you much. Part of this maintenance is about knowing how to clean a plasma TV because I assume you will do this most often.

Before jumping head first into buying a plasma TV, you may want to consider understanding the plasma TV features, and decide which of them are important or useful for your particular needs. It will help you not only save some money by not paying for features you don’t need, but also, this knowledge will help get the best plasma TV for your particular needs.

Before you start shopping for your own home theater it’s good to know what connectivity options you have. In this guide you can find out about the various connectors you can find on a plasma TV and details about each - how good it is, what is its intended use, and so on. Knowing in advance the connectivity options, will be helpful when shopping for the devices that will form your home theater setup because you will understand how you can connect everything and what is the degree of compatibility between the components.