Buyers Guides > Home Cinema

A Simple Guide to Buying a Plasma Screen

To help you find the best plasma screen for your application, we've put together this guide to the features you should look out for. The following is a simple guide to what to look for when you are considering purchasing a plasm screen

Firstly the myths surrounding plasma televisions.

One of the most common misconceptions is that Plasma Screens only last about 5 years. Perhaps this was true of some of the very first models, but nowadays you should expect them to last at least as long as conventional TVs.

Another worry is that the gas in a Plasma TV display needs replacing every 2 years. Fortunately this is not true. Plasma screens should not need any additional service to extend the screen’s lifetime.

Our third myth at least has some truth to it. This is that Plasma Screens are particularly susceptible to screen burn – this happens when a image is left in the same place on the screen for too long, like those pesky channel logos, and you’re left with a permanent residue of the offending image – It is true that Plasma screens are more susceptible than conventional televisions (mainly in their first 50-100 hours of use) however, at the time of writing, many models come fitted with a variety of features designed to eradicate screen burn. That said, it is probably a good idea not to leave it on all night and to ensure that the screensaver on your DVD player is switched on.

How the Plasma Screen works

The Plasma Television uses thousands of glass, sealed chambers containing a mixture of neon and xenon. The chambers are in front of coloured phosphors. Each chamber has three phosphers, one red, one blue and one green. When these chambers are in use they emit invisible UV light that excites the phosphors on the rear display glass enabling them to produce light that can be seen by us.

Why choose a Plasma TV?

Among the many benefits of investing in a Plasma TV screen the, perhaps, primary attraction is that due to the innovative lightweight and slim design the TV can be hung from the walls or placed on a tabletop, cancelling the need for an extra display unit and enabling large audio visual displays in places where a conventional TV would use too much space, or a projector would be impractical.

Screen size

Most plasma screens are in the 42-inch category, but a greater variety of screen sizes are emerging, including 32, 37, 40, 50 inches and our largest screen at 61 inches.
These screen sizes are a measure of the diagonal dimension of the screen, so a small variation in this vital statistic can make a big difference to the actual screen area, as the diagram below shows us.

Aspect ratio

This is the ratio of the screen width against the screen height. The majority of screens have 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the normal ratio for widescreen TV. Manufacturers are now adding more 4:3 ratio screens to their ranges, which is the normal ratio used by PC monitors and standard televisions.
If you are connecting a plasma screen to a PC, you can still use the widescreen format. Your PC can often be set to use the 16:9 ratio instead of 4:3, or the image can be stretched to use the whole screen.

If you're connecting to a video source, a 16:9 plasma screen is ideal for widescreen films and can still display signals from sources that use a 4:3 ratio by stretching the image or by displaying the image at its natural size using a portion of the screen.

Resolution

Simply put, this is the number of pixels available on the screen. The higher the resolution the greater the definition and sharpness of the image when projecting from a computer. This is more important with larger screens where the pixel size is more noticeable, and less important when displaying images from a video source because rapidly changing images make the pixellation less noticeable.
When choosing the correct resolution for you, take into consideration your most frequently used application.

SVGA (800 x 600) is okay for most video and large text presentations, but doesn't have amazing sharpness and is less suitable for small text and intricate graphics.

XGA (1024 x 768) is the most popular choice for presentations and high quality video.
Resolutions higher than XGA are aimed more at specialist applications or high definition TV.

If you're using a PC with your screen then it's best to check that the screen is compatible with the resolution you use on your PC. The resolutions that the screen supports should be stated in the screen's brochure

Contrast ratio

The contrast ratio is the measure of the brightest luminance the screen can achieve against the darkest luminance. The darkest luminance is important to the image because blacks will be truer to their real colour, rather than appearing grey and washed out.
You can use the contrast ratio as an approximate measure of how the image will appear in different lighting conditions. The higher it is, the better the contrast, although the measurement process is open to some different interpretations by different manufacturers.

Brightness

Measured in candelas per square metre (cd/m²). This is not quoted by all manufacturers, but is a selling point for others, so it's difficult to compare screens based on brightness alone.

Depth

Thinner plasma screens, while looking smarter, are more suited to environments where space is an issue, such as exhibition stands.

Display area

This is the measurement of the screen area itself not including the bevel.
Picture-in-picture / split screen functions

A feature on some plasma screens that allows you to view images from two different sources simultaneously. For example, you could show a video seamlessly within your PC presentation.
Wall mounts, desk stands and tv stands

Most plasma screens don't come with any form of mounting, so you'll need to allow for this in your budget. We supply desk stands, wall mounting kits, tv stands and other mounting accessories, such as ceiling suspension kits. E-mail us for further details or go to the appropriate section on this website.
Speakers

A few plasma screens come with built-in speakers, but most sell them separately. The speakers provided by the manufacturer are generally the best looking speaker option available, as they're designed to match the screen itself. You'll usually get the option to control the audio volume using the remote control as well, whereas if you were using speakers directly from your source you may not have this option unlike conventional televisions, Plasma screens are not affected by magnetic fields.
TV receiver

A plasma screen isn't quite like a TV - it doesn't include an aerial lead to plug into the wall and start receiving TV pictures. If you want to use the plasma screen for television, you'll need to either pass a TV signal through a video recorder, or purchase a separate TV receiver unit.

Transportation

Due to their size and the amount of exposed thin glass, plasma screens are more than a little prone to breakage during transportation. If you do smash the glass there aren't any repair options available to you, so if you are taking yours on the road frequently, the packaging the screen is sold in won't last forever. For the best protection, ask us about our flight cases.
If your still not convinced about plasma screens, then take a look at how they compare to other display technologies see our plasma V LCD section.

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