Due to competetion from LCD flat panel TVs, prices of plasma TVs are significantly coming down. Fujitsu, Panasonic, Pioneer and Samsung make some of the best Plasma TVs out there.

Prices start as low as $899, but the general price range for a Plasma TV is $1,200-$4,000 with a few of the better and bigger models in the $4,000+ segment.

In this article:

• Manufacturer Dilemma
• HDTV and Progressive-Scan DVD
• Bright and Clear
• Burn In
• Artifacts And Image Quality
• Color and Brightness
• Practical Comparisons
• Plasma Pricing and Features
• At the Store
• Calibration is Key
• What are the Best Plasma Displays?
• Plasma Myths
• Is Plasma The Future?

Manufacturer Dilemma
Plasma flat panels require so much manufacturing expertise there is no one brand that makes the best Plasma TV overall although Panasonic and Pioneer are considered the "best of the best" by many.

Video quality can jump from great to lousy within a single manufacturer's lineup, which makes it hard to find a good one. The reason for this quality difference is that the production of the flat screen panels has been farmed out among different panel manufacturing facilities. Many manufacturers simply have someone else make the panel, add their own circuitry and frame, then pop their logo on it. This happens with even the best known names out there.

If you're in the market for a Plasma TV, be sure to read reviews to find out if which models perform well, as the performance can vary. Some brands even use one panel manufacturer for their high-end panels, and use another for their affordable panels, which is why the video quality can change dramatically within a manufacturer's lineup.

HDTV and Progressive-Scan DVD
The best sources that look great on Plasma TVs are HDTV broadcasts and progressive-scan/upconverting DVD players. With DVDs, good Plasma displays look radiantly sharp and detailed while suffering from very little picture artifacting. View HDTV and the results are even better. However, you may be in for some mediocre video quality if view DVDs from a non-progressive DVD player, or standard-definition sources such as cable and satellite.

Better Plasmas will produce a livable picture with standard-definition sources. With cable and satellite standard-definition sources you'll be hard pressed to achieve great picture quality due to how low resolution and overly-compressed the signal is before it even arrives to the TV. The good news is that as HD broadcasts reach into more homes, the need to watch standard-definition programming is lessening. HDTV simply looks spectacular on good quality Plasma TVs.

Bright, Clear, and Pixel Perfect
One of the first items that really stands out when you bring a Plasma TV home is how bright they are. With an HD source you'll see a rich color pallet even compared to CRT driven displays. Plasmas always look best with HD or DVD material which also allows them to show off the detail Plasma TVs are capable of displaying. Brightly lit scenes will look downright awesome with an almost unmatched clarity that has to be seen to be believed.

No other TV technology aside from a flat panel LCD will be as sharp since Plasma is a fixed-pixel display with pixels displayed at actual size. This really comes across with onscreen text that is just simply razor sharp.

Burn In
Older Plasmas used to suffer from burn-in issues, but manufacturers have really made strides in making this a non-issue. You can watch any sporting events with fixed game info that displays for hours on end without issue on today's Plasma TVs. You can even play video games on Plasma TV.

The key is to get beyond any Plasma TVs break-in period. It is during this time that the panel is susceptible to burn in. Note: burn in is not permanent and fades as you watch other material. 100 hours is the general rule of thumb for Plasma TV to break-in. After that, burn in is a non-issue.

Artifacts And Image Quality
Most, if not all, Plasma displays suffer from some sort of image artifacting while the "old school" analog CRT displays do not. Many new Plasma TVs can produce a very good picture with HD or DVD sources. Plasma TVs with bad picture quality suffer from color banding, color dotting, and image artifacts with any source that most anyone can see with side-by-side comparisons done at the store.

The bane of Plasmas (and most new TV technologies out now) is medium-dark to dark scenes in program material. Many Plasmas cannot display the information correctly and instead display a mush of color bands, odd color contours, and sometimes just the wrong color entirely. Plasma makers are getting better at improving this issue.

HDTV and DVD sources will look better than cable or satellite simply because there is more data in the picture with DVD and HDTV. When image processors have more data to work with, fewer artifacts are made.

The reason old-school, interlaced, direct-view CRT TVs look better with standard-definition sources is that the interlacing and smaller picture size actually hides a lot of imperfections. With today's much larger, progressive-scan TVs you're viewing standard definition sources much larger than they were intended, which reveals how bad standard-definition sources truly are.

Color and Brightness
Early Plasma TVs suffered from severe color banding with color gradients displayed in bars of color rather the smooth color. The newest Plasma TVs have come a long way in almost removing the issue, but color banding still does exist in some models. There is also color dotting wherein dots of colors are used instead of smooth color gradients/transitions.

Beware the perceived black level claims made by many manufacturers. It's perceived because they crank up the brightness so much that the black areas of the image have a perceived blackness of being darker than they really are. The TV is often so bright that you can't watch it in a dim room without eyestrain. Most Plasma TVs will only display dark grays and not truly deep blacks. For videophiles, the brightness and sharpness may outweigh the black level issues.

Practical Comparisons
Plasma costs more per square inch than every other display technology except flat-screen LCD panels. For the same price as a $2000 42 inch Plasma TV you could get a 55-65 inch rear-projection HDTV driven by DLP or LCD projection technology.

Plasma Pricing and Features
Cheaper Plasma TVs ($899) will have fewer connections and lack built-in tuners, while more expensive Plasma TVs ($2000+) will have more options. An internal Air/Cable tuner saves the need of an external tuner, and frees up an input connection. With any Plasma TV look for it to have the following inputs:

• 1-2 HDMI inputs (these are backward compatible with DVI connections)
• 2-3 Component A/V inputs
• S-Video connection
• Over the Air HD Tuner with coax connection
• CableCard slot with cable coax connection (Optional)
• Digital and analog audio out

Affordable Plasma TV will be 720p while those above $2000 offer 1080p. Unless you're sitting really close to the TV you won't notice the extra resolution 1080p offeres as the human eye can only discern so much information. A general rule of thumb is not to care about the resolution unless you're getting a Plasma TV larger than 50 inches. In some cases the 1080p plasmas can suffer from more image quality issues than 720p models due to the more advanced processing needed for the higher resolution.

At the Store
At the store you'll find walls of Plasma TVs displaying bright, crystal clear HD images. Plasma TVs seem custom made to look good as long as their fed bright HD source material. The trick is knowing Plasma technology's shortcomings when you go shopping.

Plasmas generally have a hard time with dark and dimly lit scenes. Bring a few DVDs that show that type of imagery, and look for a Plasma TV that can handle dark scenes as well as bright ones. Some scenes like those with a lot of smoke or fog which are dimly lit won't look great on any Plasma TV. If you can live with a few image issues, the brightness, clarity, and color offered with other program material may counter the few shortcomings Plasma technology suffers from.

One thing many people don't consider when evaluating a TV in the store is viewing distance. HD signals allow you to get close to the TV which will show any imperfection the Plasma panel has. Many of the artifacts cannot be seen when you view the TV at the distance you'll view at home. If there artifact or image issue can't be seen from an actual viewing distance, why let it bug you?

Calibration is Key
While most al Plasma displays suffer from issues with handling dark and dimly lit scenes, proper calibration can reduce these issues dramatically. For some Plasma TVs a quick adjustment of the brightness and contrast can make a world of difference.

A lot of Plasma displays come with really over-emphasized color saturation which sells well in the stores but looks unnatural at home. Turning the color settings down will allow for more natural color reproduction, and many TVs will allow you to adjust the RGB color spectrum to your liking as well.

What are the Best Plasma Displays?
This is the most often asked question and the answer is: "whatever display suits your needs." There's a plethora of Plasma TVs out there and while the leaders of Plasma TV technology (Fujitsu, Panasonic, and Pioneer) are a great place to start, they are not the only solution. LG, Phillips, Samsung and Toshiba have many nice Plasma TVs out there as well. To discard those makers or the many other brands making Plasma TVs would be a mistake.

Pioneer is known to have great image processing, while Panasonic is known for its quality of displaying dark scenes. LG, Matsushita (Panasonic's parent), and Samsung are each major manufacturers of the actual Plasma screen technology, so they'll have greater access to the technology, engineering specifics, and the better panels.

Each brand has different prices and options compared with others. One Plasma TV may handle a certain feature better while other may have better processing, color smoothness, brightness, darkness, connection options, case design, or price that you may have to balance between when selecting a Plasma TV that's right for you.

While all these options make it hard to find a good Plasma TV, looking is half the fun, and key to finding a TV the will keep you happy over the long haul.

Plasma Myths
Over the last few years some myths have popped up about Plasma TVs:

Is Plasma The Future?
Plasma technology has come a long way since its 1997 debut, with many current models offering a truly great picture. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons when looking at Plasma displays, and get the TV that best suits your needs regardless of technology. If you hate a certain limitation, than perhaps a TV driven by another technology such as DLP, LCD, or CRT would be better for you.

Flat panel Plasma TVs are definitely one of the hottest and most sought after TV technologies out due to their exotic look and status symbol quality. Just allow some time for research so you get one that offers great picture quality and does everything you need.