Plasma TVs Buying Guide

Plasma screens are made up of thousands of tiny cells which contain a gas that gives off coloured light when charged by an electric current. Each cell is charged tens of thousands of times a second, a computer inside the TV controls which cells are charged and when to form a picture that the viewer sees.
However most consumers have little interest on the internal workings of their TV, and really want to know how the product will perform, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know before purchasing a new plasma TV from Laskys.

Why Buy

The distinct advantage that Plasmas have over LCD TVs is the size that they are available in, LCD TVs become increasingly more expensive to produce per inch as they get larger so at sizes of around 40 inch and above Plasma TVs tend to be more cost effective. With regards to picture performance Plasma TVs traditionally have better contrast than LCDs, blacks will be blacker and whites whiter so if you watch a lot of movies that have lots of dark and light images at the same time the performance will be better. However LCDs are improving their contrast ratio and with many new models the difference in negligible.

A major reason for the huge popularity of Plasma TVs are their size. Plasmas are much thinner than traditional CRT TVs, with new designs both types of flat screen sets are much more attractive looking than CRTs and you can also hang them on a wall much like a painting. Laskys stocks a wide range of wall brackets and stands to match your new Plasma TV, with many available at a discounted rate when bought with a TV.

Things to Consider

HD TV

We have seen black & white pictures turn to colour, analogue signals becoming digital and now the ultimate in picture quality in the form of High Definition TV.
It will bring clarity, colour and definition never seen before on a TV. In order to enjoy high definition programmes you must have a HD Ready TV. Sky have already started broadcasting in high definition, via their Sky HD service, with lots of great programmes now seen and heard as never before. You can now enjoy a host of your favourite programmes, films, and sporting events in breathtaking quality.
Naturally all HD Ready TVs will also work excellently with standard broadcasts, so don’t be concerned if you haven’t yet invested in a high definition source such as Sky HD. As well as enhancing the picture quality and enjoyment you get from the TV, purchasing an HD Ready TV is a way of ‘future proofing’ yourself.

Key benefits of HD TV

• Picture clarity like we have never seen before
• True to life colour and detail that will make you feel like you are there
• Widescreen broadcast for a breathtaking home cinema experience

All of our Plasma TVs are fully HD ready so you can purchase from us save in the knowledge that you are ready for this exciting revolution in television.

Integrated Digital Tuner

A TV with an integrated digital tuner (also known as an idTV) allows you to receive all free to air digital channels, including BBC3, ITV2, Sky News and many more without the need for a separate set top box.
It can also be seen as a way of ‘future proofing’ your set over the next few years, analogue TV signals will be switched off and replaced with digital signals. It will happen gradually, region by region, between 2008 and 2012.
There are also many other reasons for choosing a TV with an integrated digital tuner ahead of a separate set top box:

• You get a much more sophisticated on-screen programme guide system to help you search through all your new digital channels.
• On some idTVs you can record a digital channel on your VCR while watching an analogue one.
• Convenience. With an idTV there are no extra boxes, remotes or cables to clutter your room or your brain!
• Direct connection to a VCR - not possible on a set top box unless your VCR has two Scart sockets.
• Better picture. A 100Hz digital TV cuts out two stages of the digital/ analogue picture process necessary with an adapter box. Since such conversions always reduce picture quality, 100Hz idTVs should give a clearer digital picture.

However if you plan to team your new television with a sky digital subscription than an idTV may not be necessary.

 

Sound

TV sound is no longer just a matter of picking between mono and stereo. Here we explain how all the formats work, and what each has to offer

The TV sound experience

Most plasma TVs only have Nicam stereo sound rather than surround sound. This is fine for smaller TVs that will be used in the kitchen or bedroom but larger plasma TVs are best used with separate home cinema sound systems.

Nicam Stereo - Ideal for anyone who would prefer not to have full surround sound, or has /intends to invest in a more powerful separate sound system.
Traditional two-speaker stereo sound. 'Nicam' refers to the technology developed to make stereo sound broadcastable.

Virtual Dolby - Ideal for anyone who wants to improve the sound from videos and TV broadcasts but doesn't want rear speakers.
Virtual Dolby is an audio compromise that adjusts the way the sound emerges from the pair of stereo speakers on your TV so that your ears are fooled into thinking they are hearing sound from behind them, even though no rear speakers are there.

Dolby Digital 5.1 - Ideal for anyone who wants to get the best from their TV, DVD player and Sky+.
Dolby Digital, available on a few high-end TVs, represents the pinnacle of surround sound. It delivers five separate full channels of sound (left, right, centre, rear left, rear right), plus a sixth channel devoted to bass - the '.1' of 'Dolby Digital 5.1'. Dolby Digital 5.1 is now available from DVDs, Sky Digital's Sky+ boxes, PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. If you have one of these and haven't got a Dolby Digital TV, your missing out on half the fun!
If you want Dolby Digital sound without replacing your TV you can buy a separate surround sound package.

BBE High Definition Sound - Truly lifelike movie experience, expands the spatial dimension of the 5.1 experience like nothing else.
Watching an action film on DVD through an A/V system featuring BBE is breathtaking, with sound effects such as jet planes or explosions becoming truly lifelike, not just loud. With BBE, details otherwise inaudible are revealed, such as the subtle movement of ice cubes in a glass held in an actors hand. This is a great example of why BBE's Pro Audio tag line is "Reveals All The Sound You've Never Heard."

How to achieve the best sound?

To get the best sound performance from a larger widescreen, plasma TV it should be used with a separate Dolby Digital 5.1 home cinema system. This system will give you 5 full channels of surround sound plus a sixth channel devoted to bass, the ".1" of Dolby Digital 5.1. All-in-one home cinema systems offer the most cost effective and user friendly way to achieve the full cinema experience at home but to achieve the best possible sound it is wise to invest in separate components.

Key features

Contrast - Is the measurement of the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black. The higher the contrast ratio, the sharper the picture will be.
One point to note though, over a measure of 1000:1 you will need to increase the ratio a lot to see a visible difference. i.e. There would not be a lot of difference between 1000:1 and 3000:1 but you would notice a difference if the ratio increased to 8000:1.

Resolution - Measured in pixels (horizontal x vertical) simply put the greater the number of pixels the better the quality of picture will be. HD ready TV’s can have a resolution of up to 1,920 x 1,080.

Connectivity - To get the most out of a plasma TV you need the right connections. Most plasma TVs have scart sockets to connect digital boxes or adapters, DVD players and VCRs. However more TVs now have component video inputs which provide a far higher quality connection to a DVD player (with a corresponding output) ensuring you get the best possible picture from your new plasma TV.
If you choose a HD ready TV it will have either HDMI or DVI connectivity to allow it to accept a digital signal from HD receiving equipment. As a result you will need to purchase a HDMI or DVI cable to allow you to watch High Definition broadcasts. Look out for HD ready TV’s that include multiple HDMI, further future proofing your set, allowing you to connect other High Definition sources such as an Xbox 360 or HD/Blu Ray DVD players.

Cables - Different cable types carry pictures in different ways and vary considerably in quality. Always use the higher quality options such as component video cables to get the best out of your equipment.
Cables vary enormously in price, simply because they are built to different standards. Expensive cables take extra measures, thicker wiring, better insulation etc. to ensure they keep external interference to a minimum.
Better cables can make a massive difference to sound and picture quality and aren't worth compromising on. This is why Laskys now stocks a full range of step-up cables from acclaimed experts Monster.