When you go out shopping for a plasma television the choices can seem endless. Why is one 42 inch plasma TV 1200.00 while another is 500.00? What features are important to have in a plasma TV? How to choose can be overwhelming even in just choosing plasma over the other types of televisions out there. One of the best ways is for you to educate yourself on the real facts about plasma televisions.

Some of the myths you will see during your research will have to do things like burned in pictures, image retention, bad picture quality at wide angles, all of these things have been sited as reasons to steer clear of plasma screen TV’s. However, if you take a look at the actual testing done on plasma screen televisions you will find that these statements are far from facts.

Burn in and image retention are just two of the terms you will seen thrown around on the internet as things to watch out for when purchasing a plasma television. These are the terms that describe damage that can happen to a television screen if it is stuck on the same picture for too long, like being on pause, or the image that stays on your television once you turn it off.

With cable and satellite companies increasing the amount of High-Definition content they are offering to their subscribers, many people are deciding that now is a good time to think about replacing their old picture-tube televisions with a new flat-panel plasma television set.

The first thing you will notice when you see a flat-screen plasma TV for the first time is the outstanding resolution and clarity of the picture. Most plasma TVs can display a resolution of at least 720p, better for smaller screens where high-resolution is less noticeable, all the way up to 1080P, the highest resolution available. Some plasma sets are able to receive HD, or High-Definition signals, while some models are considered EDTV, or Enhanced Definition Televisions, which display greater clarity and a higher resolution than standard picture-tube sets, but are not as clear as a true HD compatible plasma TV. If you want to receive HD programming, make sure that the plasma set you purchase is HD compatible.

Flat-screen plasma televisions are also much slimmer and lighter than standard TVs since they lack a traditional picture tube. A 40-inch plasma TV typically weighs less than half of what a similar sized traditional television weighs, and since plasma TVs are only a few inches thick, they can be mounted on a wall, freeing-up valuable floor space.