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.

On the 26th to 28th of February this year the Bristol Marriott hotel hosts the biggest Hifi and AV show. The Bristol Sound and Vision Show draws AV and Hifi enthusiasts from all over the UK.

The Bristol Sound and vision show will be presenting new products from almost 200 brands including Yamaha, Sony, JVC, Mission, Wharfedale, Denon plus many more. The Sound and Vision Bristol show allows people to get close and demo the latest products, giving them chance to test them and relay feedback directly to the manufactures. Visits love that there are so many brands under one roof, no AV or Hifi shop in the country will have this many brands on display.

Many retailers like Sound and Vision, Digital Direct and HiFiBitz travel to the show to gain new accounts, see the products before they are launched so they know what they are selling and out of general interest.The show lasts 3 days, from the 26th to 28th of February, in that time the show is expected to see well over 5000 people come through the doors. If you don’t like crowds, maybe the Bristol show is not for you, so why not visits your local AV and Hifi retailer like Sound and Vision. Sound and Vision have electrical shops in Bolton and Leeds, and have accounts with over 150 brands most of which are exhibiting at the show. In the Sound and Vision shops there are over 200 products on display and are available for testing.

Plasma televisions are an innovative new technology that provides flat screen displays. Using a variety of noble gases encased in small compartments (pixels), plasmas work by converting the gases into plasma. This plasma radiates light and forms an extremely clear picture. Liquid crystal displays (or LCDs) are also flat screened TVs. However, these use liquid crystals with backlighting to form pictures.

Plasma televisions (and flat screen TVs in general) are extremely easy to handle. Due to their very nature, plasmas are flatter than traditional televisions (also called CRTs) and thus, are lighter as well. Currently averaging 5 inches in width and 100 pounds, their size will soon be reduced to an inch in width and 45 pounds. This lack of bulk has heralded in a new era of television placement; consumers can now mount their plasmas on the wall without worrying about ruining the wall.

Flat screen televisions cover a range of much higher resolutions than do traditional televisions. High definition plasmas and LCDs have resolutions from 1024×768 pixels per square inch to 1920×1080 pixels. The ceiling of resolution for CRTs stands at a mere 480 lines, providing a much more muddled picture than plasmas or LCDs do.

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.

Thinking of buying the cheapest TV you can find at your local electronics store? Well, you may want to think twice before making that purchase! We know you don’t want to spend any more of your hard earned money than you have to on any purchase, but buying the cheapest TV you can find may end up costing you more in the long run!

So please take our advice! It may not matter one iota if you buy a can of pork and beans made by Heinz or the Asda brand. But when it comes to purchasing a more permanent item such as a television or a refrigerator, do not buy a no name brand! When you purchase the very cheapest televisions made by no name brands, you are not investing in a product that is guaranteed to last.

The main goal of the manufacturers of cheap televisions is to make the most inexpensive product that they can. They are well aware of the fact that an incredibly low price can be an irresistible temptation. After all, for the same price as the brand name TV, you might be able to get a cheap TV that is almost twice as large!