Just about everyone, it seems, wants a new plasma TV. The desire to own the latest leap forward in home entertainment is more than just the need for a new television. It’s a lifestyle choice, a break with the past, a yearning for a bright new future. The plasma TV will not only change the look of your home, it will become the symbol of who you are, what you can afford, how happy your life will be.

That’s the message behind the glitzy advertising campaigns. And they must be working, because more Australians are buying more televisions than ever before.

Getting the right information

The problem is, the pace of change of new technology and the vast array of models available makes it harder and harder to make an informed choice about the right equipment to suit your needs. That makes it easy to make mistakes. You could end up with a screen that is actually too big for your home. Or you could find that buying a plasma screen actually means buying a whole lot of other equipment you hadn’t bargained for, such as stands, brackets, tuners and speakers.

Buying a plasma screen is different from buying a conventional TV, so you may not even know what questions to ask. Before you rush ahead and buy the latest bargain on display, take the time to consider the points on the plasma buyers' checklist:

The plasma buyers’ checklist

• Make sure the salesperson is aware of your situation. Tell them your budget, the size of screen you are after and also the size of the room where you intend to place the TV.
• Also, think about how the TV will be positioned in the room. Will you need to purchase a stand, or brackets for wall mounting?
• Ask about the price ranges of the current products and the differences in the brands on offer in terms of picture quality, sound and styling.
• Make sure to ask what components are needed to make the TV operational (tuners, speakers etc) and whether these are at an additional cost.
• Find out if there are any special care instructions. For example, how to handle the screen and how to avoid damage. Ask about the correct way to keep it clean.
• Ask to be shown the functions that the TV has. Make sure that you use the remote control yourself. (Don’t just watch what the salesperson does.)
• Ask about the possibility of “burn in” and how to avoid it.
• Find out what the warranty says about pixel loss.
• What are the other provisions of the warranty? Ask about the period it covers and what else it contains.
• Are there any costs for delivery?
• How will the TV be installed? If you have to do it yourself, what instructions are provided?
• If there is a problem, who will fix it? Remember, your contract is with the retailer, not the manufacturer.

Size does matter

Like all television sets, plasma monitors are measured diagonally across the screen, usually shown in inches (with a centimetre measurement in brackets). They generally start from 32” (81cms) and increase in size up to 63” (160 cms). It is important to make sure you have enough viewing space between you and the TV. While you may be tempted to get the largest screen you can afford, you should be aware of the optimal viewing distances for each size range. You should allow at least three metres for screens between 32” and 37”. A 42” (107cm) screen is best viewed from four metres away. Screens up to the maximum size (160cms) are best viewed from around five metres.

How does plasma work?

A plasma screen is made up of thousands of pixels, or dots, filled with special gases. When an electrical impulse activates the gases they produce the colour and light we see on the screen. Because they do not need to take up the same amount of room as standard electrical components the screens can be very thin and sleek.

What is burn-in?

Plasma TVs can be prone to burn-in when static images are left on the screen too long and damage the pixels. Images from video games, or station identification logos in the corner of the screen that stay there too long could leave a permanent ghostly impression behind. Plasma screens are more prone to burn in during the first 200 hours of use, when the phosphors are new. There are ways to minimise the chances of burn-in but the simplest advice is to turn off your TV when you are not using it and do not pause DVDs for more than a few minutes at a time.

How long do plasma screens last?

The brightness of plasma screens will eventually fade as the gases inside dissipate but you can generally be assured of around 30,000 hours of use before that happens. Even if you watch TV for ten hours a day that converts to more than eight years of viewing.