A plasma television has a flat panel display which consists of two flat panels of glass which contain neon and xenon gases. These generate a plasma discharge which in turn creates phosphors which produces the visible light on the screen.

There are differences between plasma televisions and LCD televisions. The main differences are that plasma televisions are slim; can be mounted on the wall; have larger screens; have greater viewing angles; superior contrast ratio and faster response times. However, plasma televisions are very fragile; they are more expensive and when placed at higher elevations they emit a noticeable humming sound.

It is important to note however that technology is advancing rapidly particularly with LCD televisions. Many experts predict that the advantages that plasma televisions have over LCD will reduce significantly over the next few years. Indeed, in theory it is possible that LCD televisions could out perform plasma screens in the future.

A plasma tv offers advantages over traditional television screens. A plasma television displays images in a digital format, which thus produces incredibly higher quality pictures which are crisp and clear. It doesn't matter where you are sitting in the room as they offer a viewing area of over 150 degrees. They significantly reduce the glare from the television which in turn helps to alleviate eye strain.

Additionally, a plasma television can produce images that are truer to what the cameraman or film director intended. The wide range of colours ensures hues more closely match the tones of the objects in the image. The crispness and clarity of plasma television images is unparalleled in home entertainment equipment. Finally, most plasma televisions display images in letterbox format. This is where images are wider than they are tall, which means the sides of the original image shot of film are not cropped as they must be to display on traditional televisions.

However there is a big drawback with plasma televisions. Each set has a rather limited life span, because the gas inside the screen, which produces pictures when it reacts with specific electrons, is subject to breakdown; some sources say most plasma televisions have about 60,000 viewable hours, after which point, picture quality is 50% or less of what it was when the set was put into use. Optimal viewing quality occurs for only about the first 2000 hours of viewing, from then on quality starts to decrease.

Plasma television sets should be used with digital cable for optimal picture quality. Additionally, a relatively strong and reliable signal must be available. Plasma televisions require a lot of data to produce the high quality pictures users expect. This cannot be guaranteed without a good digital cable connection. In addition, plasma televisions produce such detailed images they sometimes highlight flaws (either in the image itself or problems with transmission) that would be imperceptible on more traditional television types. Indeed some television personalities have criticised the technology as any blemishes they have are clearly seen on the screen.

Plasma tv screen sizes range from 32 inches to 63 inches. It is important to consider the overall size of the room where you intend to place the set. Having a small 32 inch screen in a large room or a large 63 inch screen in a small bedroom may negate the benefits of a plasma tv. Appropriately matching the size of the room with the size of the screen should involve a distance consideration. This consideration takes into account the distance between the seating and the viewing of the television. Recommendations of distance between the two are dependent upon the size of screen that you purchase. For example a 32 to 37 inch screen is optimally viewed from a distance of 6 to 10 feet and a 61 to 63 inch plasma tv is best viewed from a distance of 15 feet or more. For screen sizes between 37 inches and 61 inches, the viewing distance should fall in between 10 to 15 feet.