| If you're thinking of acquiring a new TV for your den or | | | | considerations, plasma sets that are only three and a |
| living room, it probably goes without saying that you'd | | | | half inches deep and can be hung on walls are the |
| like to have a high-resolution television with a great | | | | clear winner. |
| picture. But which set to buy, and more, importantly, | | | | So far, you may think the plasma sounds a little better; |
| which type of television should you consider buying? | | | | it's smaller so it can hang on the wall and it's picture |
| Today, in the "high def" arena, there are a number of | | | | quality is slightly better. However, there are other things |
| choices available to the consumer: LCD flat panels, | | | | to consider, aside from size and relative picture quality, |
| High definition tube televisions, high definition projection | | | | such as maintenance and "lifespan". |
| televisions, DLP projection sets, and, of course, plasma | | | | While a plasma television does sound better at this |
| televisions. However, since tube sets and standard | | | | point, it does have a limited lifespan. In fact, at 60,000 |
| projection systems are, for the most part, on their way | | | | hours most plasmas are dead. At 30,000 hours, the |
| out, and since LCD flat panels are still rapidly evolving | | | | gasses are only half as bright, therefore your picture is |
| (they seem to get bigger and pricier with each passing | | | | half as bright as when you bought this expensive |
| month), we'll narrow this discussion to two high | | | | object of adulation. Unfortunately, there is nothing that |
| definition television types: plasma sets and DLP | | | | can really be done about this since all plasma sets are |
| projection sets. | | | | known to progressively leak gas. By contrast, DLP |
| Plasma TV's use hundreds of thousands of tiny cells | | | | projection TV's leak no gas, simply because they have |
| containing natural gasses that have phosphors to get | | | | no gas to leak. DLP technology, instead, uses, a bulb, |
| their color. DLP (DLP stands for digital light processing) | | | | and therefore a DLP TV can be repaired "relatively" |
| TV's, on the other hand, use a system of over 1.5 | | | | easily. How easily, of course, may be up to you. Some |
| million micro mirrors used to project light on or off of a | | | | DLP sets are user friendly enough that you can |
| single bulb which is filtered through a color wheel. | | | | replace the bulb yourself; on the other hand, there are |
| How can you distinguish between the two formats to | | | | models for which a technician will be required to |
| decide which is best for you? As with any type of | | | | accomplish this. And technicians, as a general rule, are |
| television the first and foremost consideration is picture | | | | not cheap. Nor are the replacement bulbs for a DLP |
| quality. Plasma sets, according to most reviewers, do | | | | TV, as these can cost up to 200 dollars, or more. The |
| look better, though the actual picture quality of a | | | | solution to the technician problem, of course, is to find a |
| plasma TV is not markedly higher than the picture | | | | model that allows the average layman to do the work. |
| quality of a DLP set. In either case, however, a plasma | | | | When it comes to maintenance and lifespan |
| or a DLP television will represent a major upgrade for | | | | considerations with regard to either of these high |
| anyone who currently owns a large tube set. And | | | | definition formats, consumers can choose a TV that, |
| since the resolution on either format is, a thousand | | | | at some point, may require costly maintenance, or a |
| times better by comparison, any prospective buyer | | | | TV that, basically, like people, will be in slow decline |
| who spends the occasional Saturday or sunday | | | | from the day of its "birth". |
| haunting electronics stores, would surely be satisfied to | | | | Price, of course, will probably be the deciding factor in |
| own either type. | | | | most consumer's decision-making process. DLP TV's |
| Size is another consideration to ponder when it comes | | | | usually cost much less than plasma televisions, |
| to choosing between a plasma or DLP set. DLP | | | | sometimes only half as much. But, regardless of the |
| projection sets have come quite a long way from their | | | | choice made by a consumer considering a DLP |
| forebears (those huge box frames that double as wall | | | | projection television or Plasma television, either decision |
| units) and now have a depth of only seven to eight | | | | will represent a major leap forward from a old |
| inches. However, DLP televisions still need to fall a bit | | | | fashioned tube tv. |
| further from their family tree--when it comes to size | | | | |