What they do...

Plasma technology used in this type of television is composed of two plates of glass with "pockets" of gases in between. Electrical pulses are directed to different areas of these pockets to produce light in different areas of the spectrum. Developed in the 1980s and produced in the early '90s, plasma displays have been a common competitive technology in the TV market over the past few years.

Until very recently, plasma TVs were the standard HD display technology. Their display quality, brightness, and viewing angle made them a market leader. These qualities still make them a prime choice for view sports and movies (under the correct conditions), especially in open areas. Because of plasma's quality image refresh time and crisp picture, the technology is poised to stay a market leader.

What they don't do...

If you're a green-contious individual, plasma displays are not for you. Depending on the viewing mode and what you are watching, plasma displays can vary significantly in their power usage. Even if your carbon "shoe-size" is not that important to you, your electric bill will fluctuate based on the tens of hours you spent in front of the TV that month.

Plasma TVs do not handle being powered on in an idle state. For this reason, most set-top boxes from content providers and video consoles come with a built-in screensaver feature. This not only minimizes power usage, it also saves the screen. Plasma screens are known for having "burn-in" issues. If one images if displayed on the screen for a long period of time (several hundred hours before you should worry). There are a few retailers out there who reccommend not showing the same image on the screen for more than one hour at a time.

Get it for...

The sports enthusaist...
The heavy video gamer...
Smaller displays in brightly lit areas of your house...