- 1). Decide where the TV is going to go and what you are going to watch on it. Many consumers believe plasma screens have a better, brighter picture. Plasma TV technology is better equipped to handle rapid movement -- like what you would expect when watching sports. They also tend to be cheaper, especially in the larger sizes.
- 2). Determine whether any family members will play video games on the TV. Plasma screens are subject to burn-in. This is the ghosting caused by static images left on the screen for extended periods. If you are going to be playing video games, you will want to be careful not to leave the image on the screen for a long time. You can always leave the game console on, but power off the TV. LCD screens do not suffer from burn in. If you have kids, you may need to consider the likelihood that they will leave a video game, or even a movie DVD, frozen on the screen for a long period of time.
- 3). Decide if you will pick up the TV yourself and take it home, or have it shipped. Shipping can be more expensive on plasma screens. They are very fragile and cannot be laid flat during shipping or installation. Special care must be taken by the shipper, so carriers specifically trained in plasma screen shipping are usually used. LCD TVs are not as fragile and can be shipped by normal carriers.
- 4). Determine where the TV is going to sit or hang. The brightness of the plasma screen also has a downside. The surface of the screen is highly reflective. Thought must be put into where in the room the TV will be placed. Any window or backlighting will make it difficult or distracting to watch. LCDs reflect much less light and are better suited for rooms with a lot of ambient light.
- 5). Determine who is going to install and set up the TV. Plasma screens are much heavier than LCDs. This not only makes the shipping more expensive, but the installation is a lot trickier, especially if the TV is going to be mounted on the wall. LCDs are more likely to be mounted by the homeowner because the installation is easier. Wall mounting, however, may require a professional. The cost is minimal compared to the risk of doing the job incorrectly.
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