Because you'll be spending a lot of funds on a plasma tv, it pays to spend a few hours learning about what you can expect from this technology. To make sure you get the best plasma TV for the money, consider the following specs:

Contrast ratio

This refers to the capability of the television to display bright and dark elements, particularly next to one another. The best plasma TVs have a high contrast ratio. At the barest minimum, this should be at 1000:1. Again, this is the least you can count on from the TV. More and more models are capable of ratings such as 10,000:1 or higher.

Aspect ratio

Aspect ratio refers to the ratio between the height and width of the plasma TV screen. Older televisions, such as CRTs, have an aspect ratio of 4:3. From the figures, you'll see that the ratio makes the screen appear nearly square for the reason that it's almost even on all sides. The best plasma TVs, on the other hand are designed with the wide-screen layout in mind. Aspect ratio on plasma TVs is at 16:9. This makes the screen more rectangular, allowing for a wider, more cinematic view.

Performance

If you want to go by the top brands, then consider offerings from Pioneer, Samsung and Panasonic, three of the brands currently offering the best plasma TV models today. Pioneer is the more exclusive brand but if you can spare the extra cash, go for its PRO series because it's easily the top high-def TV around in terms of picture excellence and overall performance. If you'd rather choose the more affordable brand, then go for the Panasonic or Samsung.

Reputation

By reputation, we mean reliability. According to users, the top plasma small screen brands that didn't exhibit any problems that required repairs in 3 years after acquisition are Pioneer, Samsung and Panasonic. If you're eyeing other brands, you might want to learn more concerning consumer reviews regarding brands that you're taking into account so you have a good idea what you can generally expect.