Plasma TVs add a new dimension to watching television. The huge screens with the life-sized characters make the viewer feel like he is in the room with the characters. The viewer feels as if he is a part of the action. The plasma TV screen may be several feet wide and high and only a few inches thick so they can fit into most rooms. If you are used to the smaller conventional style televisions, when you first see a plasma TV with its big screen, it takes the viewer a few minutes to adjust to it because the viewer is not used to the size. But the viewer will quickly adjust to the size of the television.

The traditional television is based on cathode ray technology where a beam of electrons is shot through a tube in phosphorus atoms. The atoms light up and produce the image you see on the screen. After the cathode ray technology came the LCD technology. LCD technology is based on liquid crystal pixels consisting of red, green and blue held in between two layers of glass. An electrical charge makes them light up and produces the image on the television screen. This is similar to the functioning of a computer monitor screen.

The plasma technology is a relatively new concept in televisions. Plasma technology consists of xenon and neon gas filled cells. When electrical current passes through these cells, they light up in the different colors and produce an image on the screen. The intensity of the electrical pulses results in different shades of each color pixel. The screen can range from forty two inches to sixty five inches. The screens are flexible to the touch since they are so big.

Unlike other television technology the plasma screen can be subject to burn-in. This is a situation where if an image is on the screen for a certain period of time, the image will burn-in and will have shadow remain on the screen. If you use your television for video games, this is something to take into consideration because burn in can result from video games. Even so, the plasma screen is terrific for the graphics of video games.

Plasma TVs are not cheap. They start at approximately four thousand dollars. Depending on the style and features you want, the price can be higher. Once you decide on the style and model you want, shop around to find the best price.