Would you believe that the plasma TV came about as a direct result of scientists needing a better computer monitor? It is true. The LCD and plasma television are a direct byproduct of computers. Mankind can attribute so many technological marvels to the computer's development. It should be no surprise that our viewing enjoyment is a consequence of the scientific community needing to forge ahead and blaze new trails.



One of the major drawbacks of a plasma HDTV television is its proclivity to get images burned into the screen. Whenever a still image is left on the screen for a long time, the image can be burned onto the screen, which means that there will be a faint image that is always visible on top of the normal viewing images. Sometimes, this may disappear after a few weeks, but oftentimes the image is permanent. This could pose problems for people who like to play video games or watch VHS movies on their new plasma television set. If you put the game or VHS tape on pause for too long, this could cause a burned image into your screen. DVDs, however, have a built-in screen saver capability to help keep this from happening.

Another problem that consumers have with plasma screen televisions is their lack of viewing angles. With other types of TVs, you can see the picture from several angles, usually even if you're standing directly to the left or the right of it. But with plasma screens, the view is somewhat limited. Viewers can only see the full picture from a small range of viewing positions and the screen just appears black from some angles. This could be just a minor problem if some planning is involved in the process of setting up your viewing area. Some situations might limit the enjoyment of television viewing on a plasma screen.

Weather and climate could also be a danger to the plasma screen television. While this should not be a problem in most homes, it could pose a problem if you plan on moving during a cold time of the year. The actual cold does not affect the unit, but moisture and condensation could be a major problem and could cause irreparable damage to the expensive equipment.

The world owes the scientists at the University of Illinois a great big thank-you. Had it not been for their need to have a new computer monitor, the world may never have seen a plasma TV. The big screen television sets would still be the TV of choice and a clear picture would still have been a dream instead of a reality. Those scientists did it and now people around the world can enjoy great television viewing at a great price.