An evil presence is beginning to swell. Loathsome demons are emerging on all sides, prancing around and seldom appearing in their true shape; Monsters pretending to be good in order to work their malicious behavior when they are really looking for your money. These beasts I speak of are the minions of the electronics manufacturing and retail industry who want to take your hard earned dollars. With their talk of game mode, photo card slots, black level, HDMI, and 1080p picture quality. The following information will help you tame the beast and save your bank account.

Size does matter

Plasma HDTV’s can range in size from 32″ up to 103″. To answer the question as to what size should you buy depends on the room size and viewing distance from the television. A 32″ plasma TV is probably the best for a small bedroom or office area. Whereas a 37″ - 42″ would work well in a large bedroom or average family room. With a large family room you’ll want to move up to a 46″ or larger set depending on how far you will be from the screen. Use the following information to help assist you:

TV Size	Optimum Viewing Distance
32″	About 6′
37″	About 7′
42″	About 8′
47″	About 9′
50″	About 10′
60″	About 11′

Don’t buy the 1080p hype

There is much hype surrounding the high resolution HDTV’s. Most TV’s use one of 3 main resolutions: Standard TV produces 480 lines of resolution, high definition 720p outputs 720 lines of resolution, and true HDTV 1080i/p which has a resolution of 1080 lines. Despite the resolution talk, contrast ratio and color saturation are more important to picture quality. Plus, since most programs are broadcast in 720p or 1080i watching an HDTV DVD player with a Blu-Ray or HD DVD disc or some game systems is the only way to get a true 1080p picture. However, unless you are viewing a 50″ or larger screen the difference between 720p and 1080p is barely noticeable.

HDTV on a budget

In order to figure out which size HDTV will fit your budget consider the following estimates as of July 2008:

720p Plasma HDTV

Size	Cost
32″ - 42″	$500 - $1000
42″ - 50″	$1000 - 1500
50″ - 60″	$1500 - $3000

*1080p can add several hundred dollars or more to the price

Plasma TV lifespan

Until recently most plasma manufacturers claimed a 30,000 hour lifespan. Now, with new advances in technology brands are stating their televisions have a 60,000-hour lifespan. Depending on your viewing habits that can translate to 10 to 30 years. To be on the safe side you should probably expect it to last more toward the lower end around 10 to 15 years. Nevertheless, that is quite a long time.

We’ll provide more ways to tame the beast in Part II of our plasma TV money saving tips.

If you own any of the items we review and rate, please leave your own review below. Your view is important!