Plasma TV Problems

You dream of installing, mounting and connecting your plasma TV and enjoying your favorite movie in HD sitting on your sofa. But suddenly the screen blotches up with tiny black dots and your whole experience of enjoying a movie on the wide-screen plasma TV is in ruins. What went wrong? Was the installation incorrect? Have tiny pixies taken over your plasma TV? Well, it's not the pixies, but a pixel problem that has overtaken your TV. There are many such problems with plasma TV that may arise when you bring a plasma TV home. Many times you may never come across any of the plasma TV problems. But, it is wise to know all about the plasma television problems, before getting one home, or else the repair may prove to be more costly than the plasma TV itself. Let us learn more about these problems with plasma TV that will help us weigh all the pros and cons before investing in an expensive TV set.

Plasma Television Problems

There are a few common plasma TV problems that you may face after bringing one home.The following plasma television problems are just a summation of the problems that you may face after installation and mounting of your plasma TV set. When you visit a TV showroom, it is better to ask the salesmen about the following problems that may crop up. Only after you get a satisfying answer about a brand that has the least number of problems related to plasma TV, you should decide upon getting one.

Problem # 1 ~ Pixelation
Pixelation is a common plasma TV problem that many owners face. A plasma TV screen is made up of tiny dots of color. Millions of these tiny dots make up your plasma TV screen. Pixelation is an effect that is due to the displaying bitmap or section of bitmap of a larger size, such that each pixel becomes visible. This causes blurring of the images displayed.

During the manufacturing of a screen pixel, a tiny mistake may cause the pixel to stop working normally. This will result in a tiny dot on your screen. If your screen is full of rainbow-colored dots, then it means there is dust settled on your screen. Regular dusting will help you get rid of the rainbow dots.

If you see many dots within the screen, you should call your plasma TV maker and ask him to correct the pixelation problem. He may have to replace the plasma screen, as the fault lies on the company's side. The company needs to check for such minor issues before the plasma TV leaves their unit. If you opt for cheaper brands, these companies have lower standards that makes your plasma TV more prone to problems. You should continue to bombard the company with complains, until they take some constructive action and get your problem with pixelation fixed.

Problem # 2 ~ Sunburst Pattern on Display
Another plasma TV problem is a sunburst pattern on your display, similar to the one observed on laptop screens. This happens due to a number of factors that can affect the plasma TV, as it is more delicate than the normal television. You may see a ring or sunburst pattern, because of the wrong installation method by the installer. He may have grabbed the TV in the wrong place that may have led to a damaged screen. Many times, the reason of the damage maybe a toddler pressing himself against the screen or someone falling against the screen. The best plasma TV repair in this case is precaution. You need to keep one thing in mind, never ever touch the plasma television screen. You may encase the television in a glass case, as the plasma TV screen is very delicate and susceptible to damage. If unfortunately, your screen does get damaged, call the company and ask them to carry out plasma TV repair and solve the problem.

Problem # 3 ~ Burn-In
Many times, you may face a common plasma TV problem that causes the static image to stay on for a long time. This image is faintly visible even after the image on the screen changes. This is called a 'burned-in' image and the ghost pattern remains visible when you are watching TV. The best way to avoid this problem, especially in older plasma TV sets is never leave the TV 'on' when not watching it. You should also avoid pausing video games for long periods, as it may cause the ghost pattern. This problem is now almost undetectable in newer plasma screens that have better new built-in technology to tackle this problem. This technology subtly shifts the image to surrounding pixels and keeps the images moving. This makes the burned-in image to stay undetectable to your eye.

Problem # 4 ~ Over Heating
The plasma TV circuit board works very hard to give you the result you see on the screen. This causes overheating of the television. It is one of the main problems that causes a good TV to die within the first 3 to 6 years. You need to check whether the TV comes with an inbuilt cooling system or fan. Many high-end brands tend to overlook this fact and ignore installing a cooling system. Thus, reducing the lifespan of the television.

Problem # 5 ~ Fan Noise
Plasma TV, as mentioned above, generates lot of heat as it runs and to cool down the unit, the manufacturers install a cooling fan. This is a very useful operating method for many plasma TV's. But in some models the noise created by the working fan becomes a nuisance. Therefore, listen carefully in order to detect this problem when you are buying a high-end, expensive plasma TV.

Problem # 6 ~ Reflection
A common problem with flat screen TVs is screen reflection, that is, the surrounding room or images being reflected on the screen. This is a very distracting and annoying problem as the focus keeps shifting from the images on the screen to the images reflected. The problem is usually seen in a bright room with a lot of daylight entering through the windows or lights switched on above the plasma TV. To overcome this problem with plasma TV, pull-up the blinds or curtain during the day, when you sit down to enjoy your daily TV shows, or cut down on the light intensity in the room while watching TV at night. Another solution is to buy plasma TV's that have a built-in anti-reflective coating on the screen. This will help reduce the reflection on the screen, but you still need to adjust the room lighting.

Problem # 7 ~ Increased Power Bill
It is seen that one of the plasma TV problems is an inflated power bill. Plasma TV tends to consume more power than any other display units, therefore you may observe a slight hike in your power bill. You won't face a problem if you watch television for a few hours, but if your TV runs for over 18 hours, it is surely going to hit your power bill. Plasma TV panel does not follow the same principle as the LCD TV flat panel. In case of a dark image, the plasma TV will use less power than when there is a bright image on-screen. Therefore, if you watch more movies that are shot in dark, it will help reduce the power bill!

Problem # 8 ~ Phosphor Trails
Another plasma television problem is phosphor trail or phosphor tag. You will observe this problem when viewing a fast-moving, graphic intensive computer game and movie scene, especially in case of black and white movies. This problem with plasma TV is due to the instant change from light to dark in an area of the screen. You will observe green trails or flashes in such a case. This is due to the green phosphors color change, as the fast image moves on leaving behind the green color. Not many people observe this green trail and are not troubled by this issue. If you are troubled by this green trail, just lower the contrast of the picture or have more ambiance in your room.

Plasma TV - To Buy or Not To Buy

Many people will advice you against buying a plasma TV, as they feel one the main problem of plasma television is the short life span. This is utter nonsense and do not base your judgment on this baseless fact. You do not need to worry about this problem as the modern plasma sets have a life span of over 60,000 hours and if you watch TV for about 5 hours daily, your plasma TV will last for the next three decades. The above mentioned plasma TV problems may or may not arise with your set. Today, manufacturers are coming up with many technologically advanced plasma TVs sans plasma television problems. Speak to your dealer about the long-term and short-term problems and invest in a brand that provides longer guarantee and warranty period. Make sure the manufacturer is offering after-service option, along with your plasma TV that will help you with plasma TV repair, if needed.

You should weigh all the pros and cons of plasma TV and then decide upon the one that suits your needs. Do not blindly buy a plasma TV that your neighbor or friend has bought. Their needs maybe different from yours and their budget may also differ. Plasma TV is an expensive investment, therefore invest wisely. There are many benefits of plasma TV over your traditional television. You can enjoy high-definition images and superior quality picture right in your living room. Choose the right plasma TV for your home and with a bit of care and precaution, enjoy fantastic picture display for many years to come.