Since you'll be spending a lot of money on a plasma TV, it pays to spend a few hours learning about what you can expect from this new flat screen tv 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 TV to display bright and dark elements, particularly next to one another.  The best plasma televisions have a high contrast ratio.  At the barest minimum, this should be at 1000:1.  Again, this is the least you can expect 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 numbers, you'll see that the ratio makes the screen appear nearly square because it's almost even on all sides.

The best plasma TVs, however, are designed with the wide-screen format 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 expensive brand but if you can spare the extra cash, go for its PRO series because it's easily the best high-def TV around in terms of picture quality and overall performance.  If you'd rather pick the more affordable brand, then go for the Panasonic or Samsung.

Reputation

By reputation, we mean reliability.  According to users, the top plasma TV brands that didn't show any problems that required repairs within 3 years after purchase are Pioneer, Samsung and Panasonic.  If you're eyeing other brands, you might want to learn more about consumer reviews regarding brands that you're considering so you have a good idea what you can generally expect.

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