First of all, plasma TV sets are more vulnerable to phosphor aging than direct-view tube TVs. This is where image brightness degrades over time as the phosphors lose their light-generating ability. Phosphor "burn" is another potential pitfall, which is caused by the constant display of bright computer or video-game images in fixed positions over extended periods of time. These pictures remain as visible "ghosts" that never go away. Set the contrast at a decent, usable level, and hopefully you’ll avoid these problems. LCD (liquid-crystal display) TV sets, on the other hand, do not use phosphors at all, as the light source is a fluorescent panel behind a grid of liquid crystals. Image burn-in is not an issue. Dark shadows tend to be grayer on LCDs than they are on plasma or direct-view CRT (cathode-ray tube) sets, however.

Tube TVs can display images at factory-determined resolutions. Plasma and LCD TVs, by contrast, are fixed-pixel grid de vices that can display an image only at the panel’s actual, or native, resolution. This is an important specification, as sets that feature a lower pixel count than the original image can still deliver a good-looking picture but may sacrifice some detail to fit the picture to the panel’s native resolution. Sets with 480 vertical pixels will reduce HD (high definition) pictures to something roughly comparable to DVD quality, which can look fine but can’t be considered high definition anymore.