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The Joy of Sets
How to parse the pleasure principle when it comes to the new TVs
Steve Morgenstern
From the Print Edition:
Steve Wynn, Jan/Feb 03
(continued from page 4)
These are the flat screens that stop folks in their tracks when prowling the local electronics store. Flat plasma screens deliver a brilliant, sharp picture that rivals the direct-view experience, only without the horizontal scan lines you see on a traditional picture tube, and at awe-inspiring sizes. What's more, plasma sets have 160-degree viewing angles -- they look great no matter where you're standing or sitting.
Until recently, plasma screens only shipped in wall-filling sizes, at wallet-emptying prices. Recently, though, we've started to see models in traditional direct-view screen sizes, like the 34-inch Hitachi. While you'll still pay plenty for the privilege of plasma, prices have already dropped dramatically, with more erosion expected as manufacturing becomes more efficient and demand increases. I've been testing a new 42-inch plasma set marketed by PC maker Gateway for the last few weeks that's selling for just $3,000 -- in plasma land, that's a bargain.
Still, the biggest stumbling block in shopping for a plasma set is going to be price, not quality. Expect to pay $10,000 or more for a 50-inch high-end panel and twice that for a 60-plus-inch stunner. A nice chunk of change, but if you amortize the cost over the lifetime of the set, and consider that you'll make the most of the increasing profusion of high-definition TV content over the next decade, and factor in the joys of watching your neighbors' jaws drop, maybe spending as much for your next TV as you would for a new car isn't such a bad idea. Granted, my wife isn't buying this argument, but maybe yours will. v
Steve Morgenstern, a freelance writer living in New York, writes often on technology issues for Cigar Aficionado.
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