What do you know about plasma screen TV's?

[byso]

I'm looking at getting an LG 106cm which has 60,000 hrs half life (other brands are 30,000). I can get it for abot $3500.

Anyone know anything about plasma screens?

 

[The Wheel]

Sorry Byso, the only thing I know about plasmas is that I want one and can't have one.

 

[Fluffy]

They are big and flat and dont last as long as other types.

LG is a good mid range brand in most electronics.

Best be is searching the internet for info

 

[byso]

True on my calcs 60,000 hrs half life full is up to 120,000.

60,000 hrs is about 27 years. by the time i'm 60 I would of earned myself a new TV

 

[fLIP]

Sorry, it doesn't work like that byso.

You'll be glad im around after this.

Nothing every completely disapears. When radio active material breaks down, scientists use the measurement of half life to determine the lenght of time it will take to decompose to a certain level... mostly to determine when they will be safe again.

The Half life a anything is recuring. So, your first half life is 60 000 hours. Then, whats left of that, goes through another half life. This can be a different time to the first. It doesn't actually break down at a specific rate. The second splits to 2 parts again and deteriorates again. Somthing to do with the breaking down of certain materials (i can't quite explain that). If it were an easy equasion they would just tell you it has a life span of 120 000 hours.

So, the second period (that being anything past the 60 000 inital hours) may break down quicker, or may take longer. It has its half life of its own. Basically it could be another 40 000 hours then leaving its other half to break down. Possibly being 20 000 hours. So in essence, by saying it has a half life of 60 000 hours doesn't mean it will last 120 000. Denpending on calculations, it will probably last a lot lot longer than that. 😀

 

[byso]

I'm working on the fact it will last 60,000 hrs. If so that 27 years. I'm sure other technology will be the go in another 10 years that I would go for.

 

[fLIP]

Thats all you need to think about. Sure, if your going out to buy 5 ft rear projector screen tv you will want it to last but somthing like a plasma, their sure to upgrade them pretty quick and a new one would only be a few years around the corner.

 

[Fluffy]

60,000 hours does sound like plenty.

Flipp for a radioactive halflife the amount of radiation halves for each half life.

Hence For uranium a common half life is around 6000 years. So if today it had a reading of 100 then in 6000 years it would be 50 and in another 6000 years 25 and so on and so on. Exponential decay.

But the term half life in a tv sounds a little dodgy - ie its not expected life of the tv. The half life may only be directed at the plasma or some other material.

 

[fLIP]

Its about the half life of the Plasma in the TV. No plasma... no picture. So, if your planing to go blind byso, you'll be fine. But if you want to "see" your images, youll need to buy another on in 60 000 hours.

 

[byso]

Does it also mean that 1/4 life would be 30,000 hrs (say 13yrs). Therefore meaning that the picture will deteriorate within a couple of years of use?

 

[Fluffy]

That would be 3/4 life and no.

Its exponential - hence at half way through the half life rather than having lost 1/4 it would be closer to 1/3. As for picture deterioration that i am unsure of, i just know half lives and how they work. But that would make sence - so after 10 years your picture may have deteriorated 25%, but much better to 25% after 5 years for the others.

 

[CC_Eagle]

We were supposed to get one that fell off the back of a truck..


Apparanty it must have fallen of the new truck.