Plasma TV Picture Quality Los Angeles CA

Steps

1. Upgrade your video cables. To fully appreciate the high definition picture that your plasma television is capable of, you need to be using quality video cables. In order to watch your cable or satellite programs or HD DVD movies in HD (high-definition), you need to use Component (Red-Green-Blue colored), or Digital Video Interface (DVI), or High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables. Any of these 3 can handle HD signals. (Composite and s-video cannot handle HD.) There may be subtle quality differences between Component, DVI and HDMI - the truly best choice depends on your source device and the TV.
2. Upgrade your external devices. To get a better picture while watching DVD's, you'll need a DVD player that can do your plasma TV justice. Look for one with progressive scanning or a high quality up-convert processor. (The up-conversion in *low*-cost DVD players is likely not as effective as the up-conversion built in to more-expensive plasma or LCD TV). Alternatively, you could invest in a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player.
3. Adjust the lighting conditions. Bright lights will wash out the picture on your plasma TV. This is especially true with fluorescent overhead lights or sunlight. Dim your room lights and, if possible, block any sunlight entering the room by closing the blinds. When watching in the dark for long periods, your eyes can become fatigued. To combat this and improve your overall viewing experience, add a 6500K low wattage fluorescent tube behind the television. This will frame the television, assuaging the shock to your eyes when the scene changes from dark to light. 6500K is the color temperature of daylight, which the whites on your plasma should match. (But even dimmed incandescent is better than nothing.)
4. Keep it clean. Fingerprints, smudges, dust, and hair on the screen can all lessen your picture quality. Keep your screen clean with an appropriate cleaning kit.
5. As long as you have a DVD player hooked up to your TV via component cables, go out and purchase a Digital Video Calibration Disk such as one made by Avia. Following the steps on this DVD will significantly improve the quality of video on your TV. Or if you have a HD-DVD player you can purchase the "Digital Video Essentials HD DVD" by JKP which was created in HD

Tips

• Remember, your picture is only as good as your cable or satellite service transmits. TVs cannot do much to improve poor signals.
• Don't buy a flimsy cables. This will defeat the purpose of improving your picture quality.
• HDMI and DVI cables will provide comparable picture quality. The HDMI cable, however, will also transmit the audio signal.
• There is no need to buy "high-end" (premium brand) cables. Normal grade cables will work just fine. The premium brands charge more money because they can profit off of people's ignorance.

Warnings

• Don't leave any still images on a plasma screen for extended periods of time. This will cause the image to burn in.
• Never clean your screen with abrasive cleansers. A soft cloth moistened with water is usually safe to use. You may go to an electronics store and purchase a screen cleaning kit. Read more about it in your TV's instruction manual.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get Better Picture Quality from a Plasma TV. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.