Congratulations! You have upgraded your home theater to a Flat Panel TV. Now what? You have the latest and greatest surround sound, and the most comfortable chairs, which will in turn allow your favorite team to reach the championship, we are all convinced! What happens if you have kids who just like to touch things,….like the screen on your new tv? The images are so clear on these things that someone reported their dog actually attacked a cat that was on the tv during a commercial! Flat Panel ownership is not a chore, it is a joy, and maintaining them for years of enjoyment is quite simple. Here are a few tips on what to do to best protect your investment when the need arises to clean the surface of the screen.

On most flat panel televisions, the front of the display panel has been specially treated. Wipe the panel surface gently using only a soft, lint-free cloth.

For fingerprints and smudges, or if the surface is particularly dirty, soak a soft, lint-free cloth in a weak detergent solution and then wring the cloth completely, to remove excess liquid. Use this cloth to wipe the surface of the display panel. Then, with a dry cloth of the same type, immediately wipe the surface evenly until the surface is dry.

To avoid scratching the viewing surface, be sure to use very soft, lint-free cloths and avoid contact to the screen with hard objects.

You should also avoid using harsh abrasive cleaners, excessive water or moisture, or volatile substances such as insect sprays, solvents and thinners.

All of these tips should lead to years of viewing pleasure for your flat panel tv. Be sure to check your owner’s manual before using any of these tricks to clean your screen. Some manufacturers may advise different cleaning options for your speciffic brand or model.

As a home theater enthusiast, this may be an early question you have to answer. Like anything else in technology, changes, upgraded tech in an item, the newest model/latest version/update dejour means there is always some other bit of info to consider before buying whatever it is you are looking for. Whew! That said, I will try to answer some basic thoughts about LCD or Plasma tv’s, and which is better.

Plasma televisions are an exciting innovation that uses plasma gas to produce the images in the pixels. LCD technology is simply Liquid Crystal Display in the pixels. The debate is over which one produces the best picture. This is a matter of individual preference, I have found. Both technologies deliver a high quality picture, with varying ranges of brightness. LCD brags about having a brighter clearer image, while Plasma is touted as the best for producing true colors, especially black.

If you are in the market for a flat panel, your choice will come down to what you watch the most on your tv. If you are a sports nut, LCD is a wise choice, as there is no “action blur” or fuzziness in the images of the players on the field. If you love to watch movies, the true black and rich colors given by plasma technology would be a wise choice. Both Plasma and LCD are available in HD formats, so that feature is a wash in comparing the two.

So the nuts and bolts of this new but age old question rests with the individual user. If you watch an equal amount of sports and movies, either technology would work for you, but the distinction between picture qualities will lie in your own eyes. There is a large selection of sizes shapes and options to choose from in Flat Panel televisions. Prices vary as widely as the opinions on which technology is better. Be sure to choose a tv that fits your budget, viewing preferences, and most of all, one that fits your own eye!