Why Did the Plasma TV Disappear So Quickly?

Remember plasma TVs? Either you remember how fancy these iconic TVs seemed, or maybe you recall Michael Scott of The Office (US) finally broke down and bought one, inclined to stand and watch it for hours. They were all the rage in the late 90s and early 2000s, boasting sleek and sexy designs and crystal-clear picture quality. Manufacturers promised a new era of television viewing.

Today, it seems as if these TVs only exist in secondhand shops. Why did the plasma TV disappear so quickly? Read on to discover what caused the downfall of this TV titan.

Expensive To Manufacture

Despite its clear advantages, plasma TVs turned out to be more expensive to manufacture than LCD TVs. With the global recession, consumers became less willing to spend top dollar on a new TV, and plasma TVs were among the first casualties.

Burn-In Issues

Another issue with plasma TVs was that they were prone to burning in. If you left a static image on the screen for too long, it could burn into the panel and display permanently. This burn-in was a major issue for retailers, who found that customers often returned plasma TVs because of this flaw. The idea of not letting an image burn into your TV persists, even for modern TVs that are immune to the issue!

Electricity Hog

Plasma TVs also tend to use a lot of electricity. Initially, this wasn’t a problem, but as energy prices increased, consumers became more mindful of how much power their electronics used. Plasma TVs can use up to twice as much electricity as other TVs, which is one of the reasons why they’ve fallen out of favor in recent years.

Environmental Concerns

Plasma TVs generate a lot of heat, making them less desirable from an environmental standpoint. In an age where people are increasingly concerned about their carbon footprint, plasma TVs just couldn’t compete with their cooler, more energy-efficient counterparts.

Difficult To Repair

Thanks to their intricate and delicate circuitry, plasma TVs also proved more time-consuming to repair. If something went wrong with a plasma TV, it was often less frustrating—and less expensive—to buy a new one.

However, if you have an old plasma TV lying around and you’re not ready to say goodbye to it just yet, you can buy parts online so you can perform repairs and extend its life. Understanding how a plasma TV works alongside its basic components can help you with this process.

“Why did the plasma TV disappear so quickly?” you might ask. Combined, the multiple realities of this high-tech device make it a less-than-ideal choice for consumers in an increasingly competitive TV market. While they have their advantages, plasma TVs have found themselves in more of a niche market, reserved for sports fans and cinema junkies seeking its rich color range.