Consumers are generally very cautious while choosing a product or service in the modern competitive environment. Take the example of television. From the Cathode Ray Tube technology to LCD and Plasma, several types and models of television sets have arrived in the markets. Manufacturing companies are introducing innovative features in their endeavour to attract the customers. New designs and features are sometimes capable of confusing the customers who are not fully conversant with the technical jargons that are found in the catalogues and advertisements. As an expensive appliance, the consumers will exercise caution while choosing television sets. To understand the benefits obtained by choosing a particular product or brand,the average consumer interacts with friends or neighbours who have already acquired similar or same products. In the process, they will receive information about the disadvantages or problems concerning the commodity. The lay person today will not be carried away by the advertisements or publicity materials alone. Public response to a new product will depend on its performance at the users’ end.

The recent surveys conducted in UK by independent agencies revealed that 60 to 70 percent of the consumers prefer plasma TVs to LCD or other television sets. The message is clear. Experience is the best teacher. Performance at the users’ end is the core reason for acceptance of a new product. Among large screen television sets, plasma technology is the one that is preferred by the majority of the UK consumers. The image quality obtained from the plasma product is superb according to those who have experienced it. In sharpness, colour, response speed and contrast the plasma television is adjudged as the best. It is best suited for dim light ambience than other TVs. The contemporary Britons prefer the sleek and flat display that can be hanged on the wall as a photograph or painting. They consider plasma television as the last word in High Definition TVs. The earlier apprehension about burn-in as a characteristic of the Plasma TV has now disappeared as the users realized that by using the appliance carefully, the problem can be eliminated. Further anti-burn settings are provided in the latest models.

Going into details, the consumers learn that the latest products of plasma TVs can offer excellent output with their 16:9 aspect ratios. Wider viewing angles, immunity from magnetic fields and long life are other advantages. The up gradable video cards add another plus point in this respect. The negligible maintenance cost is considered as a bonus by the prudent consumers. Overall advantages of the plasma technology are well appreciated by the UK consumers as indicated in the surveys conducted.