From what I've read, the problem with Plasmas is that they picture degrads over time. This means that it's not very noticeable and you would get used to the picture as it's happening and not realize that the picture isn't as clear and bright as it was when the Plasma was new. However, if you were to have a brand new Plasma and the exact same Plasma display that was a few years old side by side, you would notice the difference.