If you don't mind the price, plasma screens are great for watching television

• If you don't have tickets to the Super Bowl, watching the game on a plasma television could be the next best thing to a seat in the stands.
• But before you invest your bonus on a big screen that you can show off to your friends on Feb. 6, be aware that a plasma TV is like a high-maintenance lover: It requires lots of money and attention.
• Manufacturers also have worked out some of the kinks since plasma TVs hit the market in 1999 - so they look better than ever.
• However, there's a "tastes great, less filling" battle heating up between plasma and other types of slim, flat displays, namely LCD sets.
• The larger the screen, the higher the price; they do not come in small sizes.
• Once you figure in costs for delivery, installation, service plans, power-surge protectors, a wall mount (or TV stand) and the necessary cable box, antenna or built-in signal receiver, you're talking another thousand bucks - at least.
• High-definition, however, still appears the wave of television future - again, because the picture looks so good - therefore, upgrade to an HDTV plasma for long-term satisfaction.
• Manufacturers insist that current plasmas will last as long as traditional televisions.
• But Consumer Reports editor David Heim says plasmas are "still too new in the marketplace" to prove their longevity.
• Even with this new screen-saver-like technology, burn-in is still possible.
• Perhaps surprisingly, there's not always one built-in.
• These are more expensive, but you can receive high-definition broadcasts "out of the box" - either over-the-air using an antenna or by subscribing to a cable or satellite package that includes HD channels.
• These can cost $300 to $500, but you may be able to lease one from your local cable company for a few dollars a month.
• Place it at eye level, says Circuit City spokesman Steve Mullen.