Should I Worry About Mercury in My LCD Television?

With new technology comes new risks, or so we are led to believe. With the invention of LCD televisions, banishing the more conventional TV to the scrap yard, it was only a matter of time before someone, somewhere took the opportunity to denounce the technology. LCD screens, with their thin panels and superb picture quality, were a sitting target for Luddites determined to stick to the old ways.

It did not take long for a quibble with LCD screens to be found, namely the element Mercury. It is true that LCD screens do use Mercury as part of their work process, and detractors naturally jumped on this and used it as a stick to beat LCD television manufacturers with. As things do, this knowledge and concern over Mercury spread into the public domain, and while sales of LCD screens has not been affected, there is some residual worry. Mercury, after all, can be poisonous, and trigger all manner of health ill effects.

If you are concerned about the Mercury used within your LCD television, don’t worry. Firstly, the amount of Mercury used is so small it is barely worth worrying about. While it is an essential part of the technology used to produce a picture on an LCD screen, it is not something to worry about due to its size. For Mercury poisoning to occur, a person must be exposed to extremely large quantities for a long period of time, and that isn’t possible with an LCD screen. Secondly, the Mercury is hidden away from human contact in the workings of the television, so no one is ever exposed to it anyway. Fret not, and enjoy your LCD screen.

How To Clean A Plasma TV Screen

Plasma TV screens can be tricky to clean, unlike their more traditional counterparts. It is vital that you prepare and clean the screen correctly so as not to damage the screen quality, which can be surprisingly easy to do.

The key is in the materials rather than the substance you use to clean, mostly importantly the cloth. Any cloth you use to clean a plasma screen should be as soft as possible, with no abrasive surface anywhere on the cloth (even if you only intend to clean with one side of a multi-surface sponge, avoid this as you may slip and damage the screen anyway). You can buy specialist cloths which are soft and anti-static, and ideal for cleaning a plasma TV screen with. These are a little more expensive than conventional cloths, but will help extend the life of your plasma screen – so it’s well worth investing.

For most, a firm (but not too firm) rub down of the plasma screen will clear any fingerprints, dust, lint or other undesirable objects. If, however, you have something that is a little more tricky to remove, you may need to use a solution with the cloth to achieve best results. Use a cleaning product that is fit for plasma usage (check the label), and apply sparingly to the cloth – not to the screen itself. Then clean in circular motions, adding more cleaning fluid if needed, then wipe clean with a second cloth.

Finally, always remember to turn off your plasma TV screen prior to cleaning.

What Your TV Says About You

There is no shortage of analysis placed on home furnishings and how much you can tell about a person from the way their home looks. Although this may apply most specifically to wallpaper, paint jobs and soft furnishings, there is little doubt that if someone were to try and get the measure of you from a look around your home, the television would also form a part in their thinking. In case you are wondering what they would deduce from this, there are some helpful pointers to bear in mind.

If you have a big screen television and it is mounted on your wall, it is fair to assume that people will consider you to be someone who is only too happy to show off what they have got – and perhaps expect compliments for it. If it is mounted simply on a TV table, they are more likely to think that you like TV and are prepared to spend money if you are getting quality in return. You are pragmatic enough to realize that a big TV can provide a greater viewing experience for your dollar, and grounded enough not to view it as a trophy.

If you have a TV that was made, or appears to have been made, before 2000, people will assume that you are a functional individual who likes television but is not about to fix what is not broken. If your TV is broken, then they will think either that you have higher things on your mind or limited control over your life. And if you have no TV, then they will probably assume you are a nut, even though you’re probably saner than they are.