brett, you have to see that you are comparing apples to oranges with your flourescent light bulb example. the technology might be the same…but, well let me put it to you this way.
subaru 2.2l motors kinda suck long term right? dont really hold their seals past a certain mileage, compression, blah blah blah…so since all combustion engines run on that technology then they must all suck long term right?
yes the technology is the same but to compare the longevity of a plasma screen to that of household lightbulbs is taking it a bit far. you might have reservations about spending as much money as they are going for these days, but for longevity, as long as you do your research and DONT CHEAP OUT JUST TO SAY YOU BOUGHT A PLASMA, then it is safe to say you will be wanting a new tv…just for the sole fact that you want to look at something different, long before any (quality) plasma dulls, fails, or pops. you pretty much measure plasma tv longevity in half lifes (lives? bah)