Flat-Panel TVs Look to Brighten Holidays (NAPSA)—If there were such a thing as No. 1 with a bullet for holiday presents, this year it would probably be flat-panel TVs. That’s the prediction from trend watchers who say prices of plasma and LCD (liquid erystal display) televisions are expected to plummet—possibly by as much as 30 percent, according to analysts at TVPredictions.com. The market research firm iSuppli says 40-inch LCD prices are falling especially fast. Additional reports show that 32-inch sets are already down to around $1,000, meaning a number of people may find some good-sized TVs underthe tree this year. Flat-screen prices have even attracted the attention of investors, with financial guru and TV host Jim Cramer advising viewers to buystock in flat-screen suppliers. Falling prices aside, though, gift givers still need to choose between plasma and LCD flatscreen sets. Techies say that, generally speaking, plasma screens have three drawbacks compared to LCDs. First, plasmas tend to not produce a goodpicture in reallife light—meaning, if you want a plasma TV in a sun-drenched room, you may have to shut the blinds to watch it. LCD TVs maintain picture quality in all light, and can even be usedoutside. Second, plasmas are prone to something called “burn in.” The phenomenon occurs when prolonged images (such as the channel logo emblazoned on the bottom @ <
