Plasma TVs, as with most of the new breed of TVs, are relatively fragile, especially as far as the screen is concerned. Therefore, if you have a plasma TV, it is worthwhile buying a TV screen protector to minimize the risk of it getting damaged.The point of a TV screen guard is to take the damage, such as cracks and scratches, which would otherwise fall upon the screen of the plasma TV. Think of them as a shield or bodyguard for your plasma TV. A screen protector is purposely built to take ‘abuse’, whereas a plasma screen is not.Even things that seem harmless, like dust and moisture, can cause problems with a plasma TV. Over the course of a year or two, lots of minor damage soon builds up and causes noticeable problems. That is probably how the myth of plasma TVs not lasting long came about – from people not taking proper care of theirs.A Good TV screen protector should be at least a quarter of an inch thick, and should securely firmly to your TV. That is not to say that the protector screen should sit directly on top of the plasma screen (there should in fact be a slight gap), but that a slight knock will not cause the protector screen to fall off.You should not wait long to buy a TV protector for your plasma, as the longer you wait, the more chance there is of an unfortunate accident occurring. Remember, once the screen is damaged, there is normally no way of repairing it. So, a damaged TV becomes a useless TV, which means that you have to buy a whole new one.There is a myth that says you will need to replace the plasma TV after a few years because they fail. This is absolutely the wrong. Most of the major brands promise you that you can watch the plasma TV for at least 60,000 hours before it fails.