sitting close---plasma VS LCD?

No problem. The "radiation" produced by the panel is infrared radiation, or heat.

Many plasma panels have audible fans whereas no LCD display that I have ever seen has any. Some plasma's also produce an audible noise from the panel related to refresh rate called "plasma hum" that is distracting.

The most significant differentiator is ambient lighting. In a darkened room, panels with shiny screens provide the most contrast, but they experience glare and reflections in moderate to bright light. In rooms with uncontrolled ambient light, most people prefer LCDs because most LCDs have glare-suppressing matte-finish panels.

Whether you pick plasma or LCD, sitting that close you should pick a 1080p set.

my only thoughts on this are...how many Plasma computer screens are there on the market? and how many LCD?
from what i've heard for computer displaying LCD's are better...i've got one and works fine

Most of the heat comes from the panel, some small amount from the power supply and video processing electronics. Plasmas and CRT direct-view sets both feel warm to the touch, but the infrared is not an issue as much as fan noise. Nor is fan noise discernable in a noisy store - but get the panel set up in your home and it's different.

That 400w is the maximum amount of power consuption, used only in very bright scenes. Dark scenes don't require near as much power. At least that's what I've heard.

you might want to check out the "kuros buzz thread"
in the plasma forum if you're planning to sit close to a
pioneer plasma.

they are saying things like "all plasmas buzz" to "no buzz" to buzzing after a number of hours.

justs something to consider.

here's the link

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=949003

I would think this would have to do more with burn in...most computers will have a more static display, which may cause a problem with Plasma. The "wobble" used to help alleviate the problem may cause some eye strain...would be my guess.

I own two Kuros; one 950 Pro and one 4280. I have never heard any buzzing or humming and I am REALLY sensitive to buzzing and humming.

Plasma is fine for close up viewing, unless you're talking about REALLY close (like 2-3 feet). At that point the "screen door effect," meaning the space between the pixels, might be too obvious. LCDs are better in that respect.

I don't think the heat will be a major issue. Buzz is hit or miss -- my 1080p Panasonic plasma doesn't have any buzz that I can hear. I had a Vizio plasma that did buzz, though it wasn't particularly distracting. Even LCDs can buzz.