Plasma TVs Explained

Plasma TV’s and LCDs (liquid crystal displays) are both kinds of flat screened televisions. Plasmas work by transforming noble gases into plasma, which then discharges light to shape the display on the screen. Each small compartment of gases constitutes one pixel. LCDs, on the other hand, form their displays by placing liquid crystals in front of fluorescent or another type of backlighting.

Plasmas and LCDs, flatter and lighter than tube televisions, are also less difficult to manage than traditional CRT (or tube) televisions. Though, on average, they are a hefty 5 inches thick and 100 pounds, recent advances in plasma technology will soon cut their thickness down to an inch and their weight down to 45 pounds. Consumers can now take some liberties in the placement of their plasma TV’s. Plasmas can easily be mounted on walls or placed on smaller stands.

Resolution, the quantity of pixels on the television screen per square inch, is also a key component of televisions. Flat screened televisions boast a much higher resolution than CRT televisions, which yields clearer images on the screen. High definition plasmas have resolutions that range from 1024×768 to 1920×1080. This is much better than even the maximum resolution for tube televisions, a mere 480 lines.

Plasmas even last longer than other types of televisions. Manufacturers and companies stress that an average plasma television has a life span of 60,000 hours. That is equivalent to a life span of almost 7 years, if the plasma is left on 24/7. Compared to a tube television’s estimated lifetime of much less than 5 years if left on 24/7, the plasma television is the best choice.

Plasma televisions have both a better color ratio and more contrast than LCDs. For plasma TVs, each pixel can virtually be turned off to produce truer blacks. However, LCDs use a backlight, which will shine through the “black” pixel and damage the contrast quality. CRT televisions have the best contrast, but both plasmas and LCDs surpass them when it comes to color reproduction.

The image of both LCDs and plasmas is comparable when viewed directly in front of the screen. However, plasma televisions have a wider viewing angle than their counterparts. Backlighting causes this problem in LCDs; the image on the screen degrades as the viewing angle increases. Plasmas can be viewed from the sides or top and bottom.

Many worry about the possibility of burn-in images on plasmas. This occurs when a still shot is shown on the screen for too long. Afterwards, a faint outline or trace of the image may still be visible on the plasma’s screen. However, this should not be a serious problem with newer models, as manufacturers have worked to eliminate the burn-in effect.

Plasma televisions have almost no size limitations, as long as the consumer’s budget can cover a gigantic screen. LCD and CRT televisions, on the other hand, are constrained to a diagonal measure of about 52 inches.