15 Oct 09 Everything you need to know about Plasma Televisions

by Joe Kingman

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.

Plasma televisions (and flat screen TVs in general) are extremely easy to handle. Due to their very nature, plasmas are flatter than traditional televisions (also called CRTs) and thus, are lighter as well. Currently averaging 5 inches in width and 100 pounds, their size will soon be reduced to an inch in width and 45 pounds. This lack of bulk has heralded in a new era of television placement; consumers can now mount their plasmas on the wall without worrying about ruining the wall.

Flat panel TV's, like plasmas, also have a higher resolution than traditional tube televisions. Resolution is related to how many pixels there are in a square inch; the more pixels, the higher the resolution. At present, high-definition plasmas have resolutions that vary from 1024x768 (720p) to 1920x1080 (1080i), which is much higher than the maximum resolution for tube TVs-480 lines.

Plasma television manufacturers boast a lifetime of up to 60,000 hours for their televisions, compared to a CRT television's life span of at least 5 years. Which is better? Depending on how much a plasma is turned on, its lifespan can range anywhere from 7 years (turned on for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) to 55 years (turned on for 3 hours a day). The lifespan of a plasma TV is significantly greater than that of a CRT TV.

Color reproduction and contrast ratio are two important components of a clear picture. Plasma televisions excel in both; they produce richer, more vibrant colours and truer blacks than LCDs. Due to the backlighting in LCDs, any pixel that should be black will have some light leaking through, which spoils the contrast.

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.

In older models of plasma TVs, the burn-in effect posed a significant problem. When an image (for example, a paused movie) is kept on the screen for too long, the image could be burned into the screen and still faintly visible afterwards. Plasma TV companies have worked to eradicate this problem with much success; while it is still possible for images to burn in, on newer plasmas the possibility is almost negligible.

Unlike tube or LCD TVs, plasma TVs are not limited in size. Consumers (with large enough budgets) can order plasmas up to any size. However, CRTs and LCDs are usually restricted to about 52 inches in diagonal.

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