Plasma screens first entered the US market towards the end of
1999, but the concept has been around since July of 1964. The first
displays were simply points of light created in laboratory
experiments. The technology was developed and improved over
time, and by the late 60's, it had become advanced enough to
construct geometric shapes.
Today the progression in high speed digital processing, materials,
and advanced manufacturing technology has made full color, bright
plasma displays possible.
Digital television is now a reality with DVD players, HDTV, DTV,
computer video satellite and digital cable. You're not going to see it
the way it was meant to be seen using yesterday's TV sets. Plasma
display technology is one way to fully enjoy the dramatically
improved image quality of all these digital video sources.
Some of the many advantages of plasma technology include:
No scan lines
Conventional CRTs use an electron beam to scan the picture tube
from top to bottom at regular intervals, lighting the phosphors to
create the image. With standard (NTSC) TV, visible scan lines can
be seen on you TV. Plasma screens have no scan lines due to the
fact that each and every pixel cell has its own transistor electrode,
creating a smooth evenly lit image across the entire surface of the
display.
Exceptional color accuracy
High-end plasma displays are capable of displaying over 16 million
colors -- providing superb color realism with exceptionally subtle
gradations between colors. Color saturation is one of the most
poignant factors elevating plasma screens over other display
technologies.
Higher resolution
Plasma display devices have higher resolution than most
conventional TV sets, and are capable of displaying full HDTV and
DTV signals as well as XGA, SVGA and VGA signals from a
computer.
Widescreen aspect ratio
Plasma display devices have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, which
states the dimensional relationship between the screen's width and
height. This is the proper aspect ratio for HDTV viewing, and is also
the best aspect for DVD replay. All plasma screens can show the
image in its original 4:3 format with bars (either black or gray) on the
sides of the image. This will avoid any possible stretching of regular
TV and computer images. There can be some variation among
plasma screens in how well they convert a 4:3 image to the
widescreen monitor. Manufacturers accomplish a best of all worlds
approach by limiting the stretching in the center of the screen and
also by enlarging the entire image size to larger than the screen size.
So a viewer may watch the image on the plasma screen in a variety
of ways when displaying an incoming "normal" or 4:3 picture image
from satellite, VCR, or cable TV. The best option for converting a
4:3 NTSC TV signal to the widescreen monitor is in the full mode.
Uniform screen brightness
Plasma displays illuminate pixels evenly across the screen. This
gives plasma displays their smooth appearance. Rear and front
projection televisions, on the other hand, suffer from uneven screen
brightness or hot spots in the middle of the screen. They also tend
to have a darkening near the edges and especially corners.
Flat screen
Plasma display monitors have screens that are perfectly flat. This
eliminates the edge distortion that can occur in CRT displays and
also allows for wide viewing angles. The plasma display element
(glass) is often protected by an anti-glare layer.
Slim, space-saving design
Plasma displays are only a few inches in depth, providing installation
options never before possible. Depth is usually measured at around
3.5 to 4 inches. They can be mounted on a stand, hung on a wall or
from a ceiling, giving you a big screen without a big loss of floor
space.
Plasma display monitors are also ideal for use in a wide variety of
commercial and business applications where a front projector would
not be feasible.
Wide viewing angle
Plasma displays offer a viewing angle of 160 degrees (top to bottom
and left to right), which far exceeds rear projection TVs and LCD
displays. This allows more viewers to enjoy proper image
reproduction from a wider variety of locations throughout the room
without distortion or image loss.
Universal display capability
Most plasma monitors can accept any video format. Typically, they
will include composite video, S-video and component video inputs,
plus one or more RGB inputs to accept the video input from a
computer. The composite video inputs are NTSC, PAL, and SECAM
compatible, and are equipped with standard RCA or BNC jacks.
Immunity from magnetic fields
Components such as loudspeakers that contain strong magnets can
distort the picture if placed too close a standard TV. Plasma displays
are immune to the effects of magnetic fields because they do not
use electron beams, like CRT displays do.
