Understanding Plasma Televisions

Plasma is a flat panel display used for larger television, generally over 32" in size. Cells are located between two panes of glass that circulate a mixture of gases, mostly Neon and Xenon. The gas is turned into plasma with electricity and emits light as a result. That plasma floats around in a vertical and horizontal grid of electrodes that control the display of each particular cell. In order to display a particular cell, electric stimulates the cells and gas which interacts with photos that create the ability to display light. Sub-cells within the structure are coated with phosphors in the primary colors, and when each sub-cell is activated, the television will display the sequence of color for you to view.

Most plasma displays are brighter than other televisions and have a wide range of color due to the fluctuating nature of the gas. Plasmas can be designed in upwards of 103" diagonally because of the range of display. One of the drawbacks of such a large display is that a plasma television will use the same amount of electricity as a CRT television and power consumption can vary depending on what is being displayed. Bright screens will always be fed by more power than darker screens because of the distribution of power it takes to provide a brighter image.

Plasmas displays will last upwards of 60000 hours. You can continue using a plasma after that much use, but plasma lifetime is based on the half life of picture quality. At 60000 hours, you are down to half the quality of picture you had when you first started watching the television. It has degraded more than half of the brightness it started out with, and most viewers would opt to purchase a new plasma than go on with a lower picture quality.

Plasma TVs refract light through the use of phosphors and gas. By heating gas into a plasma, a wider ranger of color can be used through it. Much like a prism distorts and breaks down different hues of colors, plasma not only breaks down colors, but it breaks them down into even more shades, hues and gradients because of the fluctuating nature of the matter. Electrodes in front and behind cells help focus brighter portions of a plasma display for you to get the maximum brightness from a television show, DVD or sporting event. It will help focus what areas are optimal to picture quality and focus the intensity of brightness on those aspects for a crisper picture.

There are two types of plasma panels: Monochrome and color. Most of you are familiar with the latter model. The color panel has each cell coated with a color phosphor. The photons emitted when the plasma becomes mobile helps focus the light and display it. Each phosphor cell gives off a little more energy than a bulb or flourescent light found in DLP and LCD TVs. Monochrome panels utilize ionization states and apply voltage between different electrodes. This panel does not use any phosphors to create a display.

Contrast ratio is an integral part of plasma displays. It refers to the difference between the brightest and darkest portions of any given image at a single moment. Most plasma displays have a high contrast ratio due to the plasma focusing on the brightest portions of color production. This helps focus and create crisp, clear images when watching something on a plasma display.

If you can not make your mind between DLP, LCD or plasma televisions, there are a few pros and cons to owning a plasma you should be aware of. While each TV has its own features and reasons why they might work, taking consideration of each point might help decide if a plasma TV is the way to go.

The pros of owning a plasma display include: The unit itself is slim which allows you to move and mount it at will. Most plasmas are meant to be mounted, but you can by devices to allow them to stand upright on a stand or on their own. Plasmas are light, less bulky and easy to carry. They are easy to make and are cheaper as a result. Larger size plasmas are considerably less than their LCD counterparts. Since the black pixel can be turned off entirely, a true black color can be created which will focus details, lines and other contrasts to utilize those portions of an image that go unused by other display technologies.

The cons of using a plasma display include: Plasma displays are much more expensive than their DLP counterparts. Phosphors do lose their brightness over time, and this is why each plasma TV has a shelf life of 60000 hours. While you can continue to watch the television after that point, picture quality and brightness are significantly downgraded. It is cheaper to buy a new plasma at this point than try and repair and replace the phosphors. Plasmas do have lower resolutions than LCDs, and while some are able to reach 1080p, a plasma requires a minimum of a 50" display to do so whereas LCDs can do it in 37". Glare, reflections and other light sources can cause picture disruption.

One of the most significant downfalls of the plasma display is the risk for burn-in. Plasmas require higher maintenance and care than other TVs because of this. Burn-in is when an image literally burns itself into the display due to being watched in a paused state for too long. Since plasmas rely on gas, this gas can become stagnant and burn-in occurs when the gas sits for too long while being ignited. Over time, the phosphors burn out and the image burned in becomes more apparent.

With all televisions, there are certain pros and cons to owning them. Plasma has its fans and its detractors. In order to find out if its the right type of television for you, you will want to get up close and person with one. Check out department stores, electronic stores and television stores to find one that will work for you. Sales associates can answer questions, perform demos and show you just what high quality can be produced from a plasma display in your home.