The plasma television is a relatively new type of television, with a flat screen display. It works by having a mixture of different noble gases in small compartments behind a panel of glass. The plasma TV derives its name from the reaction in which these noble gases are turned into plasma, which emits light and forms the display you see. Plasma TV’s are often compared to LCD’s (liquid crystal displays), another type of flat screen television that uses liquid crystals in front of backlighting or fluorescent tubes to produce images.

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.

Flat screen televisions also have a longer life span than CRT televisions. Most plasma manufacturers now assert that their televisions have a life span of up to 60,000 hours, where CRT televisions have a life span of at least 5 years. Assuming that a consumer watches 3 hours of television a day, a plasma TV can last up to 55 years!

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.

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.

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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