What Is Plasma TV?

So, what is plasma TV and why does it get so much attention? Plasma screen TVs are so unique because of the technology they employ to create an image.

The plasma screens are actually two panes of glass with noble gasses trapped inside. You may remember from your high school chemistry class that noble gasses are a special subsection of gasses with unique properties. In the case of plasma TVs, they are turned into plasma electrically and lit up in a range of colors. It is through the manipulation of these gasses that the image is produced.

What is plasma TV technology and what are the advantages:

• They can produce a much wider range of colors than their LCD counterparts. They can actually produce a larger range of colors than humans can distinguish, making the image much more lifelike.
• They have a wider viewing angle, which means even from the side the image is not distorted or otherwise corrupted, as is the case with LCDs.
• They have a very high contrast ratio, which is the difference between the brightest and darkest colors, and that creates a richer image.
• The pixels can respond faster to changes, making them better for watching sports or movies where images move quickly.

However, plasma tv sets aren't perfect for the following reasons:

• They are more vulnerable to the burn-in of images.
• Many models have a shorter life span than LCD televisions, but as technology improves the gap is shrinking.
• They are usually very heavy.
• Cracks or damage to the screen can be irreversible.

Though the technology for plasma TVs was invented in 1964, it wasn't applied to a color television until 1992, and the first ones available to the public didn't come around until 5 years after that. As of the beginning of 2009, plasma televisions have failed to catch up with the popularity of its two biggest competitors, CRT and LCD.