Plasma TVs are considerably more fragile than many other electronics. The screen is particularly sensitive to touch and cannot be repaired once burnt. Plasma TV's and LCD TV's are very popular and the demand is growing every year. On this site we give you the latest news about Plasma and LCD Televisions. Plasma TV sets make use of hundreds of thousands of tiny cells called pixels. These cells are filled with gas and backed with red, green, and blue phosphors.
Plasma TVs have been in use for many years and they use inert gases that are illuminated to display colors on individual pixels on the screen. Their best feature is the high contrast image that they reproduce. Plasma tvs are great for the full home theater experience. Prices are higher than LCD however prices continue to drop. Plasma TVs currently hold the best picture quality available in TVs above 37”. Plasma technology delivers a natural, realistic picture due in part to the rare natural gases xenon and neon and the use of 3 phosphor colors blue, green, and rare ?
Plasma TVs have high power consumption and a relatively short lifespan. But then again you may well be buying a newer type of higher technology TV yet again in the future. Plasma TV sets with a lower resolution will still be able to display a high definition video signal if they have the necessary electronics. They do so by re-scaling the image. Plasma TV HDTV uses what is known as a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells that are charged by electrical currents to create the picture you see on your HDTV flat screen TV. LCD screens, known as liquid crystal display, uses liquid crystals that are pushed into the space between two panes of glass.
Plasma TVs offer large viewing areas (up to 50 inches) but are very thin. While they offer excellent picture quality, they are quite expensive and are fast becoming the popular choice for HDTV. Plasma tv stands are only about $200-$350 and conveniently fit in tight spots since the screens are so thin. Most plasma table stands are between 4 and 6 inches in depth.
LCD TVs and plasma TVs are both thin and wall-mountable, but plasma TVs can generally achieve deeper black levels, making for more cinematic movie-watching, and they do a better job of handling fast motion. On the other hand, LCD televisions usually look brighter and have fewer problems with glare (see our separate report on LCD TVs ). LCDs use a layer of electrically responsive crystals that can be altered to vary the spectrum of light shining through at various locations on the screen. How will you know which technology to choose? LCD screens claim figures between 50,000 and 75,000 hours for LCD monitors/TVs. An LCD can last as long as the backlight (and backlight bulbs can actually be changed out).
LCD TVs offer a steadier, flicker-free picture, virtually eliminating the burn-in of static images. LCD televisions also boast a longer display life (about 60,000 hours, at which time all you may need to do is replace the light source, not the entire set). LCD TVs are now more competitive against plasma displays in the television set market. It is noted that LCDs are now overtaking plasmas, particularly in the important 40" and above segment where plasma had enjoyed strong dominance. LCDs in the past were also slower to refresh (not so with the current models). These disadvantages are quickly disappearing.
Burn-in causes hindrance in displaying other images, as and when the affected areas of the screen want a change in pixel's color. Burn-in is permanent, but there's another similar issue that might scare gamers the first time they see it, thinking it's the dreaded B-I itself. This image retention problem happens when pixels are run at high brightness for a long period of time, which produces a ghost image.
LCD and DLP TV screens cannot suffer screen burn-in, ever.
Manufacturers have done a lot to deal with this problem, and on new plasma sets, after approximately 12 hours of use without the static image, the burn-in will fade away. But it is still a drawback. Manufacturers arrive at specs differently, so they may not be comparable. Try adjusting sets in the store yourself to compare contrast and brightness.
