Plasma Television

A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays (80 cm/30 in or larger). They are called "plasma" displays because the pixels rely on plasma cells, or what are in essence chambers more commonly known as fluorescent lamps. A panel typically has millions of tiny cells in compartmentalized space between two panels of glass. These compartments, or "bulbs" or "cells", hold a mixture of noble gases and a minuscule amount of mercury. Just as in the fluorescent lamps over an office desk, when the mercury is vaporized and a voltage is applied across the cell, the gas in the cells form a plasma. (A plasma is a collection of particles that respond strongly and collectively to electromagnetic fields or electrical charges, taking the form of gas-like clouds or ion beams.) With flow of electricity (electrons), some of the electrons strike mercury particles as the electrons move through the plasma, momentarily increasing the energy level of the molecule until the excess energy is shed. Mercury sheds the energy as ultraviolet (UV) photons. The UV photons then strike phosphor that is painted on the inside of the cell. When the UV photon strikes a phosphor molecule, it momentarily raises the energy level of an outer orbit electron in the phosphor molecule, moving the electron from a stable to an unstable state; the electron then sheds the excess energy as a photon at a lower energy level than UV light; the lower energy photons are mostly in the infrared range but about 40% are in the visible light range. Thus the input energy is shed as mostly heat (infrared) but also as visible light. Depending on the phosphors used, different colors of visible light can be achieved. Each pixel in a plasma display is made up of three cells comprising the primary colors of visible light. Varying the voltage of the signals to the cells thus allows different perceived colors.

Plasma displays should not be confused with liquid crystal displays (LCDs), another lightweight flat-screen display using very different technology. LCDs may use one or two large fluorescent lamps as a backlight source, but the different colors are controlled by LCD units, which in effect behave as gates that allow or block the passage of light from the backlight to red, green, or blue paint on the front of the LCD panel.

Buying a Plasma Television

Plasma television could capture substantial market share in the past decade due to the superb performance it could offer to the consumers. Those who swear on a plasma tv have no doubt about its qualitative superiority. The technology behind the plasma is a unique one. Plasma screen consists of glass panes with noble gas in between. When the gas gets electrically charged, the phosphor gas reacts with it to produce red, blue and green pixels. It is this chemical reaction of plasma that brightens the pixels on the screen. The remarkable phenomenon creates sharp images with colour saturation. The thin, flat screen is considered as the best ever produced in television history, especially when it comes to large sized screens. That is the reason why it is widely preferred by consumers.

Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Fujitsu, Sanyo and Funai are some of the leading plasma television producers in the global markets. In the early stages there were many problems that plagued the plasma tv. High rate of energy consumption was worrisome. Consumers found plasma TV not economical in view of the spiraling energy bills. Another problem was the burn- in that occurs on the screens. But both these problems were effectively addressed by the manufacturers. Adoption of Motion Logo technology helped to eliminate burn-in problem. Quality of phosphorus gas was improved. New cell design helped to reduce energy consumption.

In this context, the Neo PDP model of Panasonic is an innovative product. They stopped the utilization of lead which is considered as an environmental pollutant. A new technique namely ionization of phosphorus gas was adopted with the twin objective of making plasma television eco-friendly and energy efficient. Latest models of plasma television have many positive aspects. High refresh rates and faster response time are important factors that made them the most suitable televisions to watch movies, sports or action programmes. Longevity of plasma TV is now estimated to be 60,000 hours which is considered as highest among similar categories of televisions. Wider viewing angles is a remarkable feature of plasma, which is an ideal product in the large screens segment. Plasma screen is at its best in sizes above 32 inches. Contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 is yet another positive factor which along with the wider viewing angles make the product suitable for group viewing and demonstration purposes. For this reason large plasma television is chosen widely for commercial purposes.

The sleek and sophisticated plasma television is poised to become the most sought after product in the global markets. DLNA certified display offers full HD wireless connectivity, digital comb filter, progressive span and integrated digital tuner as some of the special features. Further with the adoption of FED and OLED technologies, the product is acknowledged as one that can offer utmost viewing comforts. Even though plasma television is considered as an expensive product, the fact remains that it is comparatively cheaper when size is taken into account. For instance a plasma TV of 32 inches will be cheaper than an LCD of the same size. Most of the modern brands of plasma TV are environmental friendly and with energy stars.