New Technology TV

The idea of a television that operates on electrically charged gas may sound worthy of an episode of Star Trek, but that’s just what a plasma set does. The concept seems complex, but in reality, the technology used in a plasma television is modeled after that found in a fluorescent lightbulb.
A plasma TV produces a picture using a number of cells that are fed a steady stream of neon and xenon gas. The cells are contained within panels of glass and coated with electrodes. The electrodes charge the cells, which fires up the gas, transforming it into plasma. This process results in ultraviolet light. The light then sets off the phosphors in the TV, and the phosphors in turn radiate light.



A group of phosphors is known as a pixel. A single plasma set contains nearly 3,000,000 pixels, which are responsible for producing the television’s crisply focused picture. Each pixel consists of three cells of red, blue, and green light, which combine to form an image. By uniting these cells, plasma TVs have the ability to display more than 67 billion colors.
Plasma sets deviate from traditional TVs in many ways. For one, they don’t use the old-fashioned cathode ray picture tube. But, like standard sets, plasma TVs do produce heat, because they burn phosphors. Plasma TV screen sizes vary, ranging from 32"" to 84"". The screens are measured diagonally. Most models come equipped with the inputs necessary for attaching external components like VCRs, cable or satellite receivers, and DVD players.

Some plasma sets have a resolution that gives them the capability to display certain signals better than others. This is important for viewers who want high definition television. A plasma set must have a resolution of at least 1024 x 720 to be considered high definition. Models having a lower resolution will display a high definition signal with a little bit of internal scaling.

Screen burn of images is a common problem with plasma TVs. Other negatives to keep in mind concerning plasma sets include a brief display life span and an inability for the sets to function at their best in higher altitudes. Also, the price of a plasma set is somewhat steep -- about $3000.

Plasma televisions do offer a number of benefits to viewers. Advantages include excellent contrast ratio, top-notch color quality, and superior motion tracking, with almost no motion lag. They’re also extremely stylish. Because they function without clunky cathode ray tubes or projection mechanisms, plasma sets feature super-cool flat screens. This gives them an all-around contemporary look that’s just right for today’s home theater. Most plasma screens have a depth of less than six inches. Plasma sets are also very light, which makes them perfect for mounting on the wall.