Sunday, November 15, 2009

Comparing the Different Plasma Televisions

By Zeeman Haus

The past decade has seen tremendous advancements in plasma TV technology. When it comes to delivering vivid colors and crisp motion, plasma TV's have long been the preferred choice of consumers. However, despite these advancements one does not need a degree in engineering or science to understand the basic principles of how this technology works.

Plasma technology was first developed for computer monitor systems in the early'60's and the first companies to bring this technology to the retail market were Fujitsu and Phillips. Moreover, the first units for sale in the US were more of a status symbol since they debuted with a hefty price tag of over $10,000. However, today's refined production techniques allow plasma units to retail for a much lower and accessible price.

A plasma TV consists of thousands of individual cells that are filled with a combination of gases like helium, xenon, and neon. The gas containing cells are sandwiched between two screens and electrodes are then installed both in front and behind the cells to generate the electricity. As such, the electricity from the electrodes heats the gas into a plasma state.

Color in a plasma TV is produced by coating each of the individual cells with a material called phosphors. When the gases are converted to plasma they produce photons which in turn excite the phosphors to generate color.

The picture on a regular television set is made up of thousands of individual pixels and it is no different for plasma TV's. Every pixel on a plasma unit is subdivided into three sub pixels with a coating of either a red, green or blue colored phosphor. The three colors are used in traditional cathode ray tube televisions which is why a plasma TV can closely replicate the colors of older models. Blending red, green and blue together also allows the plasma system to create just about any tone imaginable.

Another technology used in plasma TV production is called pulse-width modulation and it is the system that controls a picture's level of brightness. Pulse-width modulation works by regulating the amount of current that flows through the thousands of individual cells. Furthermore, internal controls vary the pulses to activate thousands of times per second and they can also increase or decrease the intensity of each sub pixel. These varying intensity pulses are what form the incredibly sharp and vivid colors that plasma televisions are known for.

With respect to contrast ratio, plasma TV's typically offer the highest ratio in comparison to LCD and DLP televisions. Contrast ratio is an important feature in determining the overall quality of the picture because it is a measure of the ratio between the highest white and the darkest black.

Plasma TV's have always been considered on the forefront of high definition and flat panel television technology. Thanks to the increase in demand and more cost effective production techniques, these engineering marvels will soon be found in just about every home.

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