David Tanguay asked:


In the not so distant past, it was not unusual to have a hard time hearing the volume of a plasma TV over the buzzing of the units cooling fans at work. These cooling fans were functioning regularly as the obsolete plasma TV could produce heat hot enough to cook eggs. It is no wonder that most of the early model plasma TV have already retired.

Many different technologies have been at work to create improvements in today’s technology. These innovations have brought the life spam of a plasma TV to be calculated at 20 to 25 years for normal viewing patterns.

Normally a plasma TV has a half-life between 30,000 to 60,000 hours, meaning that the unit will loose around fifty percent of its brightness during this time of service. For instance if a plasma TV was left on for eight hours a day the expected half life would range about 9 years. If however the plasma TV were left on for only 4 hours daily, then its half life expectancy would range near about eighteen years.

When considering the loss of brightness in TV screens the fact that a traditional TV looses approximately thirty percent of brightness after use of about 20,000 hours. This loss of light is so gradual that a viewer may not be aware of the effect other than to occasionally fine-tune the levels of brightness and contrast options to make up the difference.

When a plasma TV looses its light to dimness, various models present the option of replacing the light source, thereby renewing the unit’s .life span

Plasma TV life span extension tips.

1. Use wide screen formatting as often as possible. The use of wide screen viewing insures that all pixels have opportunity to work.

2. Brightness levels need to set as low as possible for viewing pleasure. Using the higher brightness levels strains the pixels and phosphors, which decreases the plasma TV’s life span.

3. Always, take care that the plasma TV is in a well-ventilated area. Keeping the unit cool cuts down on the energy it takes for cooling, reducing the need for internal cooling fans and it also aids the phosphors in longer working time.

4. Do not let static images sit on the units TV screen for any length of time. Seven to ten minutes is about the longest that an image should be left to sit on a display screen. Image burn in and ghosting effects will cause the TV screen to wash out. DVD’s should not be left on pause for more that 20 minutes.

5. When interior light is dim, always use a lower level of contrast. The use of lower leveled contrast or picture options will help extend the life span of a plasma TV. Normal interior lighting calls for no more than sixty percent a contrast level.

6. Remember that factory settings are always set higher for best viewing in a show room. Once at home, the setting options of contrast and brightness should be adjusted for home entertainment viewing.

7. Stay away from off brand plasma TV units or accessories that are not manufactured as well built or engineered as good brand name products. These may be cheaper, but in the long run, you get what you pay for.

8. When not in use turn your plasma TV off.

9. Keep small children away from a plasma TV.

10. Never, mount a plasma TV from the ceiling facing down.

Christine Peppler asked:


In increasing numbers, consumers shopping for a new television have the question of whether they should choose an LCD or plasma as their primary concern. Certainly, both plasma and LCD technologies offer excellent high definition viewing with respectable viewing angles and good color saturation and brightness. While plasma has the advantage in low light situations, LCD displays excel in rooms with brighter ambient light due to better protection against glare. The two television technologies also experience equivalent longevity making them dependable for many years. Both offer the same slim profile making them aesthetically appealing, modern, and unobtrusive within any living space.

However, plasma TV has lagged a bit with consumers in recent years despite its price advantage over LCD. This hesitancy on the part of consumers appears to be due to plasma’s early history of problems with burn in. This is unwarranted however, as the risk of burn in is very minimal since the technology for plasma has matured and such issues are essentially resolved.

There is however the lingering issue of excessive power consumption associated with plasma screens over the somewhat more energy conscious LCD displays. Plasma TV in fact, can be said to contribute unnecessarily to CO2 emissions based on their demanding energy needs. This powerful appetite can also eat away at a user’s pocketbook through their monthly energy bill. Recent developments however may put the reputation of power junkie behind for plasma TV and tilt the advantage back toward plasma.

Panasonic has developed a more energy efficient prototype plasma display which was introduced at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. Through the development of new phosphors and cell design technology, their new display boasts doubled energy efficiency. By reducing energy consumption in half, plasma will be on at least an equal footing with LCD displays in this respect as well. Aside from the positive environmental impact and the monthly energy savings for individual consumers, the new plasma technology will provide additional advantages.

With their new technology, Panasonic is now demonstrating ultra-thin display profiles which are less than one inch deep, screens which are increasingly larger; 105 inches+, and displays which are capable of brighter images and higher definition despite lower power consumption. In addition to the improvements in the already outstanding picture quality, Panasonic will be able to offer wireless HD which will allow installation minus the wires.

Certainly, the television viewing choices for viewers continue to improve. With new technologies such as FED and OLED on the horizon those choices are expected to continue to expand. However, some of the more standard technologies, such as plasma, continue to evolve and will probably be viable contenders for a long time to come if Panasonic’s newer plasma TV models are on the market as expected within the next 1 to 2 years.

Christine Peppler asked:


In the coming year, millions of consumers will be considering the purchase of a new television. Those beautiful plasma screen displays will scream at shoppers from the display floor with their vibrant, life like colors and detail. But undoubtedly, wary shoppers will have heard the rumors or perhaps have known someone who bought a plasma television in 1999 which has already moved on to television heaven just seven short years later. It seems to a prudent shopper that perhaps a new plasma TV isn’t the choice for them if a long term relationship is desired.

But are the rumors false? Has plasma undergone a bit of reinvention? Was this lack of longevity a symptom of a fledgling technology that has now perhaps matured? Is a plasma television now more reliable, a screen to be around for the long haul?

In a word…yes.

With lower power usage and changes with the mix of gases in the panels, the longevity of plasma televisions has been significantly enhanced. The lifespan of a television display is measured in “half life”; the hours of use before the screen has dimmed to only 50% of its original brightness. In recent years, plasma television manufacturers have been touting a half-life which is equivalent to that of other screens such as the higher priced LCDs; around 60,000 hours. From this, consumers can see that the lifespan of a plasma screen is dependent upon how much it is viewed. For instance, if a plasma television is on for 6 hours a day, 365 days a year (2190 hours per year), it should last just over 27 years.

Knowing this, it becomes clear that the life of the screen on a plasma television can be significantly influenced by how it is used. Turning off the television when no one is viewing it could certainly extend its life. Adjusting the brightness is important as well; maximum levels are seldom required or recommended and can unnecessarily cause pre-mature aging of the phosphors.

Additional changes over the years for plasma televisions include technologies aimed at reducing the risk of “burn in”; another significant concern about the “character” of plasma displays that developed during its youth. Features such as pixel shifting, pixel orbiter, and motion adaptation all describe methods of moving the image on a plasma screen which is imperceptible to the human eye but effective in reducing the risk of burn-in. With these added features, many plasma manufacturers now claim their screens have no greater risk of burn in than the traditional CRT, “tube” televisions.

As with anything, consumers need to compare brands as they aren’t all created equally. Reviewing the facts from the manufacturer is important. In general, it is best to stick with the more reputable and well known brands as a bargain “off-brand” in the long term may not save money if the quality and dependability are lacking.

There are many excellent technologies to choose from when buying a new television. Which type of display is best is dependent upon each individuals wishes, but plasma televisions certainly deserve the full attention of buyers as they do not warrant the negative reputation developed during their formative years in regards to longevity.

Andrena Markley asked:


Looks can be highly deceptive; you must have heard this adage often. And it holds so true in this case as well. Both, LCD and Plasma are flatter and thinner versions of your age old television. The outward appearance might be similar but the technology used in both is quite different.

First things first, plasma television does away with the bulky picture tube and electron beam scanning of traditional televisions. The technology it uses instead is based loosely on the fluorescent light bulb. Cells form the entire display and within each cell two glass panels are separated by a narrow gap in which is filled with neon-xenon gas and sealed in plasma form during the manufacturing process itself. The gas gets charged automatically at specific intervals, whenever the plasma is switched on. The charged gas then strikes red, green, and blue phosphors, which we call s pixels, and thus a television image is created. Screen-burn of static images and generation of heat after excessive use are certain drawbacks that plasma has not been able to improve upon.

Two layers of transparent material that are glued together form the LCD panels. Technologically, it differs from the plasma in many ways. Out of the two, one layer is coated with a special polymer that holds the individual liquid crystals. Current is then passed through these crystals allowing them to pass or block light. An image is thus created through a different technology in LCD screens. An external light source is needed in case such as this as the LCD crystals do not produce their own light. A fluorescent bulb is hence needed to view the image created by the LCD.

Since no phosphors get burned up in case of LCD screens, the heat generated is much less. Also, there is no direct emission of light from the screen itself. Keeping the budget and requirements in mind, one can now easily decide which one to go for-LCD or Plasma…what do ya say?!

Johnny Waymire asked:


Plasma and LCD panels may look similar, but the flat screen and thin profile is where the similarities end. There are a number of significant differences between the two.

Let us understand the meaning of Plasma and LCD Televisions in order to better understand the differences between them.

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY TELEVISION (LCD TV).

LCD TV uses LCD technology for its visual output. Liquid Crystal Display or LCD is a thin, flat display device made up of a number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed infront of a light source or reflector. In color LCDs each individual pixel is divided into three cells or subpixels which are colored red, green and blue. Each cell or subpixel can be controlled independently to yield thousands or millions of possible colors for each pixel. LCD TVs can make for excellent High Definition TV viewing.

LCD TVs – The Good

1. Excellent Color Reproduction – LCDs can display millions of colors accurately.

2. Multi-functional – LCD TVs have a plethora of connectivity options. They typically include inputs for composite video, S-video, High Definition Multimedia Interface(HDMI) and PC In.

3. No Burn In – With LCDs there is no problem of Burn In. Some TVs that rely on phosphors such as Plasmas and CRTs can experience Burn In where ghost images are permanently burned into the screen.

4. Inherently Progressive – LCDs use millions of tiny transistors that can be individually controlled by the “brains” inside the display. So LCDs can easily handle progressive-scan sources.

5. High Resolution – LCDs can display High Definition content with resolutions of 1366×768. The highest resolution achieved in a LCD is 1920×1080. 1080p is also called Full High Definition whereas 720p is called High Definition.

LCD TVs – The Bad

1. Expensive – LCD TVs are great but they are not cheap. LCD TVs cost more per inch than plasmas.

2. Poor Reproduction of Blacks – LCD TVs tend to produce grays, not blacks.

3. Limited Viewing Angle – LCDs have typically poor viewing angle. However, there has been a drastic improvement on this front with latest LCDs achieving a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees.

4. Slow Response Time – LCDs have longer response times than Plasmas.For example, when moving the mouse too fast on an LCD, multiple cursors can sometimes be seen. This is also known as Ghosting Effect. But this problem seems to have been addressed with the latest LCD TVs with response times as low as 8ms.

5. Low Contrast Ratio – Contrast Ratio is the ratio of the intensity of the brightest bright to the darkest dark. LCDs comparitively have lower Contrast Ratios than Plasmas.

PLASMA TELEVISION

A plasma screen contains literally millions of gas-filled cells (each one acting as a single image pixel) trapped between two pieces of glass. An electrical grid zaps these cells and causes the gases to ionize (and ionized gas is plasma – hence the name). The ionized gases, in turn, cause a layer of phosphor on the viewer’s side layer of glass to light up. Plasma TVs combine a thin, compact chassis with a truly large screen size. Despite their compact dimensions Plasmas are available in 42+, 50+ and even 60+ inch sizes.

Plasma TVs – The Good

1. Excellent Brightness – Plasma TVs don’t rely on a light bulb shining through or reflecting off of something (as an LCD or DLP system does). Plasma brightness is even better than CRT’s in some ways because the picture is evenly bright across the entire screen.

2. High Resolution – The finest plasma TVs have such high resolutions (and such smooth images) that they look life like.

3. Progressive in nature – All the pixels on the screen light up simultaneously. You can have progressive HDTV sources (such as 720p) and non-HDTV sources (such as progressive-scan DVD players) displayed to full advantage on a plasma HDTV.

4. Wide Viewing Angle – Plasmas have a wider viewing angle as compared to LCDs. Plasma displays have a good picture even when you’re sitting “off axis” (not perpendicular to the screen surface). This is a huge benefit for smaller rooms, where viewers may sit relatively far off to the sides of the screen, at wider angles.

Plasma TVs – The Bad

1. Burn-In – Plasmas rely on phosphor to display video. This can cause Burn-In where ghost images are permanently burned into the screen.

2. Short Lifespan – Another phenomenon of any phosphor-based display system is that eventually the phosphors “wear out” or lose their brightness. This is a subtle and slow process, but it inevitably happens.

3. Less-than-perfect color reproduction – Although plasma displays can produce a breathtaking array of colors, a lot of sets have the unfortunate tendency to make red colors look more orange than true red.

4. Poor reproduction of black – Plasma TVs fall short in the realm of reproducing black images. Most plasmas do slightly better job than LCD TVs at black reproduction, but they fall short of CRTs and some projection systems.

Other factors such as pricing, weight, power usage, high altitude performance and transportation are other considerations that apply on a person to person basis. So I will briefly just state the overall differences in these areas.

Pricing: Plasma TVs are still significantly less expensive than LCD in sizes over 32″.

Weight: LCD TVs are considerably lighter and as such easier to mount and install. So

Kerry A. Francis asked:


Plasma, TV has vivid colors, fast refresh and great contrast? Plasma TVs are the TVs that mostly likely catch your eye as you stroll down the aisle in your local best buy. Plasma TVs have exceptionally bright, distinct and vibrant colors.

But as with most good things in life there is a downside to consider. 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. After all having the latest TV technology has become an essential status symbol in many if not most middle class American homes. If you only wanted a TV you could of well gone to Wal-Mart or Costco and purchased a very acceptable picture older CRT TV very inexpensively.

Some tests have shown that the ability for a plasma display to show true black decreases by 13% over the first four weeks. Over a period of a few years this could show blacks as light grays in your image.

The high power consumption may not bother you if you don’t mind paying a bit more for your electric bill, but the real issue just as in laptop computers is the amount heat generated and the damage done to these electronic devices and the screen of your new and very expensive plasma TV by that heat.
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The heat comes from the million tiny fluorescent tubes on a heavy glass substrate that produces the image. This design is also part of the longevity issue. The high heat produced in a small area burns out the phosphors sooner than the phosphor on a traditional CRT. And, in tying everything together, this can also result in image burn-in especially on channels that display their logo continuously in the lower right corner.

LCD TVs are much less expensive than plasma, but also tend not to have pictures that are as sharp or bright. The other downside to LCD displays is that the pixels are relatively slow to change state. Fast moving objects such as a hockey puck or baseball bat get blurred where they might show more crisply on a plasma or good quality CRT.

Projection TVs are yet another option. Projection TV technology now produces much sharper, more vivid images that in previous years with deeper blacks that rival the CRT, and beat most of the plasma and LCD displays. This is the way to go for display sizes of 50 inches or greater.

The main drawback for any of the projection technologies is the lamp used as the light source. The typical metal halide projector lamp only lasts 1000 to 2000 hours and can cost several hundred dollars to replace. Longer life span lamps called ultra high performance (UHP) have recently come on the market that use mercury vapor instead of argon and have lifespan ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 hours.

Most consumers use their TVs on an average basis of 1,000 hours a year. That means that if the bulb is in the range of $ 300 – $ 500 dollars the cost of “running the projection TV” at a rough guide of 1,000 hours of use per bulb is several hundred dollars a year. The projections of bulb longevity are often done in best case not scenarios not the ordinary setup where the homeowner may even impair the ventilation of heat accidentally by TV and furniture placement chosen by the wife for appearance rather than electronic longevity.

Not so conceptually the projection TV bulbs seem to be very proprietary bulbs sold by the projection TV manufacturer. Bulbs for Sony projection TVs are made and distributed only by Sony. You may find a less expensive bulb say a Hitachi. However it is a judgment call. The Sony bulbs although more expensive are much more popular and easy to find on eBay – even used bulbs. But projection TV bulbs are very fragile and may not survive shipment by mail.

As with LCD display, manufacturers are moving towards high intensity LED technology to replace lamps and get lifespan measured in years. Of course, that technology is not cheap, but prices should come down as they become more available in the next several years.

On the horizon we can look forward tothe next tound on new high tech type of TVs- SEDs. What is SED?

SED is Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display. These should be coming on the market in about 2008/2009. Japan will probably start seeing them by the end of 2007. They are a flat panel display, much like the LCD displays now, but have characteristics resembling that of the CRT for contrast and image quality. This comes from basis of the design: each pixel is basically a tiny CRT. It uses less energy than plasma since it’s easier to generate an electron beam (as a CRT does) than it is to excite photons in a gas (as the plasma display does).

There is no production display of SED TVs yet available. As well there is no data yet for other performance or reliability factors.

In the end enjoy your purchase. You may well purchase a plasma TV now, pay it off, confess you really enjoyed the plasma TV and yet purchase yet again the newer SED TV for your home for its better, more advanced picture and as a status symbol for your home. It never ends.