About Plasma TV's
Plasma television sets are one type of flat screen television that has gained popularity. Small cells are placed within the screen and contain neon and xenon gases. When these gases are fed electricity, they create plasma that emits light and displays an image on the screen. They were once technology seen mainly in large screen televisions, but now there are smaller screens made that implement the same technology. While more expensive than traditional televisions, plasma TV's can offer a clearer picture and can be placed easier in a room.
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History of
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Plasma televisions were first created in 1964 by Donald Blitzer, H. Gene Slottow, and Robert Wilson. They originally only worked with three colors: orange, green, and yellow. As time went on, of course, the technology grew in leaps and bounds. In 1983, IBM created and orange on black plasma display. Fujitsu created the first full-color plasma screen in 1992, while Panasonic, in 1997, purchased the company Plasmaco, one of the leaders in plasma TV technology, and started to make the first plasma screens that were available to the public. Since then, plasma screens have grown in popularity and size. The largest TV of this kind debuted in 2008 and is six feet tall by eleven feet wide.
Features
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Plasma televisions have a number of features that make them stand apart from their competitors. For one, they are very bright and have a wide range of colors at their disposal. This allows for a crisp, clear picture that does not degrade as the size of the TV screen grows. They take in about the same amount of power as traditional televisions, though the brighter the screen is turned up, the more electricity the TV uses. Plasma TV's are thin, usually no more than ten centimeters thick, and they offer a wide viewing range compatible with wide screen programs.
Benefits
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The technology behind plasma TV's offers a number of benefits. Because of the exceptional screen quality, larger plasma TV's will still have a clear picture, while traditional televisions and LCD flat screens usually lose their picture quality in big-screen forms. The size of the plasma TV is another benefit, allowing it to fit easier in the home, even if the screen size is large. It is much easier to fit a television that is four inches thick than almost two feet.
Risk Factors
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If you leave the screen of a plasma TV on for a long time, you are risking something called screen burn-in. This is due to the nature of the gases inside the plasma screen. As they are used to create the image on the screen, they slowly lose their luminosity. After prolonged use, they will create a ghost image of whatever is on the screen, as long as it has not changed for a long time, such as when a video is left on pause. To keep this from happening, turn the plasma TV off whenever it is not in use.
Time Frame
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Plasma TV's do have a set lifetime, though the amount of time it takes for them to decline in quality is a while. The latest plasma televisions have a lifespan of about 60,000 hours of display time. After this amount of time (which is shortened if there is burn-in damage) the plasma TV will have half the maximum brightness and clarity as when it comes out of the box. This does not mean it will stop working, though, as long as it is properly maintained.
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