Learn About Plasma Displays

Flat panel plasma display is the latest display technology and the best way to achieve displays with excellent image quality and large, flat screen sizes that are easily viewable in any environment. Plasma panels are an array of cells, known as pixels, which are composed of three subpixels, corresponding to the colors red, green, and blue. Gas in the plasma state is used to react with phosphors in each subpixel to produce colored light (red, green, or blue). These phosphors are the same types used in cathode ray tube (CRT) devices such as televisions and standard computer monitors. You get the rich dynamic colors that you expect. Each subpixel is individually controlled by advanced electronics to produce over 16 million different colors. All of this means that you get perfect images that are easily viewable in a display that is less than six inches thick.

Why Choose a Plasma?

Plasmas perform extraordinarily well under most ambient light conditions. Very bright light does not wash out the image on the screen. The beauty of these flat screens is that, unlike front view projection screens, you don't have to turn off the lights to see the image clearly and easily. Therefore, plasmas are excellent for video conferencing and other presentation needs, which require the lights to remain on.

Another characteristic of a plasma panel is the extreme viewing angles both vertically and horizontally. With 160 degrees viewing angle, people sitting off to the side of the plasma screen will still be able to see the image without losing any of it.

Plasmas tend to be very lightweight in comparison to similar sized standard display monitors and television screens. They can be hung on walls, mounted to ceilings, flush wall mounted or placed on a tabletop. Many mount manufacturers are designing more creative ways to mount plasma panels because of the ease of engineering involved. They can be hung on walls, mounted to ceilings, flush wall mounted or placed on a tabletop. Many mount manufacturers are designing more creative ways to mount plasma panels because of the ease of engineering involved.

No existing display system can compete with the low depths available in plasma panels. The thinness of theses systems allows for the monitors to be placed virtually anywhere. Some plasma panels are known to be as thin as 3.5 inches deep.

Plasmas are easy to use. Almost as easy as plug and play. They tend to accept inputs for both data and video (industrial models). The main issue is resolution. Be sure to find a panel that works with your resolution needs. All will show standard VGA (640x480) and some will accept signals all the way up to UXGA. And unlike CRT monitors, Plasma panels are not affected by magnetic fields.

Superior Performance

With flat panel plasma screens, in addition to bright, crisp images, there are other advantages. Unlike projection screens, which are designed to concentrate reflection to a narrow viewing area for brightness, plasma screens permit an exceptionally broad viewing angle -- over 160 degrees. This means that no matter where audience members are in the room, the brightness and clarity come through. And unlike conventional television screens, plasma panels are absolutely flat. This reduces glare and permits viewers to see the entirety of the screen from a broader perspective. Since panels are backlit rather than reflective (as in projection), they perform exceptionally well in bright environments.

Versatile

Plasma panels are available in a variety of configurations. Along with varying resolutions, panels come in two aspect ratios: 4:3 and 16:9. 4:3 ratio is the same as conventional televisions and computer monitors. Where, as is the case with current broadcast standards, the media has been formatted for these devices, 4:3 ratio delivers a quality picture that fills the entire screen. Presentations that have been prepared on conventional monitors will appear as they did on the original authoring platform, completely filling the screen. There is an exception in SXGA (1280 x 1024) resolutions, where the actual aspect ratio is 5:4, due to legacy issues of that pixel count. In the 16:9 ratio, plasma panels are capable of delivering wide-screen media without "letterboxing" or blanking of parts of the screen. Wide screen panels are typically capable of higher resolution in data modes and capable of displaying wide screen video formats such as HDTV. What's more, 16:9 panels are also capable of displaying media prepared for traditional 4:3 screens via letterboxing.

Where to use Plasma?

Network Control Rooms
Data and video can be displayed with equal quality and clarity, allow control room or network managers to constantly view the performance of their network.

Meeting Rooms
Make your meeting room PC friendly.

Executive Offices
The high-tech look will be sure to impress customers, while serving the dual purpose of making your executives more effective during meetings and presentations.

Corporate Lobbies
Plasma is the ultimate high tech tool to display your company's products, services, or events in a visually appealing technology. Unlike light boxes, which require static duratrans, these flat displays can show presentations or live video, making for a more informative and effective method of communicating with customers. You are practically guaranteed to gain their undivided attention.

Updateable Signage
Plasma's wide viewing angles thin profile and high brightness has allowed for the concept of digital signs that can be hung throughout offices, stores, shopping malls, or anywhere you want to share pertinent video or data to your employees or customers.

Touch Screens
Apply a touch screen to a plasma and you have a dynamic interactive digital work board.

Light Weight Plasmas
Can be mounted on a rolling stand and shared between several meeting rooms or offices.

Video Conferencing
Many companies use projectors with video conferencing. Projectors require dark rooms to produce vibrant images. Video conferencing cameras require bright rooms to pick up images. These two technologies contradict each other. Because of its performance in ambient light, plasma is the ideal display system for video conferencing.

Home Theater
As the cost of Plasma Display Panels continue to drop, many people are choosing to install Plasmas in their Home Theater environment.

Plasma FAQs

Q. Know what aspect ratio you need (form factor) 4:3 or 16:9?

A. 4:3 is the standard ratio used on monitors and projectors today. 16:9 is predicted to be the standard of the future.

Q. Can your plasma display 16.7 million colors?

A. Some plasmas can not display full color. These units are less than broadcast standard and will make many images look unnatural.

Q. What's the native resolution? Can it display computer graphics?

A. The native resolution is the actual numbers of pixels a display has. Most plasmas can show computer images. Plasmas with less native resolution than the computer signal will require scaling or compression.

Q. What is the life expectancy? How many hours can the plasma last?

A. Some are known to last up to 30,000 hours while others are less, far less. For an investment of this type you need to consider a robust commercial product with long life.

Q. What is shadowing and how does your plasma handle it?

A. All plasmas regardless of manufacturer use phosphor. When a static image is left on screen for an extended period of time a shadow of that image may remain when the image is changed. If that static is left on long enough it could remain permanently. This is commonly referred to as "burn-in". Some plasmas are more susceptible to burn-in than others due to the way the manufacturer 'drives' the plasma.

Look for a plasma that has built in Automatic Brightness Limited (ABL). ABL subtly decreases brightness when it senses a still image. The chosen plasma should also have built in color washes that cleans the screen in the event of shadowing.

For more information on Plasma Displays and Projectors visit www.avprojector.com