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{{short description|Type of flat-panel display}}
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A '''plasma display panel''' is a type of ] that uses small cells containing ]: ] ] that responds to ]s. Plasma televisions were the first large (over 32 inches/81 cm diagonal) ]s to be released to the public.
A '''plasma display''' is an ] ] where light is created by ]s excited by a ] discharge between two flat panels of ]. The gas discharge contains no ] (contrary to the backlights of an ]); a mixture of ] (] and ]) is used instead. This gas mixture is inert and entirely non-harmful.


Until about 2007, plasma displays were commonly used in large televisions. By 2013, they had lost nearly all market share due to competition from low-cost liquid crystal displays (])s. Manufacturing of plasma displays for the United States retail market ended in 2014,<ref name=Hiltzik2014>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-bigscreen-plasma-tv-20140707-column.html|title=Farewell to the big-screen plasma TV|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Michael Hiltzik|author-link=Michael Hiltzik|date=July 7, 2014|access-date=February 20, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220201509/https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-bigscreen-plasma-tv-20140707-column.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/28/business/corporate-business/panasonic-in-talks-to-sell-hyogo-plasma-factory/|title=Panasonic in talks to sell Hyogo plasma factory|date=January 28, 2014|via=Japan Times Online|access-date=December 19, 2019|archive-date=December 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219224100/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/28/business/corporate-business/panasonic-in-talks-to-sell-hyogo-plasma-factory/|url-status=live}}</ref> and manufacturing for the Chinese market ended in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2014/10/30/technology/plasma-tv/index.html|title=The world is running out of plasma TVs|first=David Goldman and James|last=O'Toole|date=30 October 2014|website=CNNMoney|access-date=3 August 2020|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812134201/https://money.cnn.com/2014/10/30/technology/plasma-tv/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnarcher/2015/11/10/oled-tv-beats-plasma-tv-in-new-public-shoot-out/#5f688e594727|title=OLED TV Thrashes Plasma TV In New Public Shoot Out|first=John|last=Archer|website=]|access-date=2017-09-08|archive-date=2016-11-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107040228/http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnarcher/2015/11/10/oled-tv-beats-plasma-tv-in-new-public-shoot-out/#5f688e594727|url-status=live}}</ref> Plasma displays are obsolete, having been superseded in most if not all aspects by OLED displays.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/shootout-oled-201511134208.htm|title=4K OLED TV Lays Plasma Ghost to Rest; Panasonic Pips LG|access-date=2020-12-24|archive-date=2021-01-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127172232/http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/shootout-oled-201511134208.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
==History==


Competing display technologies include ] (CRT), ] (OLED), ]s, ], ] DLP, ], ], ] (FED), and ] (QLED).
The Plasma display panel was invented at the University of Illinois by ] and ] in 1964 for the ]. The original monochrome (usually orange or green) panels enjoyed a surge of popularity in the early 1970's because the displays were rugged and needed neither memory nor refresh circuitry. There followed a long period of sales decline in the late 1970's as semiconductor memory made CRT displays incredibly cheap. Starting with his PhD dissertation in 1975, ] of the ] sought to create a color plasma display, finally achieving that goal in 1995. Today the superior brightness and viewing angle of color plasma panels have caused these displays to have a resurgence of popularity.


== History ==
==General characteristics==
=== Early development ===
] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013431/https://books.google.com/books?id=PaFsMI_e88kC&dq=PLATO+plasma&pg=PA43 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref>]]


], a Hungarian engineer, described a proposed flat-panel plasma display system in a 1936 paper.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://seura.com/flat-panel_tv_en.pdf |title=Kalman Tihanyi's plasma television |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426233227/http://seura.com/flat-panel_tv_en.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-26 |access-date=2014-04-25}}</ref>
Plasma displays are bright (1000 ] or higher for the module), have a wide color ], and can be produced in fairly large sizes, up to 200 cm (80 inches) diagonally. They have a very high "dark-room" contrast, creating the "perfect black", desirable for watching movies. The display panel is only 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) thick, while the total thickness, including electronics, is less than 10 cm (4 inches). Plasma displays use as much ] per square meter as a ] or a ] television; in 2004 the cost has come down to US$1900 or less for the popular 42-inch diagonal size, making it very attractive for home-theatre use. However, since the power comsumption is proportional to the square of the diagonal size, the larger screen sizes can use considerable power&mdash;"as much as 700 watts of power, enough to make some critics worry about the environmental consequences if the displays are widely adopted.". The lifetime of the latest generation of PDPs is estimated at 60,000 hours to half life when displaying video. Half life is the point where the picture has degraded to half of its original brightness and intensity, which is considered the end of the functional life of the display.


The first practical plasma video display was co-invented in 1964 at the ] by ], ], and graduate student Robert Willson for the ].<ref name="plasmaaward">{{cite web|url=http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/awards/bitzer2.html|title=Bitzer Wins Emmy Award for Plasma Screen Technology|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040548/http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/awards/bitzer2.html|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref><ref name=plasma_invention_alumni>{{cite web|url=https://ece.illinois.edu/newsroom/article/224|title=ECE Alumni wins award for inventing the flat-panel plasma display|date=Oct 23, 2002|access-date=Jan 11, 2018|archive-date=February 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214141258/https://ece.illinois.edu/newsroom/article/224|url-status=live}}</ref> The goal was to create a display that had inherent memory to reduce the cost of the terminals.<ref name="auto1">{{cite journal |last1=Weber |first1=Larry F. |title=History of the Plasma Display Panel |journal=IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science |date=April 2006 |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=268–278 |doi=10.1109/TPS.2006.872440 |bibcode=2006ITPS...34..268W |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1621302}}</ref> The original neon orange monochrome Digivue display panels built by glass producer ] were very popular in the early 1970s because they were rugged and needed neither memory nor circuitry to refresh the images.<ref>Brian Dear, Chapter 6 – Gas and Glass, , Pantheon Books, New York, 2017; pages 92-111 cover the development and first stages AC plasma panel commercialization.</ref> A long period of sales decline occurred in the late 1970s because semiconductor memory made CRT displays cheaper than the $2500 ] {{nowrap|512 × 512}} PLATO plasma displays.<ref>Brian Dear, Chapter 22 – The Business Opportunity, , Pantheon Books, New York, 2017; pages 413–417 cover CDC's decision to use CRTs with cheap video-RAM instead of plasma panels in 1975.</ref> Nevertheless, the plasma displays' relatively large screen size and 1&nbsp;inch (25.4&nbsp;mm) thickness made them suitable for high-profile placement in lobbies and stock exchanges.
Competing displays include the ], ], ], ], ] and ] flat panel displays. The main advantage of plasma display technology is that a very wide screen can be produced using extremely thin materials. Since each pixel is lit individually, the image is very bright and looks good from almost every angle. The image quality is not quite up to the standards of the best cathode ray tube sets (according to some), but it certainly meets most people's expectations. The biggest drawback of this technology has to be the high cost. With prices starting around US$2,000 and going all the way up past US$20,000 (]), these sets do not sell as quickly as older technologies like CRT. But as prices fall and technology advances, they may start to seriously compete against the CRT sets.


], a maker of adding machines and computers, developed the Panaplex display in the early 1970s. The Panaplex display, generically referred to as a gas-discharge or gas-plasma display,<ref name="Webopedia1">{{cite web|url=http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/G/gas_plasma_display.html|title=What is gas-plasma display?|date=September 1996|publisher=Webopedia|access-date=2009-04-27|archive-date=2009-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015193141/http://webopedia.com/TERM/G/gas_plasma_display.html|url-status=live}}</ref> uses the same technology as later plasma video displays, but began life as a ] for use in ]s. They became popular for their bright orange luminous look and found nearly ubiquitous use throughout the late 1970s and into the 1990s in ]s, ]s, ], aircraft ] such as ], ], and ]s; test equipment such as ]s and ]s; and generally anything that previously used ] or ] displays with a high digit-count. These displays were eventually replaced by LEDs because of their low current-draw and module-flexibility, but are still found in some applications where their high brightness is desired, such as pinball machines and avionics.
==Functional details==


=== 1980s ===
The xenon and neon gas in a plasma television is contained in hundreds of thousands of tiny cells positioned between two plates of glass. Long ] are also sandwiched between the glass plates, on both sides of the cells. The address electrodes sit behind the cells, along the rear glass plate. The transparent display electrodes, which are surrounded by an insulating dielectric material and covered by a magnesium oxide protective layer, are mounted above the cell, along the front glass plate.
] plasma screen close-up]]


In 1983, ] introduced a {{convert|19|in|cm|adj=on}} orange-on-black monochrome display (Model 3290 Information Panel) which was able to show up to four simultaneous ] terminal sessions.<ref name=retropaq /> By the end of the decade, orange monochrome plasma displays were used in a number of high-end ]-powered ]s, such as the ] (the first use of such a display in 1985),<ref name=infoworld26>, InfoWorld, 22 Apr 1985, Page 26</ref> the ] (1987) and the ] (1990). Plasma displays had a better contrast ratio, viewability angle, and less motion blur than the LCDs that were available at the time, and were used until the introduction of active-matrix color LCD displays in 1992.<ref name=retropaq>{{cite web |title=The chronicles of gas-plasma |url=https://www.retropaq.com/the-miracle-of-gas-plasma/ |website=Retropaq.com |date=20 October 2020 |access-date=18 December 2020 |archive-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202193817/https://www.retropaq.com/the-miracle-of-gas-plasma/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In a monochome plasma panel, control circuitry charges the electrodes that cross paths at a cell, causing the plasma to ]ize and emit photons between the electrodes. The ionizing state can be maintained by applying a low-level voltage between all the horizontal and vertical electrodes - even after the ionizing voltage is removed. To erase a cell all voltage is removed from a pair of electrodes. This type of panel has inherent memory and does not use phosphors. A small amount of nitrogen is added to the neon to increase ].


Due to heavy competition from monochrome LCDs used in laptops and the high costs of plasma display technology, in 1987 IBM planned to shut down its factory in Kingston, New York, the largest plasma plant in the world, in favor of manufacturing ]s, which would have left development to Japanese companies.<ref name="news.cnet.com"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103073146/http://news.cnet.com/Getting-a-charge-out-of-plasma-TV/2100-1041_3-6191482.html |date=2013-11-03 }}, CNET News, June 18, 2007, retrieved 2008-11-24.</ref> Dr. ], a ] ECE PhD (in plasma display research) and staff scientist working at CERL (home of the ]), co-founded Plasmaco with ] and IBM plant manager James Kehoe, and bought the plant from IBM for US$50,000. Weber stayed in Urbana as CTO until 1990, then moved to upstate New York to work at Plasmaco.
To ionize the gas in a color panel, the plasma display's computer charges the electrodes that intersect at that cell thousands of times in a small fraction of a second, charging each cell in turn. When the intersecting electrodes are charged (with a voltage difference between them), an electric current flows through the gas in the cell. The current creates a rapid flow of charged particles, which stimulates the gas ]s to release ] photons.


=== 1990s ===
The phosphors in a plasma display give off colored light when they are excited. Every ] is made up of three separate subpixel cells, each with different colored phosphors. One subpixel has a red light phosphor, one subpixel has a green light phosphor and one subpixel has a blue light phosphor. These colors blend together to create the overall color of the pixel. By varying the pulses of current flowing through the different cells, the control system can increase or decrease the intensity of each subpixel color to create hundreds of different combinations of red, green and blue. In this way, the control system can produce colors across the entire ]. Plasma displays use the same phosphors as CRTs, accounting for the extremely accurate color reproduction.


In 1992, ] introduced the world's first {{convert|21|in|cm|adj=on}} full-color display. It was based on technology created at the ] and ].
==Contrast ratio claims==


In 1994, Weber demonstrated a color plasma display at an industry convention in San Jose. ] began a joint development project with Plasmaco, which led in 1996 to the purchase of Plasmaco, its color AC technology, and its American factory for US$26 million.
Contrast ratio indicates the difference between the brightest part of a picture and the darkest part of a picture, measured in discrete steps, at any given moment. The implication is that a higher contrast ratio means more picture detail. Contrast ratios for plasma displays are often advertised as high as 5000:1. On the surface, this is a great thing. In reality, there are no standardised tests for contrast ratio, meaning each manufacturer can publish virtually any number that they like. To illustrate, some manufacturers will measure contrast with the front glass removed, which accounts for some of the wild claims regarding their advertised ratios. For reference, the page you're reading now (on a computer monitor) is actually about 50:1. A printed page is about 80:1. A really good print at a movie theater will be about 500:1 (Da-Lite, Angles of View vol. III, "Contrast - From Dark to Light").


In 1995, Fujitsu introduced the first {{convert|42|in|cm|0|adj=on}} plasma display panel;<ref name=ergwnyu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3EZWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6111%2C5949387 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |last=Thurber |first=David |title=Flat screen TVs coming soon to a wall near you |date=August 25, 1995 |page=9C |access-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-date=November 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101220326/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3EZWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6111%2C5949387 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Weber, L. F., "History of the Plasma Display Panel," IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 34, No. 2, (April, 2006), pp.268-278.</ref> it had 852×480 resolution and was progressively scanned.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105080207/http://www.tech-notes.tv/Archive/tech_notes_004.htm |date=2019-01-05 }}, ''North West Tech Notes'', No. 4, June 15, 1997, retrieved 2009-01-29.</ref> Two years later, ] introduced at CES and CeBIT the first large commercially available flat-panel TV, using the Fujitsu panels. Philips had plans to sell it for 70,000 french francs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lesechos.fr/1997/04/philips-et-thomson-en-position-dattente-811858 | title=Philips et Thomson en position d'attente | date=9 April 1997 | access-date=28 February 2023 | archive-date=28 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228221220/https://www.lesechos.fr/1997/04/philips-et-thomson-en-position-dattente-811858 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rtf1.de/news.php?id=18644 | title=20 Jahre Flachbildfernseher - OLED und 4K momentan Spitze der Entwicklung | access-date=2023-02-28 | archive-date=2023-02-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228221219/https://www.rtf1.de/news.php?id=18644 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/1996/Nov/28-e.html | title=Fujitsu is World's First to Mass Produce 42-inch Color Plasma Display Panels | access-date=2023-02-28 | archive-date=2023-04-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013644/https://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/1996/Nov/28-e.html | url-status=live }}</ref> It was released as the Philips 42PW9962. It was available at four ] locations in the US for $14,999,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news-sept-19/55169132/ |title=Sept 19 1999 |newspaper=The Central New Jersey Home News |date=19 September 1999 |page=348 |access-date=2024-01-28 |archive-date=2024-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128031808/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news-sept-19/55169132/ |url-status=live }}</ref> including in-home installation. ] and Fujitsu<ref>{{cite web | url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/amp/the-consumer-electronics-hall-of-fame-fujitsu-plasma-tv-2650278872 | title=The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Fujitsu Plasma TV | access-date=2023-02-28 | archive-date=2023-02-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228221345/https://spectrum.ieee.org/amp/the-consumer-electronics-hall-of-fame-fujitsu-plasma-tv-2650278872 | url-status=live }}</ref> also began selling plasma televisions that year, and other manufacturers followed. By the year 2000 prices had dropped to $10,000.
==See also==
* ]


== External links == === 2000s ===
]
*
* How do Plasma Displays Work? What are the Pros and Cons? (theprojectorpros.com)


In the year 2000, the first 60-inch (152-cm) plasma display was developed by Plasmaco. Panasonic was also reported to have developed a process to make plasma displays using ordinary window glass instead of the much more expensive "high strain point" glass.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB967587676614566981#:~:text=When%20plasma%2Dgas%20technology%20was,quality%20standards%20for%20the%20sets.|title = Passion for Plasma Fuels Creation of First 60-Inch Flat-Screen TV|newspaper = The Wall Street Journal|date = 30 August 2000|access-date = 23 September 2020|archive-date = 10 January 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210110165121/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB967587676614566981#:~:text=When%20plasma%2Dgas%20technology%20was,quality%20standards%20for%20the%20sets.|url-status = live}}</ref> High strain point glass is made similarly to conventional float glass, but it is more heat resistant, deforming at higher temperatures. High strain point glass is normally necessary because plasma displays have to be baked during manufacture to dry the rare-earth phosphors after they are applied to the display. However, high strain point glass may be less scratch resistant.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.glassonline.com/central-glass-to-produce-speciality-glass/|title = Central Glass to produce speciality glass|date = 19 November 2002|access-date = 31 October 2020|archive-date = 5 November 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201105033432/https://www.glassonline.com/central-glass-to-produce-speciality-glass/|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080113857|title=High Strain-Point Glass Composition for Substrate|access-date=2020-10-31|archive-date=2023-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013644/https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080113857|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US6998578|title=Baking system for plasma display panel and layout method for said system|access-date=2020-10-31|archive-date=2023-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013712/https://patents.google.com/patent/US6998578|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Duisit, G., Gaume, O., & El Khiati, N. (2003). 23.4: High Strain Point Glass with Improved Chemical Stability and Mechanical Properties for FPDs. SID Symposium Digest of Technical Papers, 34(1), 905. doi:10.1889/1.1832431</ref>
]


Until the early 2000s, plasma displays were the most popular choice for ] ] as they had many benefits over LCDs. Beyond plasma's deeper blacks, increased contrast, faster response time, greater color spectrum, and wider viewing angle; they were also much bigger than LCDs, and it was believed that LCDs were suited only to smaller sized televisions. Plasma had overtaken rear-projection systems in 2005.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105204008/http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=169300184 |date=2010-01-05 }} ''EETimes'', 17 August 2005</ref>
]

]
However, improvements in LCD fabrication narrowed the technological gap. The increased size, lower weight, falling prices, and often lower electrical power consumption of LCDs made them competitive with plasma television sets. In 2006, LCD prices started to fall rapidly and their screen sizes increased, although plasma televisions maintained a slight edge in picture quality and a price advantage for sets at the critical 42" size and larger. By late 2006, several vendors were offering 42" LCDs, albeit at a premium price, encroaching upon plasma's only stronghold. More decisively, LCDs offered higher resolutions and true ] support, while plasmas were stuck at ], which made up for the price difference.<ref name="shift">Reuters, , ''MSNBC'', 27 November 2006</ref>
]

]
In late 2006, analysts noted that LCDs had overtaken plasmas, particularly in the {{convert|40|in|cm|adj=on}} and above segment where plasma had previously gained market share.<ref>, ''MSNBC'', November 27, 2006, retrieved 2007-08-12.</ref> Another industry trend was the consolidation of plasma display manufacturers, with around 50 brands available but only five manufacturers. In the first quarter of 2008, a comparison of worldwide TV sales broke down to 22.1 million for direct-view CRT, 21.1 million for LCD, 2.8 million for plasma, and 0.1 million for rear projection.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522001447/http://www.digitalhome.ca/content/view/2538/206/|date=2009-05-22}}, ''Digital Home'', 21 May 2008, retrieved 2008-06-13.</ref>
]

]
When the sales figures for the 2007 Christmas season were finally tallied, analysts were surprised to find that not only had LCD outsold plasma, but CRTs as well, during the same period.<ref name=outship>{{cite news |first=Wolfgang |last=Gruener |url=http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/36119/118/ |title=LCD TVs outship CRT TVs for the first time |work=TG Daily |date=19 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226094529/http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/36119/118/ |archive-date=26 February 2008}}</ref> This development drove competing large-screen systems from the market almost overnight. The February 2009 announcement that ] was ending production of plasma screens was widely considered the tipping point in the technology's history as well.<ref>Jose Fermoso, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716015143/http://newteevee.com/2009/02/21/pioneers-kuro-killing-a-tipping-point-in-the-plasma-era/ |date=2010-07-16 }}, newteevee.com, 21 February 2009</ref>

Screen sizes have increased since the introduction of plasma displays. The largest plasma video display in the world at the 2008 ] in ], ], was a {{convert|150|in|cm|adj=on}} unit manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) standing {{convert|6|ft|cm|abbr=on}} tall by {{convert|11|ft|cm|abbr=on}} wide.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925043555/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/6ft-by-150-inches--and-thats-just-the-tv-768862.html |date=2015-09-25 }}, ''The Independent'', 8 January 2008, retrieved 2009-01-29.</ref><ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211002943/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2246186,00.asp |date=2017-02-11 }}</ref>

=== 2010s ===

At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic introduced their 152" 2160p 3D plasma. In 2010, Panasonic shipped 19.1 million plasma TV panels.<ref name=post>{{cite news |title=Panasonic celebrates higher plasma TV sales for 2010, sets prices for 2011 |work=EnGadget |date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/03/01/panasonic-celebrates-higher-plasma-tv-sales-for-2010-sets-pric/ |access-date=September 8, 2017 |archive-date=July 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703050711/https://www.engadget.com/2011/03/01/panasonic-celebrates-higher-plasma-tv-sales-for-2010-sets-pric/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, the shipments of plasma TVs reached 18.2 million units globally.<ref name="st2011-09-12"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013185757/http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/lcd-tv-market-larger-plasma-201102201032.htm |date=2011-10-13 }}, 20 February 2011, Jonathan Sutton, hdtvtest.co.uk, retrieved at September 12, 2011</ref> Since that time, shipments of plasma TVs have declined substantially. This decline has been attributed to the competition from liquid crystal (LCD) televisions, whose prices have fallen more rapidly than those of the plasma TVs.<ref>{{cite news |title=LCD TV Growth Improving, As Plasma and CRT TV Disappear, According to NPD DisplaySearch |date=April 16, 2014 |work=PRWeb |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/lcd_tv_growth_improving_as_plasma_and_crt_tv_disappear_according_to_npd_displaysearch/prweb11768569.htm |quote=Of course, the growth of LCD comes at the expense of plasma and CRT TV shipments, which are forecast to fall 48 percent and 50 percent, respectively, in 2014. In fact, both technologies will all but disappear by the end of 2015, as manufacturers cut production of both technologies in order to focus on LCD, which has become more competitive from a cost standpoint. |access-date=August 31, 2014 |archive-date=September 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904005315/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/04/prweb11768569.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In late 2013, Panasonic announced that they would stop producing plasma TVs from March 2014 onwards.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57610230-221/tv-shoppers-now-is-the-time-to-buy-a-panasonic-plasma |title=TV shoppers: Now is the time to buy a Panasonic plasma |newspaper=CNET |date=October 31, 2013 |access-date=November 3, 2013 |archive-date=November 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104011846/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57610230-221/tv-shoppers-now-is-the-time-to-buy-a-panasonic-plasma/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, LG and Samsung discontinued plasma TV production as well,<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471112,00.asp| title=With LG Out, Plasma HDTVs Are Dead| author=Will Greenwald| date=October 28, 2014| website=]| access-date=September 8, 2017| archive-date=February 23, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223024610/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471112,00.asp| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-reportedly-ending-plasma-tv-production/| title=Samsung to end plasma TV production this year| author=David Katzmaier| date=July 2, 2014| website=]| access-date=February 18, 2020| archive-date=April 27, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427202633/https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-reportedly-ending-plasma-tv-production/| url-status=live}}</ref> effectively killing the technology, probably because of lowering demand.

== Design ==
]es such as the ones shown here are confined to millions of tiny individual compartments across the face of a plasma display, to collectively form a visual image.]]
]

A panel of a plasma display typically comprises millions of tiny compartments in between two panels of glass. These compartments, or "bulbs" or "cells", hold a mixture of ] and a minuscule amount of another gas (e.g., mercury vapor). Just as in the fluorescent lamps over an office desk, when a high voltage is applied across the cell, the gas in the cells forms a ]. With flow of electricity (]s), some of the electrons strike mercury particles as the electrons move through the plasma, momentarily increasing the energy level of the atom until the excess energy is shed. Mercury sheds the energy as ultraviolet (UV) photons. The UV photons then strike phosphor that is painted on the inside of the cell. When the UV photon strikes a phosphor molecule, it momentarily raises the energy level of an outer orbit electron in the phosphor molecule, moving the electron from a stable to an unstable state; the electron then sheds the excess energy as a photon at a lower energy level than UV light; the lower energy photons are mostly in the infrared range but about 40% are in the visible light range. Thus the input energy is converted to mostly infrared but also as visible light. The screen heats up to between {{convert|30|and|41|C}} during operation. Depending on the phosphors used, different colors of visible light can be achieved. Each pixel in a plasma display is made up of three cells comprising the primary colors of visible light. Varying the voltage of the signals to the cells thus allows different perceived colors.

The long ]s are stripes of electrically conducting material that also lies between the glass plates in front of and behind the cells. The "address electrodes" sit behind the cells, along the rear glass plate, and can be opaque. The transparent display electrodes are mounted in front of the cell, along the front glass plate. As can be seen in the illustration, the electrodes are covered by an insulating protective layer.<ref name=Weber>{{cite journal |last=Weber |first=Larry F. |quote=All plasma TVs on the market today have the same features that were demonstrated in the first plasma display which was a device with only a single cell. These features include alternating sustain voltage, dielectric layer, wall charge, and a neon-based gas mixture. |author-link=Larry F. Weber |journal=IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science |volume=34 |issue=2 |date=April 2006 |pages=268–278 |doi=10.1109/TPS.2006.872440 |title=History of the plasma display panel |bibcode=2006ITPS...34..268W|s2cid=20290119 }} Paid access.</ref><!--Understanding why this doesn't prevent electrical currents from flowing into the cell requires that the reader understand AC coupling. Most will not.--> A magnesium oxide layer may be present to protect the dielectric layer and to emit secondary electrons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US8269419B2/en|title=Plasma display panel having an MGO crystal layer for improved discharge characteristics and method of manufacturing same|date=15 July 2011 |access-date=2020-11-01|archive-date=2023-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013121/https://patents.google.com/patent/US8269419B2/en|url-status=live |last1=Naoi |first1=Taro |last2=Lin |first2=Hai |last3=Otani |first3=Eishiro |last4=Ito |first4=Hiroshi |last5=Corp |first5=Panasonic }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US7977883|title=Plasma display panel comprising magnesium oxide protective layer|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-date=2023-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013152/https://patents.google.com/patent/US7977883|url-status=live}}</ref>

Control circuitry charges the electrodes that cross paths at a cell, creating a ] difference between front and back. Some of the atoms in the gas of a cell then lose electrons and become ]ized, which creates an electrically conducting ] of atoms, free electrons, and ions. The collisions of the flowing electrons in the plasma with the inert gas atoms leads to light emission; such light-emitting plasmas are known as ]s.<ref name=Myers>{{cite book |title=Display interfaces: fundamentals and standards |last1=Myers |first1=Robert L. |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |year=2002 |pages=69–71 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ilHvFwoAZDMC&pg=PA69 |isbn=978-0-471-49946-6 |quote=Plasma displays are closely related to the simple neon lamp. |access-date=2016-10-16 |archive-date=2024-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128033010/https://books.google.com/books?id=ilHvFwoAZDMC&pg=PA69 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How Plasma Displays Work |date=19 March 2002 |publisher=] |url=http://www.howstuffworks.com/plasma-display.htm |access-date=18 June 2009 |archive-date=16 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616213845/http://www.howstuffworks.com/plasma-display.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I9O1K20-uo4C |title=Phosphor handbook |last1=Yen |first1=William M. |first2=Shigeo |last2=Shionoya |first3=Hajime |last3=Yamamoto |year=2007 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-8493-3564-8}}</ref>

]

In a monochrome plasma panel, the gas is mostly neon, and the color is the characteristic orange of a ] (or ]). Once a glow discharge has been initiated in a cell, it can be maintained by applying a low-level voltage between all the horizontal and vertical electrodes–even after the ionizing voltage is removed. To erase a cell all voltage is removed from a pair of electrodes. This type of panel has inherent memory. A small amount of nitrogen is added to the neon to increase ] and thus help with the memory effect.<ref name="auto1"/> Plasma panels may be built without nitrogen gas, using xenon, neon, argon, and helium instead with mercury being used in some early displays.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TCdKAQAAIAAJ&q=plasma+display+xenon|title=Information Display|date=September 21, 2008|publisher=Society for Information Display|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mdy2w-EWqEAC&dq=plasma+display+neon&pg=PA119|title=Handbook of Display Technology|first=Joseph A.|last=Castellano|date=December 2, 2012|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-08-091724-5 |via=Google Books}}</ref> In color panels, the back of each cell is coated with a ]. The ] photons emitted by the plasma excite these phosphors, which give off visible light with colors determined by the phosphor materials. This aspect is comparable to ]s and to the ]s that use colored phosphors.

Every ] is made up of three separate subpixel cells, each with different colored phosphors. One subpixel has a red light phosphor, one subpixel has a green light phosphor and one subpixel has a blue light phosphor. These colors blend together to create the overall color of the pixel, the same as a ] of a ] CRT or color LCD. Plasma panels use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control brightness: by varying the pulses of current flowing through the different cells thousands of times per second, the control system can increase or decrease the intensity of each subpixel color to create billions of different combinations of red, green and blue. In this way, the control system can produce most of the visible colors. Plasma displays use the same phosphors as CRTs, which accounts for the extremely accurate color reproduction when viewing television or computer video images (which use an RGB color system designed for CRT displays).

To produce light, the cells need to be driven at a relatively high voltage (~300 volts) and the pressure of the gases inside the cell needs to be low (~500 torr).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US6087284|title=Aluminosilicate glass for flat display devices|access-date=2020-10-31|archive-date=2023-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013313/https://patents.google.com/patent/US6087284|url-status=live}}</ref>

Plasma displays have a wide color ] and can be produced in fairly large sizes—up to {{convert|3.8|m|in}} diagonally. They had a very low luminance "dark-room" black level compared with the lighter grey of the unilluminated parts of an ] screen. (As plasma panels are locally lit and do not require a back light, blacks are blacker on plasma and grayer on LCDs.)<ref>HDGuru.com – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910223630/http://hdguru.com/choosing-the-hdtv-that%E2%80%99s-right-for-you/603/ |date=2016-09-10 }}</ref> ]s have been developed to reduce this distinction. The display panel itself is about {{convert|6|cm|inch|abbr=on}} thick, generally allowing the device's total thickness (including electronics) to be less than {{convert|10|cm|inch|abbr=on}}. Power consumption varies greatly with picture content, with bright scenes drawing significantly more power than darker ones – this is also true for CRTs as well as modern LCDs where LED backlight brightness is adjusted dynamically. The plasma that illuminates the screen can reach a temperature of at least {{convert|1200|°C|°F|abbr=on}}. Typical power consumption is 400 watts for a {{convert|127|cm|in|abbr=on}} screen. Most screens are set to "vivid" mode by default in the factory (which maximizes the brightness and raises the contrast so the image on the screen looks good under the extremely bright lights that are common in big box stores), which draws at least twice the power (around 500–700 watts) of a "home" setting of less extreme brightness.<ref>PlasmaTelevisions.org – </ref> The lifetime of the latest{{As of?|reason="Latest" as of when? They're no longer manufactured, and cited ref isn't dated.|date=June 2023}} generation of plasma displays is estimated at 100,000 hours (11 years) of actual display time, or 27 years at 10 hours per day. This is the estimated time over which maximum picture brightness degrades to half the original value.<ref name=PDPlife>PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214165959/http://plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-lifespan.html |date=2016-02-14 }}</ref>

Plasma screens are made out of glass, which may result in glare on the screen from nearby light sources. Plasma display panels cannot be economically manufactured in screen sizes smaller than {{convert|82|cm|in}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2007/10/22/lg_32in_plasma/|title=LG launches 'world's smallest' plasma TV|first=Tony|last=Smith|website=www.theregister.com|access-date=2020-12-24|archive-date=2021-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304160517/https://www.theregister.com/2007/10/22/lg_32in_plasma/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/review-vizio-vp322-the-worlds-smallest-plasma/|title=Review: Vizio VP322, the world's smallest plasma|website=CNET|access-date=2023-06-19|archive-date=2023-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619141705/https://www.cnet.com/culture/review-vizio-vp322-the-worlds-smallest-plasma/|url-status=live}}</ref> Although a few companies have been able to make plasma ]s (EDTV) this small, even fewer have made 32-inch (81-cm) plasma ]s. With the trend toward ], the 32-inch (81-cm) screen size was rapidly disappearing by mid-2009. Though considered bulky and thick compared with their LCD counterparts, some sets such as ]'s Z1 and ]'s B860 series are as slim as {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} thick making them comparable to LCDs in this respect. Plasma displays are generally heavier than LCD and may require more careful handling, such as being kept upright.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Plasma displays use more electrical power, on average, than an LCD TV using a LED backlight. Older CCFL backlights for LCD panels used quite a bit more power, and older plasma TVs used quite a bit more power than recent models.<ref>{{cite web|title=LCD vs Plasma TVs|url=http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv-and-dvd/guides/lcd-vs-plasma-tvs/lcd-tv/|publisher=Which?|access-date=26 October 2011|archive-date=15 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415112308/http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv-and-dvd/guides/lcd-vs-plasma-tvs/lcd-tv|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=CNET2> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407134921/https://www.cnet.com/news/led-lcd-vs-plasma-vs-lcd/ |date=2020-04-07 }}, 2013</ref>

Plasma displays do not work as well at high altitudes above {{convert|6,500|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}<ref name=altitude/> due to pressure differential between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude. It may cause a buzzing noise. Manufacturers rate their screens to indicate the altitude parameters.<ref name=altitude> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219164512/http://plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-altitude.html |date=2016-02-19 }}, 2012</ref>

For those who wish to listen to ], or are ] operators (hams) or shortwave listeners (SWL), the ] (RFI) from these devices can be irritating or disabling.<ref name=RFI>{{cite web|url=http://www.eham.net/articles/4285|title=Plasma TV &ndash; Mother of All RFI Producers|website=www.eham.net|access-date=2010-01-04|archive-date=2018-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929071031/https://www.eham.net/articles/4285|url-status=live}}</ref>

In their heyday, they were less expensive for the buyer per square inch than LCD, particularly when considering equivalent performance.<ref name=startribune>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/172856161.html|title=Sound Advice: Plasma TV sets are better, cheaper|website=]|access-date=2014-09-30|archive-date=2014-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006153058/http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/172856161.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Plasma displays have wider viewing angles than those of LCD; images do not suffer from degradation at less than straight ahead angles like LCDs. LCDs using IPS technology have the widest angles, but they do not equal the range of plasma primarily due to "IPS glow", a generally whitish haze that appears due to the nature of the IPS pixel design.<ref name=PDP2>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123021832/http://www.cnet.com.au/plasma-vs-lcd-which-is-right-for-you-240036500.htm |date=2014-01-23 }}</ref><ref name=PDP1/>

Plasma displays have less visible ], thanks in large part to very high ]s and a faster ], contributing to superior performance when displaying content with significant amounts of rapid motion such as auto racing, hockey, baseball, etc.<ref name=PDP2/><ref name=PDP1/><ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013105/https://books.google.com/books?id=mM2DIfPvwrsC&dq=plasma+display+vs+LCD+vs+CRT&pg=PA70 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref><ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413012814/https://books.google.com/books?id=DSHSqWQXm3oC&dq=plasma+display+vs+LCD+vs+CRT&pg=PA388 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref>

Plasma displays have superior uniformity to LCD panel backlights, which nearly always produce uneven brightness levels, although this is not always noticeable. High-end computer monitors have technologies to try to compensate for the uniformity problem.<ref name=CNET>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/a-plasma-lovers-guide-to-led-lcd/|title=A plasma lover's guide to LED LCD|website=CNET|access-date=2023-06-19|archive-date=2023-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619141706/https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/a-plasma-lovers-guide-to-led-lcd/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=tftcentral>{{cite web|url=http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u3014.htm|title=Dell U3014 Review - TFT Central|website=www.tftcentral.co.uk|access-date=2014-09-30|archive-date=2017-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214175212/http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u3014.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Contrast ratio ===

] is the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image, measured in discrete steps, at any given moment. Generally, the higher the contrast ratio, the more realistic the image is (though the "realism" of an image depends on many factors including color accuracy, luminance linearity, and spatial linearity). Contrast ratios for plasma displays are often advertised as high as 5,000,000:1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panasonic.net/avc/viera/us2010/product/comparison_plasma.html|title=Official Panasonic Store - Research and Buy Cameras, Headphones, Appliances, Shavers, Beauty products, and More|website=www.panasonic.net|access-date=2010-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002124729/http://www.panasonic.net/avc/viera/us2010/product/comparison_plasma.html|archive-date=2011-10-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the surface, this is a significant advantage of plasma over most other current display technologies, a notable exception being ]. Although there are no industry-wide guidelines for reporting contrast ratio, most manufacturers follow either the ANSI standard or perform a full-on-full-off test. The ANSI standard uses a checkered test pattern whereby the darkest blacks and the lightest whites are simultaneously measured, yielding the most accurate "real-world" ratings. In contrast, a full-on-full-off test measures the ratio using a pure black screen and a pure white screen, which gives higher values but does not represent a typical viewing scenario. Some displays, using many different technologies, have some "leakage" of light, through either optical or electronic means, from lit pixels to adjacent pixels so that dark pixels that are near bright ones appear less dark than they do during a full-off display. Manufacturers can further artificially improve the reported contrast ratio by increasing the contrast and brightness settings to achieve the highest test values. However, a contrast ratio generated by this method is misleading, as content would be essentially unwatchable at such settings.<ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013313/https://books.google.com/books?id=oM2mWjnIVjcC&dq=plasma+display+Contrast+ratio&pg=PA21 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref><ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013313/https://books.google.com/books?id=pPMursVsxlMC&dq=plasma+display+Contrast+ratio&pg=PA768 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref><ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013313/https://books.google.com/books?id=jykvlTCoksMC&dq=plasma+display+Contrast+ratio&pg=PT191 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref>

Each cell on a plasma display must be precharged before it is lit, otherwise the cell would not respond quickly enough. Precharging normally increases power consumption, so energy recovery mechanisms may be in place to avoid an increase in power consumption.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/KR100907390B1/en|title=Plasma display device|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-date=2021-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024161759/https://patents.google.com/patent/KR100907390B1/en|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4247854|title=Gas panel with improved circuit for display operation|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-date=2021-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024161759/https://patents.google.com/patent/US4247854|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US8138993B2/en|title=Control of a plasma display panel|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-date=2021-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024161801/https://patents.google.com/patent/US8138993B2/en|url-status=live}}</ref> This precharging means the cells cannot achieve a true black,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/replacing-the-crt-iii|title = Replacing the CRT III|date = 2 November 2008|access-date = 1 November 2020|archive-date = 2 December 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160320/https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/replacing-the-crt-iii|url-status = live}}</ref> whereas an LED backlit LCD panel can actually turn off parts of the backlight, in "spots" or "patches" (this technique, however, does not prevent the large accumulated passive light of adjacent lamps, and the reflection media, from returning values from within the panel). Some manufacturers have reduced the precharge and the associated background glow, to the point where black levels on modern plasmas are starting to become close to some high-end CRTs Sony and Mitsubishi produced ten years before the comparable plasma displays. With an LCD, black pixels are generated by a light polarization method; many panels are unable to completely block the underlying backlight. More recent LCD panels using ] illumination can automatically reduce the backlighting on darker scenes, though this method cannot be used in high-contrast scenes, leaving some light showing from black parts of an image with bright parts, such as (at the extreme) a solid black screen with one fine intense bright line. This is called a "halo" effect which has been minimized on newer LED-backlit LCDs with local dimming. Edgelit models cannot compete with this as the light is reflected via a light guide to distribute the light behind the panel.<ref name=PDP2/><ref name=PDP1/><ref name=PDP3/>

Plasma displays are capable of producing deeper blacks than LCD allowing for a superior contrast ratio.<ref name=PDP2/><ref name=PDP1>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html|title=LED-LCD vs. Plasma|website=Crutchfield|access-date=2023-06-19|archive-date=2021-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531091601/https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=PDP3>HomeTheaterMag.com – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907125218/http://www.hometheatermag.com/advicefromtheexperts/407plasmavlcd/ |date=2009-09-07 }}</ref>

Earlier generation displays (circa 2006 and prior) had phosphors that lost luminosity over time, resulting in gradual decline of absolute image brightness. Newer models have advertised lifespans exceeding 100,000 hours (11 years), far longer than older ]s.<ref name=PDPlife/><ref name=PDP3/>

=== Screen burn-in ===
{{Main|Screen burn-in}}
]

Image burn-in occurs on CRTs and plasma panels when the same picture is displayed for long periods. This causes the phosphors to overheat, losing some of their luminosity and producing a "shadow" image that is visible with the power off. Burn-in is especially a problem on plasma panels because they run hotter than CRTs. Early plasma televisions were plagued by burn-in, making it impossible to use video games or anything else that displayed static images.

Plasma displays also exhibit another image retention issue which is sometimes confused with ] damage. In this mode, when a group of pixels are run at high brightness (when displaying white, for example) for an extended period, a charge build-up in the ] structure occurs and a ghost image can be seen. However, unlike burn-in, this charge build-up is transient and self-corrects after the image condition that caused the effect has been removed and a long enough period has passed (with the display either off or on).

Plasma manufacturers have tried various ways of reducing burn-in such as using gray pillarboxes, pixel orbiters and image washing routines. Recent models have a pixel orbiter that moves the entire picture slower than is noticeable to the human eye, which reduces the effect of burn-in but does not prevent it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebestplasmatv.com/guides/features/|title=Pixel Orbiter|access-date=2010-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718085218/http://www.thebestplasmatv.com/guides/features/|archive-date=2012-07-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> None to date have eliminated the problem and all plasma manufacturers continue to exclude burn-in from their warranties.<ref name=PDP3/><ref name=PDPburin>PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516162927/http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-burnin.html |date=2019-05-16 }}</ref>

=== Screen resolution ===
{{Further|Native resolution}}

Fixed-pixel displays such as plasma TVs scale the video image of each incoming signal to the ] of the display panel. The most common native resolutions for plasma display panels are 852×480 (]), 1,366×768 and 1920×1080 (]). As a result, picture quality varies depending on the performance of the ] and the upscaling and downscaling algorithms used by each display manufacturer.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104203741/http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/3-plasmahdtv.html |date=2016-01-04 }}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125012120/http://www.afterdawn.com/glossary/terms/native_resolution.cfm |date=2010-01-25 }}</ref>

Early plasma televisions were ] (ED) with a native resolution of 840×480 (discontinued) or ] and down-scaled their incoming ] signals to match their native display resolutions.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219175712/http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-highdefinition.html |date=2016-02-19 }}</ref>

The following ED resolutions were common prior to the introduction of HD displays, but have long been phased out in favor of HD displays, as well as because the overall pixel count in ED displays is lower than the pixel count on SD PAL displays (852×480 vs 720×576, respectively).

* 840×480p
* 852×480p

Early high-definition (HD) plasma displays had a resolution of ] and were ] (ALiS) panels made by ] and ].<ref>] – {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422211331/http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/technosaurus/0,139101668,49286238,00.htm |date=2010-04-22 }}</ref><ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013134/https://books.google.com/books?id=90GZPA-hCuMC&dq=Alternate+LIghting+of+Surfaces&pg=PA170 |date=2023-04-13 }}</ref> These were interlaced displays, with non-square pixels.<ref>PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219101051/http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/resolution-explained.html |date=2016-02-19 }}</ref>

Later HDTV plasma televisions usually have a resolution of ] found on many 42-inch (107-cm) plasma screens, ] and ] found on 50&nbsp;in, 60&nbsp;in, and 65&nbsp;in plasma screens, or ] found on plasma screen sizes from 42 to 103&nbsp;inches (107-262&nbsp;cm). These displays are usually progressive displays, with non-square pixels, and will up-scale and de-interlace their incoming ] signals to match their native display resolutions. 1024×768 resolution requires that 720p content be downscaled in one direction and upscaled in the other.<ref>] – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083323/http://hometheater.about.com/cs/television/f/aaplasmafaq5.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref><ref>Practical Home Theater Guide – {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220051017/http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/plasma-tv-faqs.html |date=2016-12-20 }}</ref>

== Notable manufacturers==

* ] (only produced panels<ref name="news.google.com">{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3EZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6111,5949387|title=Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=2023-06-19|archive-date=2023-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413013905/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3EZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6111%2C5949387|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (only produced panels <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/chunghwa-picture-tubes-ltd|title=Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.|website=www.encyclopedia.com|access-date=2020-01-12|archive-date=2020-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112151059/https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/chunghwa-picture-tubes-ltd|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (only produced panels<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB105480033042913200|title=Formosa Plastics Enters Plasma-Display Market|first=Jason |last=Dean|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=June 5, 2003|via=www.wsj.com|access-date=January 12, 2020|archive-date=January 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112151101/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB105480033042913200|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (produced panels<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203806504577178380492348626|title=Hitachi to Shut Its Last TV Factory|first=Juro|last=Osawa|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=January 23, 2012|via=www.wsj.com|access-date=January 4, 2020|archive-date=November 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108103533/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203806504577178380492348626|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (produced panels<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/television/lg-shuts-plasma-tv-plant-171929|title=LG shuts plasma TV plant|first=Rob|last=Mead|website=TechRadar|date=20 May 2007|access-date=2020-01-05|archive-date=2020-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508020645/https://www.techradar.com/news/television/lg-shuts-plasma-tv-plant-171929|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (produced panels<ref name=Hiltzik2014/><ref name="auto2"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-televisions-idUSBRE9980IO20131009|title=In Panasonic's plasma exit, Japan's TV makers come to terms with defeat|newspaper=Reuters|date=9 October 2013|via=mobile.reuters.com|access-date=4 January 2020|archive-date=5 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305112043/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-televisions-idUSBRE9980IO20131009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/12/23/business/panasonic-completes-amagasaki-pdp-plant/|title=Panasonic completes Amagasaki PDP plant|date=December 23, 2009|via=Japan Times Online|access-date=January 4, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508194944/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/12/23/business/panasonic-completes-amagasaki-pdp-plant/|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (produced panels<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/2303605/pioneer-puts-new-pdp-factory-on-hold-after-poor-sales.amp.html|title=Pioneer puts new PDP factory on hold after poor sales|website=www.networkworld.com|access-date=2020-01-04|archive-date=2020-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508020644/https://www.networkworld.com/article/2303605/pioneer-puts-new-pdp-factory-on-hold-after-poor-sales.amp.html|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (produced panels<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whathifi.com/amp/news/samsung-korea-you-think-thats-big-tv-factory-big-tv-factory|title=You think that's a big TV factory? This is a big TV factory... |website=www.whathifi.com|date=4 December 2008|access-date=4 January 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508020646/https://www.whathifi.com/amp/news/samsung-korea-you-think-thats-big-tv-factory-big-tv-factory|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* ] (produced panels<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.geek.com/consumer/toshiba-phases-out-plasma-displays-554831/|title=Toshiba phases out plasma displays|date=December 28, 2004}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>)

== Environmental impact ==

Plasma screens use significantly more energy than CRT and LCD screens.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6188940.stm|title=Do flat-screen TVs eat more energy?|website=news.bbc.co.uk|date=7 December 2006|access-date=31 May 2009|archive-date=16 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216220731/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6188940.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==

* {{annotated link|History of display technology}}
* {{annotated link|Plasmatron}}
* {{annotated link|Large-screen television technology}}
* {{annotated link|Comparison of CRT, LCD, Plasma, and OLED}}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Plasma displays}}
{{Prone to spam|date=April 2022}}
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* ' by Jamie Hutchinson, Electrical and Computer Engineering Alumni News, Winter 2002–2003 (via archive.org)
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* Home Theater Geeks – (audio podcast)

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Latest revision as of 10:41, 25 December 2024

Type of flat-panel display
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (August 2024)
Panasonic plasma TV of the last generation. 55 inch (140 cm). Middle class ST60 series (2013).

A plasma display panel is a type of flat-panel display that uses small cells containing plasma: ionized gas that responds to electric fields. Plasma televisions were the first large (over 32 inches/81 cm diagonal) flat-panel displays to be released to the public.

Until about 2007, plasma displays were commonly used in large televisions. By 2013, they had lost nearly all market share due to competition from low-cost liquid crystal displays (LCD)s. Manufacturing of plasma displays for the United States retail market ended in 2014, and manufacturing for the Chinese market ended in 2016. Plasma displays are obsolete, having been superseded in most if not all aspects by OLED displays.

Competing display technologies include cathode-ray tube (CRT), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), CRT projectors, AMLCD, Digital Light Processing DLP, SED-tv, LED display, field emission display (FED), and quantum dot display (QLED).

History

Early development

Plasma displays were first used in PLATO computer terminals. This PLATO V model illustrates the display's monochromatic orange glow seen in 1981.

Kálmán Tihanyi, a Hungarian engineer, described a proposed flat-panel plasma display system in a 1936 paper.

The first practical plasma video display was co-invented in 1964 at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign by Donald Bitzer, H. Gene Slottow, and graduate student Robert Willson for the PLATO computer system. The goal was to create a display that had inherent memory to reduce the cost of the terminals. The original neon orange monochrome Digivue display panels built by glass producer Owens-Illinois were very popular in the early 1970s because they were rugged and needed neither memory nor circuitry to refresh the images. A long period of sales decline occurred in the late 1970s because semiconductor memory made CRT displays cheaper than the $2500 USD 512 × 512 PLATO plasma displays. Nevertheless, the plasma displays' relatively large screen size and 1 inch (25.4 mm) thickness made them suitable for high-profile placement in lobbies and stock exchanges.

Burroughs Corporation, a maker of adding machines and computers, developed the Panaplex display in the early 1970s. The Panaplex display, generically referred to as a gas-discharge or gas-plasma display, uses the same technology as later plasma video displays, but began life as a seven-segment display for use in adding machines. They became popular for their bright orange luminous look and found nearly ubiquitous use throughout the late 1970s and into the 1990s in cash registers, calculators, pinball machines, aircraft avionics such as radios, navigational instruments, and stormscopes; test equipment such as frequency counters and multimeters; and generally anything that previously used nixie tube or numitron displays with a high digit-count. These displays were eventually replaced by LEDs because of their low current-draw and module-flexibility, but are still found in some applications where their high brightness is desired, such as pinball machines and avionics.

1980s

Toshiba T3100 plasma screen close-up

In 1983, IBM introduced a 19-inch (48 cm) orange-on-black monochrome display (Model 3290 Information Panel) which was able to show up to four simultaneous IBM 3270 terminal sessions. By the end of the decade, orange monochrome plasma displays were used in a number of high-end AC-powered portable computers, such as the Ericsson Portable PC (the first use of such a display in 1985), the Compaq Portable 386 (1987) and the IBM P75 (1990). Plasma displays had a better contrast ratio, viewability angle, and less motion blur than the LCDs that were available at the time, and were used until the introduction of active-matrix color LCD displays in 1992.

Due to heavy competition from monochrome LCDs used in laptops and the high costs of plasma display technology, in 1987 IBM planned to shut down its factory in Kingston, New York, the largest plasma plant in the world, in favor of manufacturing mainframe computers, which would have left development to Japanese companies. Dr. Larry F. Weber, a University of Illinois ECE PhD (in plasma display research) and staff scientist working at CERL (home of the PLATO System), co-founded Plasmaco with Stephen Globus and IBM plant manager James Kehoe, and bought the plant from IBM for US$50,000. Weber stayed in Urbana as CTO until 1990, then moved to upstate New York to work at Plasmaco.

1990s

In 1992, Fujitsu introduced the world's first 21-inch (53 cm) full-color display. It was based on technology created at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories.

In 1994, Weber demonstrated a color plasma display at an industry convention in San Jose. Panasonic Corporation began a joint development project with Plasmaco, which led in 1996 to the purchase of Plasmaco, its color AC technology, and its American factory for US$26 million.

In 1995, Fujitsu introduced the first 42-inch (107 cm) plasma display panel; it had 852×480 resolution and was progressively scanned. Two years later, Philips introduced at CES and CeBIT the first large commercially available flat-panel TV, using the Fujitsu panels. Philips had plans to sell it for 70,000 french francs. It was released as the Philips 42PW9962. It was available at four Sears locations in the US for $14,999, including in-home installation. Pioneer and Fujitsu also began selling plasma televisions that year, and other manufacturers followed. By the year 2000 prices had dropped to $10,000.

2000s

Plasma displays became 75% thinner between 2006 and 2011.

In the year 2000, the first 60-inch (152-cm) plasma display was developed by Plasmaco. Panasonic was also reported to have developed a process to make plasma displays using ordinary window glass instead of the much more expensive "high strain point" glass. High strain point glass is made similarly to conventional float glass, but it is more heat resistant, deforming at higher temperatures. High strain point glass is normally necessary because plasma displays have to be baked during manufacture to dry the rare-earth phosphors after they are applied to the display. However, high strain point glass may be less scratch resistant.

Until the early 2000s, plasma displays were the most popular choice for HDTV flat-panel display as they had many benefits over LCDs. Beyond plasma's deeper blacks, increased contrast, faster response time, greater color spectrum, and wider viewing angle; they were also much bigger than LCDs, and it was believed that LCDs were suited only to smaller sized televisions. Plasma had overtaken rear-projection systems in 2005.

However, improvements in LCD fabrication narrowed the technological gap. The increased size, lower weight, falling prices, and often lower electrical power consumption of LCDs made them competitive with plasma television sets. In 2006, LCD prices started to fall rapidly and their screen sizes increased, although plasma televisions maintained a slight edge in picture quality and a price advantage for sets at the critical 42" size and larger. By late 2006, several vendors were offering 42" LCDs, albeit at a premium price, encroaching upon plasma's only stronghold. More decisively, LCDs offered higher resolutions and true 1080p support, while plasmas were stuck at 720p, which made up for the price difference.

In late 2006, analysts noted that LCDs had overtaken plasmas, particularly in the 40-inch (100 cm) and above segment where plasma had previously gained market share. Another industry trend was the consolidation of plasma display manufacturers, with around 50 brands available but only five manufacturers. In the first quarter of 2008, a comparison of worldwide TV sales broke down to 22.1 million for direct-view CRT, 21.1 million for LCD, 2.8 million for plasma, and 0.1 million for rear projection.

When the sales figures for the 2007 Christmas season were finally tallied, analysts were surprised to find that not only had LCD outsold plasma, but CRTs as well, during the same period. This development drove competing large-screen systems from the market almost overnight. The February 2009 announcement that Pioneer Electronics was ending production of plasma screens was widely considered the tipping point in the technology's history as well.

Screen sizes have increased since the introduction of plasma displays. The largest plasma video display in the world at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, was a 150-inch (380 cm) unit manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) standing 6 ft (180 cm) tall by 11 ft (340 cm) wide.

2010s

At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic introduced their 152" 2160p 3D plasma. In 2010, Panasonic shipped 19.1 million plasma TV panels.

In 2010, the shipments of plasma TVs reached 18.2 million units globally. Since that time, shipments of plasma TVs have declined substantially. This decline has been attributed to the competition from liquid crystal (LCD) televisions, whose prices have fallen more rapidly than those of the plasma TVs. In late 2013, Panasonic announced that they would stop producing plasma TVs from March 2014 onwards. In 2014, LG and Samsung discontinued plasma TV production as well, effectively killing the technology, probably because of lowering demand.

Design

Ionized gases such as the ones shown here are confined to millions of tiny individual compartments across the face of a plasma display, to collectively form a visual image.
Composition of plasma display panel

A panel of a plasma display typically comprises millions of tiny compartments in between two panels of glass. These compartments, or "bulbs" or "cells", hold a mixture of noble gases and a minuscule amount of another gas (e.g., mercury vapor). Just as in the fluorescent lamps over an office desk, when a high voltage is applied across the cell, the gas in the cells forms a plasma. With flow of electricity (electrons), some of the electrons strike mercury particles as the electrons move through the plasma, momentarily increasing the energy level of the atom until the excess energy is shed. Mercury sheds the energy as ultraviolet (UV) photons. The UV photons then strike phosphor that is painted on the inside of the cell. When the UV photon strikes a phosphor molecule, it momentarily raises the energy level of an outer orbit electron in the phosphor molecule, moving the electron from a stable to an unstable state; the electron then sheds the excess energy as a photon at a lower energy level than UV light; the lower energy photons are mostly in the infrared range but about 40% are in the visible light range. Thus the input energy is converted to mostly infrared but also as visible light. The screen heats up to between 30 and 41 °C (86 and 106 °F) during operation. Depending on the phosphors used, different colors of visible light can be achieved. Each pixel in a plasma display is made up of three cells comprising the primary colors of visible light. Varying the voltage of the signals to the cells thus allows different perceived colors.

The long electrodes are stripes of electrically conducting material that also lies between the glass plates in front of and behind the cells. The "address electrodes" sit behind the cells, along the rear glass plate, and can be opaque. The transparent display electrodes are mounted in front of the cell, along the front glass plate. As can be seen in the illustration, the electrodes are covered by an insulating protective layer. A magnesium oxide layer may be present to protect the dielectric layer and to emit secondary electrons.

Control circuitry charges the electrodes that cross paths at a cell, creating a voltage difference between front and back. Some of the atoms in the gas of a cell then lose electrons and become ionized, which creates an electrically conducting plasma of atoms, free electrons, and ions. The collisions of the flowing electrons in the plasma with the inert gas atoms leads to light emission; such light-emitting plasmas are known as glow discharges.

Relative spectral power of red, green and blue phosphors of a common plasma display. The units of spectral power are simply raw sensor values (with a linear response at specific wavelengths).

In a monochrome plasma panel, the gas is mostly neon, and the color is the characteristic orange of a neon-filled lamp (or sign). Once a glow discharge has been initiated in a cell, it can be maintained by applying a low-level voltage between all the horizontal and vertical electrodes–even after the ionizing voltage is removed. To erase a cell all voltage is removed from a pair of electrodes. This type of panel has inherent memory. A small amount of nitrogen is added to the neon to increase hysteresis and thus help with the memory effect. Plasma panels may be built without nitrogen gas, using xenon, neon, argon, and helium instead with mercury being used in some early displays. In color panels, the back of each cell is coated with a phosphor. The ultraviolet photons emitted by the plasma excite these phosphors, which give off visible light with colors determined by the phosphor materials. This aspect is comparable to fluorescent lamps and to the neon signs that use colored phosphors.

Every pixel is made up of three separate subpixel cells, each with different colored phosphors. One subpixel has a red light phosphor, one subpixel has a green light phosphor and one subpixel has a blue light phosphor. These colors blend together to create the overall color of the pixel, the same as a triad of a shadow mask CRT or color LCD. Plasma panels use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control brightness: by varying the pulses of current flowing through the different cells thousands of times per second, the control system can increase or decrease the intensity of each subpixel color to create billions of different combinations of red, green and blue. In this way, the control system can produce most of the visible colors. Plasma displays use the same phosphors as CRTs, which accounts for the extremely accurate color reproduction when viewing television or computer video images (which use an RGB color system designed for CRT displays).

To produce light, the cells need to be driven at a relatively high voltage (~300 volts) and the pressure of the gases inside the cell needs to be low (~500 torr).

Plasma displays have a wide color gamut and can be produced in fairly large sizes—up to 3.8 metres (150 in) diagonally. They had a very low luminance "dark-room" black level compared with the lighter grey of the unilluminated parts of an LCD screen. (As plasma panels are locally lit and do not require a back light, blacks are blacker on plasma and grayer on LCDs.) LED-backlit LCD televisions have been developed to reduce this distinction. The display panel itself is about 6 cm (2.4 in) thick, generally allowing the device's total thickness (including electronics) to be less than 10 cm (3.9 in). Power consumption varies greatly with picture content, with bright scenes drawing significantly more power than darker ones – this is also true for CRTs as well as modern LCDs where LED backlight brightness is adjusted dynamically. The plasma that illuminates the screen can reach a temperature of at least 1,200 °C (2,190 °F). Typical power consumption is 400 watts for a 127 cm (50 in) screen. Most screens are set to "vivid" mode by default in the factory (which maximizes the brightness and raises the contrast so the image on the screen looks good under the extremely bright lights that are common in big box stores), which draws at least twice the power (around 500–700 watts) of a "home" setting of less extreme brightness. The lifetime of the latest generation of plasma displays is estimated at 100,000 hours (11 years) of actual display time, or 27 years at 10 hours per day. This is the estimated time over which maximum picture brightness degrades to half the original value.

Plasma screens are made out of glass, which may result in glare on the screen from nearby light sources. Plasma display panels cannot be economically manufactured in screen sizes smaller than 82 centimetres (32 in). Although a few companies have been able to make plasma enhanced-definition televisions (EDTV) this small, even fewer have made 32-inch (81-cm) plasma HDTVs. With the trend toward large-screen television technology, the 32-inch (81-cm) screen size was rapidly disappearing by mid-2009. Though considered bulky and thick compared with their LCD counterparts, some sets such as Panasonic's Z1 and Samsung's B860 series are as slim as 2.5 cm (1 in) thick making them comparable to LCDs in this respect. Plasma displays are generally heavier than LCD and may require more careful handling, such as being kept upright.

Plasma displays use more electrical power, on average, than an LCD TV using a LED backlight. Older CCFL backlights for LCD panels used quite a bit more power, and older plasma TVs used quite a bit more power than recent models.

Plasma displays do not work as well at high altitudes above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) due to pressure differential between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude. It may cause a buzzing noise. Manufacturers rate their screens to indicate the altitude parameters.

For those who wish to listen to AM radio, or are amateur radio operators (hams) or shortwave listeners (SWL), the radio frequency interference (RFI) from these devices can be irritating or disabling.

In their heyday, they were less expensive for the buyer per square inch than LCD, particularly when considering equivalent performance.

Plasma displays have wider viewing angles than those of LCD; images do not suffer from degradation at less than straight ahead angles like LCDs. LCDs using IPS technology have the widest angles, but they do not equal the range of plasma primarily due to "IPS glow", a generally whitish haze that appears due to the nature of the IPS pixel design.

Plasma displays have less visible motion blur, thanks in large part to very high refresh rates and a faster response time, contributing to superior performance when displaying content with significant amounts of rapid motion such as auto racing, hockey, baseball, etc.

Plasma displays have superior uniformity to LCD panel backlights, which nearly always produce uneven brightness levels, although this is not always noticeable. High-end computer monitors have technologies to try to compensate for the uniformity problem.

Contrast ratio

Contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image, measured in discrete steps, at any given moment. Generally, the higher the contrast ratio, the more realistic the image is (though the "realism" of an image depends on many factors including color accuracy, luminance linearity, and spatial linearity). Contrast ratios for plasma displays are often advertised as high as 5,000,000:1. On the surface, this is a significant advantage of plasma over most other current display technologies, a notable exception being organic light-emitting diode. Although there are no industry-wide guidelines for reporting contrast ratio, most manufacturers follow either the ANSI standard or perform a full-on-full-off test. The ANSI standard uses a checkered test pattern whereby the darkest blacks and the lightest whites are simultaneously measured, yielding the most accurate "real-world" ratings. In contrast, a full-on-full-off test measures the ratio using a pure black screen and a pure white screen, which gives higher values but does not represent a typical viewing scenario. Some displays, using many different technologies, have some "leakage" of light, through either optical or electronic means, from lit pixels to adjacent pixels so that dark pixels that are near bright ones appear less dark than they do during a full-off display. Manufacturers can further artificially improve the reported contrast ratio by increasing the contrast and brightness settings to achieve the highest test values. However, a contrast ratio generated by this method is misleading, as content would be essentially unwatchable at such settings.

Each cell on a plasma display must be precharged before it is lit, otherwise the cell would not respond quickly enough. Precharging normally increases power consumption, so energy recovery mechanisms may be in place to avoid an increase in power consumption. This precharging means the cells cannot achieve a true black, whereas an LED backlit LCD panel can actually turn off parts of the backlight, in "spots" or "patches" (this technique, however, does not prevent the large accumulated passive light of adjacent lamps, and the reflection media, from returning values from within the panel). Some manufacturers have reduced the precharge and the associated background glow, to the point where black levels on modern plasmas are starting to become close to some high-end CRTs Sony and Mitsubishi produced ten years before the comparable plasma displays. With an LCD, black pixels are generated by a light polarization method; many panels are unable to completely block the underlying backlight. More recent LCD panels using LED illumination can automatically reduce the backlighting on darker scenes, though this method cannot be used in high-contrast scenes, leaving some light showing from black parts of an image with bright parts, such as (at the extreme) a solid black screen with one fine intense bright line. This is called a "halo" effect which has been minimized on newer LED-backlit LCDs with local dimming. Edgelit models cannot compete with this as the light is reflected via a light guide to distribute the light behind the panel.

Plasma displays are capable of producing deeper blacks than LCD allowing for a superior contrast ratio.

Earlier generation displays (circa 2006 and prior) had phosphors that lost luminosity over time, resulting in gradual decline of absolute image brightness. Newer models have advertised lifespans exceeding 100,000 hours (11 years), far longer than older CRTs.

Screen burn-in

Main article: Screen burn-in
An example of a plasma display that has suffered severe burn-in from static text

Image burn-in occurs on CRTs and plasma panels when the same picture is displayed for long periods. This causes the phosphors to overheat, losing some of their luminosity and producing a "shadow" image that is visible with the power off. Burn-in is especially a problem on plasma panels because they run hotter than CRTs. Early plasma televisions were plagued by burn-in, making it impossible to use video games or anything else that displayed static images.

Plasma displays also exhibit another image retention issue which is sometimes confused with screen burn-in damage. In this mode, when a group of pixels are run at high brightness (when displaying white, for example) for an extended period, a charge build-up in the pixel structure occurs and a ghost image can be seen. However, unlike burn-in, this charge build-up is transient and self-corrects after the image condition that caused the effect has been removed and a long enough period has passed (with the display either off or on).

Plasma manufacturers have tried various ways of reducing burn-in such as using gray pillarboxes, pixel orbiters and image washing routines. Recent models have a pixel orbiter that moves the entire picture slower than is noticeable to the human eye, which reduces the effect of burn-in but does not prevent it. None to date have eliminated the problem and all plasma manufacturers continue to exclude burn-in from their warranties.

Screen resolution

Further information: Native resolution

Fixed-pixel displays such as plasma TVs scale the video image of each incoming signal to the native resolution of the display panel. The most common native resolutions for plasma display panels are 852×480 (EDTV), 1,366×768 and 1920×1080 (HDTV). As a result, picture quality varies depending on the performance of the video scaling processor and the upscaling and downscaling algorithms used by each display manufacturer.

Early plasma televisions were enhanced-definition (ED) with a native resolution of 840×480 (discontinued) or 852×480 and down-scaled their incoming high-definition video signals to match their native display resolutions.

The following ED resolutions were common prior to the introduction of HD displays, but have long been phased out in favor of HD displays, as well as because the overall pixel count in ED displays is lower than the pixel count on SD PAL displays (852×480 vs 720×576, respectively).

  • 840×480p
  • 852×480p

Early high-definition (HD) plasma displays had a resolution of 1024x1024 and were alternate lighting of surfaces (ALiS) panels made by Fujitsu and Hitachi. These were interlaced displays, with non-square pixels.

Later HDTV plasma televisions usually have a resolution of 1,024×768 found on many 42-inch (107-cm) plasma screens, 1280×768 and 1,366×768 found on 50 in, 60 in, and 65 in plasma screens, or 1920×1080 found on plasma screen sizes from 42 to 103 inches (107-262 cm). These displays are usually progressive displays, with non-square pixels, and will up-scale and de-interlace their incoming standard-definition signals to match their native display resolutions. 1024×768 resolution requires that 720p content be downscaled in one direction and upscaled in the other.

Notable manufacturers

Environmental impact

Plasma screens use significantly more energy than CRT and LCD screens.

See also

References

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