The Sony Guide to Home Theater 21
Plasma Display Panel.
WHAT IT IS. Another flat panel technology, this contains chambers of plasma gas
for each pixel. The plasma pixels are made to glow by a network of electrodes.
Plasma is the king of the "wow factor" technologies—giant-screen televisions
currently up to 63 inches diagonal, yet svelte enough to mount on the wall, in an
armoire or on a tabletop stand. Even large plasma TVs can be as thin as 5-1/4 inches.
The picture is only part of the beauty.
BENEFITS. Because the screen brightness comes from the plasma itself, these
panels have a wide viewing angle. Plasma models have wide 16:9 aspect ratio
screens and a high enough pixel count to achieve HDTV-level resolution. Unlike
LCDs, plasma panels are broadly available in larger screen sizes. Plasma panels also
need no convergence. And they need no magnetic shielding from your loudspeakers.
LIMITATIONS. Although today's plasma panels offer excellent picture quality,
their black levels and contrast still cannot match CRTs. Unlike LCDs, plasma can be
affected by image retention and "burn in." Care needs to be taken when selecting
aspect ratio and using videogames to avoid the possibility of image retention. Plasma
panels can generate an acoustic buzz when used at high altitudes (altitude more than
6,200 feet above sea level or air pressure less than 800 hPa). This is caused by the
difference between the pressure inside the panel and the pressure outside.
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