The marketplace is filled with multiple types of High Definition Televisions (HDTV) such as LCD, Rear and Front Projection, DLP, and LCoS. The number of manufacturers is skyrocketing and new emerging technologies such as SED (surface-conduction electron-emitter display) are coming on strong. Even with all this competition, Plasma TV is still the number one choice of most experts. No other type of technology can consistently give the razor sharp resolution and outstanding brightness and color.
The Plasma flat-panel displays produce the image right at the screen, rather than coming through lights and filters in the back of the television. Since each pixel (picture element) has a red, green and blue component that acts instantaneously and independently, the lifelike color and quick image response is second to none when compared with other HDTV technologies. The Plasma sets frequently have a contrast ratio ten thousand to one, and can display an astronomical amount of colors—29 billion! Many of them have progressive scan technology which means they fill the screen in one pass, rather than in two separate passes.
Most of the higher end sets by well-known manufacturers will have other features such as motion pattern reduction, video noise reduction and other hidden high-tech features to improve the picture quality.Samsung, based in the sweet spot of HDTV manufacturers in Korea, has built a giant 80-inch plasma set that first retailed for just under forty thousand dollars. (A fifty inch set is much more affordable) And there was a display model from Panasonic at the last CES show in Las Vegas that measured 103 inches! Panasonic hired Howie Mandel to showcase the unit, and the whole point was to one up LG and Samsung, which had featured sets that measured 102 inches the previous year. Participants joked this year that the 103-inch Panasonic looked soooo much bigger. But lets stick with reality, or at least with the sets that are in stores now.
There are some amazingly good sets in the 40 and 50-inch range, and they will almost certainly go down in price around $500 over the next few months. There are many great units by Panasonic and Sharp in this size range that sell for three to four thousand dollars. Stock tickers and static images still hold the possibility of burning in an image in Plasma televisions, although there are technologies that subtly change or shift the image to prevent this problem from occurring. Most Plasmas sold today are configured to be utilized as a computer monitor, although some users have reported that the image is sometimes cropped on the sides. There is a program for PC’s to counteract this problem. The Plasma is able to display an excellent image from one side of the television to the other, and there is no possibility of the “rainbow effect” that some users are able to see on a DLP (Digital Light Processor). There are some excellent HDTV’s out there, but Plasma still is in charge.
A leader in technology reporting, Larry Dixon has published articles about the latest digital devices and gadgets for over ten years. If you enjoy staying on the cutting edge of technology, whether for business or pleasure, but find yourself occasionally confused by the overwhelming information out there let Larry be your guide.
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