The Power of Plasma

Plasma Display Coaltion

So, what is the real story about Plasma TVs?

Late last year, five of the world’s top plasma manufacturers—Hitachi Home Electronics, LG Electronics USA, Panasonic Corp. of America, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., and Samsung Electronics USA—joined forces to form the Plasma Display Coalition with the sole purpose of educating people about the benefits and advantages of Plasma, while dispelling the lingering myths along the way. 

To set the record straight, the Coalition recently commissioned a range of tests in the lab-oratories of Roam Consulting. One set from each Coalition member—one 55-inch and four 50-inch displays—was used. 

First, we sought to dispel the overblown myth of image retention, image sticking, burn-in—or whatever you want to call it. If you haven’t burned your wonderful CRT TV  which has the same phosphor-base display (as the Plasma) in all these years, then there is little chance you’ll destroy a Plasma TV. Lab technicians left a black-and-white checkerboard pat-tern on the five screens for eight hours, and then did the same using color bars, and then later, the Fox News Channel logo. The lab concluded that after 24 hours of intense, extreme-user tests, images did not stick and there was no degradation of phosphors.

Jim Plaumbo

Picture quality results were just as impressive. There was uniform brightness across the screen with no visible “hot spot” from any viewing angle, unlike your old rear projection TV.Contrast ratio and black levels showed a very deep black with subtle gradations of black to gray—outperforming the reference CRT. 

The lab also found a total viewing angle of almost 160 degrees with high brightness and no degradation of black level. In practical terms, that means that people on the far ends of a couch can enjoy the same great viewing experience as those smack dab in the middle. 

As with any household appliance, Plasma HDTVs do use some energy, but the lab found that when using the five big screens six hours a day for a month, the cost to operate aver-aged $5.68. That’s less than the cost of a movie ticket—and consider all the gas money you’ll save by enjoying that high-def theater experience right at home.  

Once, only the wealthy could afford Plasma screens in their homes. Plasmas have moved

rapidly into the mainstream over the past two years, and anyone shopping today can select from a variety of sizes and features, and the value is real. With an abundance of HDTV series, movies, and sports programs available,it’s no wonder that enthusiasts can hardly wait to get a widescreen Plasma home to admire the stunning picture, and maybe watch their favorite shows, too. Plasma TV delivers an out-standing large-screen home entertainment experience—one of the best entertainment values around today.