Plasma TVs

Like LCDs, plasmas are slim and light – they can be easily wall-mounted – and plasma technology means that there is virtually no limit to the potential screen size. Plasma sets are expensive to produce – again, prices are falling as demand increases. They are also prone to ‘burn-in’ of static images and the use of phosphors to create an image means that they generate more heat than LCD sets.

Plasma TVs require significantly more power to achieve the same brightness as an LCD.

Source: 'Which' website

Energy figures given are per square inch of screen area

How It Works

In a plasma television set, gas is electrically charged and - like in the CRT set – this excites phosphors that give off colour. The use of phosporus in these sets makes them prone to ‘burn in’ of static images. They also generate more heat than LCDs. Each pixel in a plasma screen is individually lit, which gives a bright, clear picture and a good contrast ratio.

For more information visit: www.plasmaTVscience.org