Advantages And Disadvantages Of Plasma Displays

Undeniable Qualities

Plasma technology has numerous advantages over LCDs and CRTs. First of all, the choice of scintillators for plasma TVs allows richer colors in a wider range. The chromatic range of plasma screens is much broader than for CRT television sets.

Source NEC-Mitsubishi

Next, the viewing angles are very wide, especially compared to LCD displays. The main reason is that the light is generated in the pixels themselves, unlike LCD technology, as we'll see. And plasma screens need no polarizer.

Finally, the contrast is equivalent to the best CRT TVs. The main reason for that is the high quality of the blacks: A pixel that's switched off emits no light at all, contrary to the way an LCD pixel works. Plasma TVs also have better brightness performance than CRT monitors, achieving values of 900 to 1000 nits.

Also note that plasma displays can have very large diagonal measurements (32 to 50 inches) with minimal thickness. That's a decisive advantage over CRTs, which as you know get very bulky in larger sizes.