Plasma TV
Plasma Display Panels (PDP) offer versatility that has only ever been seen with video projectors. The weight and size of the Plasmas currently available means that not only are they light and thin enough to hang on the wall like a picture, but they are also portable, so can be used in many different locations. It is these features that have made Plasma TVs invaluable for business use.
Plasma TVs offer outstanding picture quality, all the benefits of flat screen technology brought to a product that can hang on a wall. Another huge advantage to plasma is that most panels will accept inputs from almost any source, including terrestrial and digital broadcasts, DVD and information from PCs (more about connectivity options later). Plasma TVs perform well under almost every lighting condition, whether they are being used in a brightly lit airport lounge or in a dim/dark living room at home.

As with any large display it is necessary to allow plenty of space between the screen and the area you are viewing from, most manufacturers will recommend an optimum distance. All Sony displays have a viewing angle of 160°, allowing them to be positioned almost anywhere in a room. There is also a choice of stands, including table top, wall hanging brackets etc.

Currently two different plasma propositions are available, each suitable for a different type of user. The first are models that are a complete all in one unit, featuring built in speakers, a tuner and various inputs that allow the unit to be used in the same way that you would use a television. This option is the most suitable for the home environment as most consumers like to have an all in one solution. The design of the consumer plasma range is innovative, stylish and state of the art. The consumer models use digital technology to further improve sound and picture quality.

The second type of unit is purely a stand alone display, speakers and tuners are available separately. This offers a really versatile display that can be used in business, as a public display solution and for IT purposes. Because business models are simply displays with no added audio etc, each model can be configured to the users specification. This type of display is designed to be used as a portable display for conferences or advertising and occasionally in a home environment- normally by an AV enthusiast who has dedicated an area to home theatre and wishes to pick and choose his sound, video and display equipment to suit his needs.

How Does Plasma Work? ................
As with CRT technology, plasma screens display an image made up of red, green and blue dots. The difference is that the plasma screen is made up of 2 glass panels, between which are a layer of electrodes, and a layer of pixels (each with different colour phosphors). The space is filled with a gas which, when stimulated by an electrical signal turns to plasma.

This plasma emits UV light, which in turn causes the phosphors to glow either red green or blue. In conventional tubes the phosphor layer is on the front glass but on a plasma set the phosphors are on the glass at the back.