Plasma TV

A leading technology for flatscreen televisions, which uses tiny electrically-charged plasma cells (small fields of neon or xenon gas) to create the image. Plasma televisions produce clearer and sharper pictures than traditional CRT televisions, and their slim, modern design means that they can be wall-mounted if desired.

Average screen sizes range from 32 to 63 inches (measured on the diagonal), although Panasonic has announced plans to release a 150-inch plasma display within a year or so.

Plasma TVs can suffer from burn-in produced by static images. However, newer plasma TVs have addressed this problem and have significantly reduced the issues of older models.

Plasma televisions have a reported half life of 30,000 to 60,000 hours (the time it takes for the lamp to fade to half its original brightness, and the point at which the lamp or the TV needs to be replaced). However, Panasonic recently reported life spans approaching 100,000 hours.