Plasma HDTV 1080p

Plasma HDTV 1080p

By Anne Ahira

Anymore browsing for televisions is like trying to decipher a foreign language. There are more number and letter combinations than you can shake a stick at. Take for instance a Plasma HDTV 1080p, any idea what any of that means?

Do not feel lonely, more and more TV’s are chosen for how they look on the show room floor and not for the specifications that no one understands. This is a beginner’s guide to deciphering the madness!

Plasma

A plasma television is a flat panel display that utilizes two flat pieces of glass, which have tiny cells between them that hold an inert mixture of noble gases. Electricity turns the cells into plasma, which then excite phosphors to give off light.

One of the biggest claims that plasma has is the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which gives the images on the screen a life like appearance. Makes the price of a plasma HDTV 1080p look more appealing doesn’t it.

HDTV

High definition television is a claim everything from plasma to LCD are claiming. In reality HDTV is more a generic term that refers to any television that has more than average number of lines. It also refers to a set that has increased vertical, horizontal or temporal resolution. In other words, not all HDTV’s are the same; the broad sweeping nature of the terminology is misleading.

Contrast Ratio

This is simply the difference between the whitest whites and the blackest blacks. A contrast ratio of 1500:1 is fine but anything over 2,000:1 is considered excellent. Since plasma, claims are as high as a million to one it is a safe bet that a Plasma HDTV 1080p is going to be one awesome picture.

1080p

When you look at the phrase plasma HDTV 1080p you can deduce what the first half of it is without this handy guide, however what in the world do those numbers mean?

The 1080 describes the number of horizontal scan lines. And the p stands for progressive scan.

You may also find 1080i notation after some models. In this case, the only difference is the lettering, which stands for interlaced. This process is commonly used with CRT monitors and is probably a thing quickly fading as LCD and Plasma become more affordable.

Screen Burn in

Lastly is screen burn in, while not a common term when it comes to purchasing a television it is an issue you could face especially with a plasma HDTV 1080p. Screen burn in is where a logo or other image becomes burned into your plasma screen, this happens when an image is static.

For instance, when watching wide screen movies on a plasma HDTV 1080p you will notice the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, on this area of the screen the phosphors are not being excited and thereby are not aging at the same rate. Over time, this will cause a noticeable difference in the area when watching full screen television or movies.

A similar thing can happen when a log or menu is left up for too long. After some time the image becomes a permanent part of the display. Not a good thing when you have paid several thousand for the set.

New technology has limited the occurrence of this issue; however, it is not by any means non-existent.

Also, check out my other guide on 40 1080p and 50 plasma.