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Television technology has certainly evolved from the old models of the 60′s and 70′s. In fact, today Plasma TV’s have slim flat panel designs which produce realistic pictures with high contrast ratios and vibrant colors. Although developed in the 60′s, the technology behind plasmas did not gain mainstream acceptance until the late 1990′s.

Plasma technology was first developed for computer monitor systems in the early 1960′s and the first companies to bring this technology to the retail market were Fujitsu and Phillips. Moreover, the first units for sale in the US were more of a status symbol since they debuted with a hefty price tag of over $10,000. However, today’s refined production techniques allow plasma units to retail for a much lower and accessible price.

A plasma TV is a specific type of flat panel television set that uses numerous tiny cells sandwiched between two screens. The cells contain a mixture of noble gasses that are turned into a plasma gas when subjected to an electric current. Moreover, the phosphors in the gas excite to produce light and the whole plasma unit is usually less than 4 inches thick and 32 inches or larger. Manufacturers have yet to produce a cost effective plasma TV that is less than 32 inches.

Color in a plasma TV is produced by coating each of the individual cells with a material called phosphors. When the gases are converted to plasma they produce photons which in turn excite the phosphors to generate color.

The picture on a regular television set is made up of thousands of individual pixels and it is no different for plasma TV’s. Every pixel on a plasma unit is subdivided into three sub pixels with a coating of either a red, green or blue colored phosphor. The three colors are used in traditional cathode ray tube televisions which is why a plasma TV can closely replicate the colors of older models. Blending red, green and blue together also allows the plasma system to create just about any tone imaginable.

Pulse-width modulation regulates the intensity of the phosphor coating on each sub pixel and it works by controlling the amount of current that flows through the thousands of individual cells. Moreover, internal controls activate the pulses at a rate of thousands of times per second and the varying intensity allow for the incredibly sharp and vivid colors that are associated with plasma televisions.

With respect to contrast ratio, plasma TV’s typically offer the highest ratio in comparison to LCD and DLP televisions. Contrast ratio is an important feature in determining the overall quality of the picture because it is a measure of the ratio between the highest white and the darkest black.

Plasma television has come a long way since its inceptions in a California laboratory over thirty-five years ago. When plasma TV’s first hit the retail market the initial cost made it more of a status symbol rather than a fixture in most households. However, as demand grew production methods were eventually refined to make these devices much affordable to the masses.

Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on 7 Inch LCD TV which reviews and lists the best LCD TVs to help you pick the best one for your needs.