Plasma Display Panel

From Canonica AI

Introduction

A Plasma Display Panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel display that uses small cells containing plasma; ionized gas that responds to electric fields. The technology was first developed in 1964 at the University of Illinois. Unlike LCD and LED displays, plasma panels can produce deeper black levels and can be manufactured in larger sizes.

A close-up view of a plasma display panel showing the individual plasma cells.
A close-up view of a plasma display panel showing the individual plasma cells.

History

The first plasma display panel was invented in 1964 by Donald Bitzer, H. Gene Slottow, and Robert Willson at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The initial purpose of the invention was not for television displays, but rather for a more efficient and better-viewing computer display. The first monochrome PDP was the Digivue display released by Mitsubishi in 1971. The first full-color plasma video display was probably produced by Larry Weber in 1983.

Technology

The technology of a plasma display panel is based on the simple physics of a fluorescent lamp. Each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma (charged gas). The plasma is created by a tiny electric spark, which translates into a visible light photon.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The main advantage of plasma display panels is their ability to display deep blacks. This is because each individual pixel on a plasma screen is illuminated independently and can be made to emit no light at all. This gives plasma displays a high contrast ratio and wide viewing angle.

However, plasma displays are more susceptible to burn-in of static images. They consume more power per display size than other technologies and can be considerably heavier than other types of displays.

Applications

Plasma display panels have been used in both consumer and professional contexts. In the consumer market, PDPs have been used in televisions and computer monitors. In the professional market, they have been used in large display screens in stadiums and at events.

Future

The future of plasma display panels is uncertain. With the rise of LCD and LED technology, the demand for plasma displays has decreased. However, there are still some areas where plasma displays have advantages, such as in large display screens where high contrast and color accuracy are important.

See Also