Display technology is evolving fast, the gadgets are getting smarter and consumers are being offered a dizzying array of choices when it comes to television screens. Plasma screens have remained high in demand over time unlike the 3D televisions that seem to face a sharp rise and fall in interest among consumers.
Plasma is not a very new technology, but a lot of people still do not know how it actually works, and how the image if formed on the screens. It is a well known fact that plasma screens are more powerful and versatile than LCDs, and offer brighter colors and sharper pictures. But how does all this happen? Let’s find out!
Mechanism of Image Formation
At the very core the plasma display illuminates a set of tiny colored fluorescent lights in order to create an image. Each of these dots is called a pixel; this dot is made up of red, blue and green lights. These lights are distributed evenly across the screen. By altering the proportions and intensity of these lights, the television screen has the power to display the entire color spectrum.
Inside the Display-The Physics behind Plasma
The primary element that works to produce luminescence in fluorescent lighting is plasma. Plasma is a gas-like substance and is composed of free-flowing electrons and charged particles. These particles are called ions. Normally gases exist in uncharged neutral states, the gas atoms do not carry an electrical charge and the net charge on the gas is zero. Plasma is often termed the fourth state of matter; the other three are the ones that most people are familiar with (solid, liquid and gaseous).
Plasma is formed when a gas is heated to a high degree, the heat makes the atoms break apart and the sub-atomic particles break out and lend a net charge to the gas. The gas is said to have ionized and the resultant state of matter is called plasma.
History of Plasma Displays
The first plasma display in the world was a plasma monitor. It was invented by Donald Bitzer and Gene Slottow in 1964. This display had limited display capability, and could only emit orange or green light. The main development came around in 1992 when displays were created that could show the entire color spectrum. Later in 2006 the world’s first full color, large screen plasma display was presented at an electronics exhibition in Las Vegas which allows us to enjoy Directv and other subscriptions the way we want.
From Ionized Gas to Picture
- Just like the picture that is formed on an LCD screen, the plasma display is also made from an array of very small, microscopic dots. These dots are either red, green or blue and form a grid that responds to electronic signals.
- Each of these pixels in the grid can be switched on or off individually through electrodes that are horizontally and vertically mounted on grids
- These pixels have a coating of phosphorus on the inside.
- Assuming that a pixel, say a red one needs to be activated. The two electrodes that lead to that pixel cell create a high voltage across it, this sudden surge of power causes the pixel to ionize and start emitting ultraviolet rays if light.
- These ultraviolet rays shine through the phosphor coating of the pixel.
- The phosphor coating then converts these invisible ultraviolet rays into visible red light, therefore making the pixel appear red to the human eye.
Plasma televisions are a great option if you want high quality video and technology you can depend on. Take advantage of your plasma television by making sure you have a good satellite provider such as Directv in order to take advantage of all available content.
