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It's hard not to feel a touch of screen envy as you marvel at these slim, trim displays. However, currently priced around $5K a pop, they're a bit too steep for the average consumer. The unsurpassed image quality, the larger vertical and horizontal (160 degree) viewing angle, and the glare-free experience these bad boys offer make them cutting edge and perhaps the future of TV. The secret to plasma technology lies between the two thin panels of mounted glass found within the screen. The panels are comprised of networks of pixels, tiny pockets of compressed gas. Each pixel
contains three-subpixels made up of red, green, and blue phosphors -- the same color trio that account for the variety of hues found on all cathode-ray tube (CRT) devices, such as conventional televisions and computer monitors. But what makes plasma TVs different is that each subpixel is individually controlled by "advanced electronics" to produce over 16 million colors. When an electrical current is applied to a pixel, the gas reacts to form plasma, which in turn produces UV light. The light reacts with the colored phosphors and magically enhances the flat screen to produce higher-contrast ratios and a better, more realistic picture. Because all the pixels emit light at the same time, the viewer never sees a
flickering screen. Unlike with CRT screens, there's no back lighting or electron beam, so the resulting images are consistently richer, sharper, and brighter. All this from a TV that ranges from 3 to 6.5 inches thick! Aside from a offering a host of other benefits, like longer viewing life and universal display capability, plasma screens are lightweight, versatile, and, in our opinion, just plain sexy. If you've got a wad of cash handy and are in the market for a plasma screen of your own, make sure to do your homework. Read reviews and buying tips, and then browse through the Plasma Television category in the Yahoo! Directory to find the one that's right for you.
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