What is a Plasma Display and how does it work?
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How the Plasma Screen works

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What is Plasma Display and how it works?

rent Plasma display for your next event special pricing for multi-event rentalsFlat panel plasma display is the latest display technology and the best way to achieve displays with excellent image quality and large, flat screen sizes that are easily viewable in any environment. Plasma panels are an array of cells, known as pixels, which are composed of three subpixels, corresponding to the colors red, green, and blue. Gas in the plasma state is used to react with phosphors in each subpixel to produce colored light (red, green, or blue). These phosphors are the same types used in cathode ray tube (CRT) devices such as televisions and standard computer monitors. You get the rich dynamic colors that you expect. Each subpixel is individually controlled by advanced electronics to produce over 16 million different colors. All of this means that you get perfect images that are easily viewable in a display that is less than six inches thick.

Superior Performance

With flat panel plasma screens, in addition to bright, crisp images, there are other advantages. Unlike projection screens, which are designed to concentrate reflection to a narrow viewing area for brightness, plasma screens permit an exceptionally broad viewing angle -- over 160 degrees. This means that no matter where audience members are in the room, the brightness and clarity come through. And unlike conventional television screens, plasma panels are absolutely flat. This reduces glare and permits viewers to see the entirety of the screen from a broader perspective. Since panels are backlit rather than reflective (as in projection), they perform exceptionally well in bright environments.

Versatile and Ready

Plasma panels are available in a variety of configurations. Along with varying resolutions, panels come in two aspect ratios: 6:4 and 16:9. 6:4 ratio is the same as conventional televisions and computer monitors. Where, as is the case with current broadcast standards, the media has been formatted for these devices, 6:4 ratio delivers a quality picture that fills the entire screen. Presentations that have been prepared on conventional monitors will appear as they did on the original authoring platform, completely filling the screen. In the 16:9 ratio, plasma panels are capable of delivering wide-screen media without "letterboxing" or blanking of parts of the screen. Wide screen panels are typically capable of higher resolution in data modes and capable of displaying wide screen video formats such as HDTV. What's more, 16:9 panels are also capable of displaying media prepared for traditional 6:4 screens via letterboxing. With video cards users can take advantage of the larger perspective by preparing presentations and other media for wide-screen showing.

A Note About DTV and HDTV

On April 4, 1997, the FCC ushered in digital television (DTV) by giving 6MHz of spectrum to approximately 1,500 stations for DTV broadcasting. The decree required the three commercial networks in the top ten markets to broadcast digitally by May 1, 1999, with markets 11 through 30 online by November 1, 1999. All stations must broadcast digitally by 2006, when their current analog spectrum is scheduled to revert back to the Fed. While there is only one standard, there are 18 different video formats. The first split is between high definition and standard definition TV. Six of the video formats in the ATSC DTV standard are high definition TV: these are the 1080-line by 1920-pixel formats at 24 and 30 frames per second (1080i) , and at 60 fields per second for interlaced HDTV, and the 720-line by 1280-pixel formats at 24, 30 and 60 fps (720p). The HDTV formats have a 16:9 aspect ratio. The 12 video formats which compose the remainder are standard definition television -- not high definition. These consist of the 480-line by 704-pixel formats in 16:9 widescreen and 4:3 aspect ratios (at the 24, 30 and 60 pictures per second rates); and the 480-line by 640-pixel format at a 4:3 aspect ratio at the same picture rates. The formats which represent HDTV are 1020i and 720p. The "i" and the "p" in the format names refer to interlaced and progressive scanning. In interlaced scanning, half of the lines in a full frame are scanned onto the screen in a sixtieth of a second, followed by the remaining half of the scan lines in the next sixtieth. The odd lines are scanned first, then filled in by the even lines. In an attempt to meet expectations

FIND OUT WHO MAKES WHICH PLASMA OR LCD DISPLAY  Plasma Mfg. Information AND WEBSITES

The United States Display Consortium was established in July of 1993 as a partnership created from public and private industry. The Consortium provides a neutral forum for flat panel manufacturers, developers, users, equipment and material suppliers.
USDC's mission is to support our member companies and affiliates in building a world-class competitive display industry.

We're accomplishing this mission by:
1.  Supporting and developing an infrastructure for supply of next generation process equipment, materials and components to the worldwide markets;
2.  Analyzing, benchmarking, and reporting on commercial and military market trends and opportunities;
3.  Presenting member views on issues such as public policy and standards;
4.  Providing opportunities for member participation in technical and financial forums;
5.  Fostering international cooperation among display makers, integrators, and equipment materials and components suppliers;
6.  Facilitating and leveraging relationships between member companies and academic communities.
7.  Promoting innovation and opportunities in display applications through various media outlets.

We invite you to take a tour of the USDC website, and explore our unique industry/government partnership.

FIND OUT WHO MAKES WHICH PLASMA OR LCD DISPLAY  Plasma Mfg. Information AND WEBSITES

Resolution options: Your basic choices for native, or true resolution are the following:

VGA, or "640 x 480" – This is the lowest data resolution currently on the market, and usually the least expensive.
SVGA, or "800 x 600" – This is a popular resolution today, because most notebook computers are SVGA. Matching the plasma resolution with the computer resolution will produce the best results.
XGA, or "1,024 x 768" - XGA plasma tvs are generally more expensive, and are the second most popular resolution format. Many of the newest products are coming out in XGA. They are getting more popular as prices drop and the use of XGA notebook computers increases.
SXGA, or "1,280 x 1,024" – SXGA products are high resolution, and notably more expensive than XGA. These products are targeted for high end personal computer users and low end workstation users. They are used primarily for command and control, engineering and CAD/CAM applications where acute resolution of small details is important.
UXGA, or "1,600 x 1,200" – UXGA is for very high resolution workstation applications that are detail or information intensive. These are expensive plasma tvs that support a broad range of computer equipment. Relatively few products on the market have this native resolution.
WUXGA 1920x1200  Hi Def  hd, 1080p, hdsdi or sdi
WUXGA stands for Widescreen Ultra eXtended Graphics Array and is a display resolution of 1920×1200 pixels with a 16:10 screen aspect ratio. It is a wide version of UXGA, and is appropriate for viewing North American HDTV content (ATSC), which uses a 1920×1080 image at a 16:9 ratio (the image is slightly letterboxed, but maintains an appropriate aspect ratio).

Native Resolution
The number rows of horizontal and vertical pixels that create the picture. The native resolution describes the actual resolution of the plasma display and not the resolution of the delivery signal. When the delivery format is higher or lower than the flat screen's native pixel resolution, the delivery signal will be converted to the plasma's native resolution through an internal converter. Generally, the closer the incoming picture signal is to the native pixel resolution on the plasma display monitor - the better the picture. For example, a VGA computer signal of 853X480 will match up perfectly with a plasma monitor with 853X480 native pixel resolution, while an XVGA signal of 1024X768 will match up better with a plasma monitor that has the higher resolution of 1024X1024. There are more considerations here that deal with the quality of the internal converter/scalar, and also whether or not the monitor is progressively scanning (853X480) or interlacing the signal (1024X1024). All 42" inch plasma display monitors are HDTV ready, while none will show the true HDTV signals of 1080i. However, they will benefit from the better signal and show something very close.

The options available for native resolution include: 1024x1024, 1024x768, 1280x768, 1365x768, 640x480, 825x480, 853x480.

Benefits of Higher Resolution: High resolution plasmas are able to show more picture details than low resolution plasma tvs. Also, since there are more pixels used to make the image, each individual pixel is smaller, so the pixels themselves become less visible on the screen. However, you will pay more for higher resolution. So choosing the right resolution is the first step in finding the right plasma screen tv.

Please view our DTV and HDTV comparison chart for further digital tv information.
 

How to go about renting plasma displays...

Plasma Displays and LCD Displays

Generally, if only a handful of people will be present, a 30” LCD monitor is your best bet. If the impression you make is especially important, you may want to consider a 42” or 50” plasma monitor. Either way, a monitor has excellent resolution and you will not have to darken your meeting room.

What kind of computer will you be using? IBM compatible, Macintosh?  If it's an iMac, be sure to mention that to your rental supplier, because their requirements are different than other computers.
What is the computer's resolution? XGA is 1024 x 768, SXGA 1280 x 1024, and UXGA 1600 x 1200, WXGA 1920x1200
If you're using a laptop, make sure you know how to activate its monitor output. (Newer laptops can be programmed in the windows setup to have the monitor output activated at all times. Others might have a command such as Function-F5 to activate the monitor output. Be sure to try this before your meeting begins.)
 
Will you be showing a video? Do you need a DVD player?
Will you need Sound...don't forget to order speakers.

Will you wall mount the display? Set it on a table? Or have it free standing? (order a Dual Pole Stand below or a fancy Cobra stand)

Your best bet is to get an expert at Plasma TV Rentals involved, and such advice is available at no charge

Plasma displays for Rent: 37 inch  (4:3 aspect ratio Hitachi CMP307XU),
HDTV Ready 42 inch, 50 inch, 60-61 inch, 84 inch, Plasma Videowall,
100 inch LCD,   Large Screen Displays, Plasma Stands, Cobra Stands.

Rent Plasma Displays for Live Events, Media Environments, Stage Sets, Exhibits or Themed Environments, Meetings, Corporate Theater, Promotions, Parties, Awards & Entertainment Events, Public Relations & Industry Press Events, Road Shows, Traveling or Permanent Shows, Museums, Film & Television, Sponsorship Presentation, Special Environments for all occasions

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Order Plasma Displays online


Save your Plasma or LCD TV use PixelProector

The top 5 reasons to go 1080p and what it is.

Plasma screen burn-in and gas recharging Information


Protect Your Plasma or LCD TV
Whether your screen is new or you purchased your TV 3 or more years ago,
PixelProtector™ is an essential tool for removing screen burn, correctly
calibrating the screen for optimal performance and gaining the best possible
picture your unit has to offer


We are a full service audio, visual, video, lighting, staging, and computer rental company.  Serving clients nationally, we offer one of the most comprehensive inventories in the industry for small businesses events, conventions, tradeshows, expositions, event planners, training seminars, and live entertainment shows. With the latest in technology from leading manufacturers, we ensure your event will be a total success. 
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Digital television, or DTV, is the new industry standard for broadcasting picture and sound using digital signals, allowing for dramatic improvements in both picture and sound quality vs. conventional NTSC analog programming. DTV programming can be delivered in either of two basic formats: standard analog definition (SDTV) or high definition (HDTV).


 

 
DTV Format Comparison
Transmission Type
Analog Digital Digital Digital Digital
  NTSC Standard Definition Standard Definition High Definition High Definition
Maximum Resolution 480i 480i 480p 720p 1080i
Aspect Ratio 4:3 4:3 4:3 or 16:9 16:9 16:9
Channel Capacity 1 5-6 5-6 1-2 1
Description Standard TV as we know it today Good Picture and Sound —DVD or DBS Quality Better, depending on source; can be outstanding Best Possible Best Possible
 



HDTV is the highest form of digital television, delivering up to 1,080 interlaced scan lines. HDTV produces images that far surpass any you've ever seen in a home environment! SDTV, or Standard Definition, also represents a dramatic improvement over today's TV, with the added benefit of allowing stations to broadcast multiple programs within the same bandwidth as an HDTV signal.


 

 
DTV Format Detail
Scan Lines
Scan Rate Pixelization Frame Rate Aspect Ratio Formats
SDTV 525 total
480 active
15.75 kHz (60i) 480 x 640 24p, 30p, 60p or 60i fps 4:3 4
525 total
480 active
31.5 kHz (60p) 480 x 704 24p, 30p, 60p or 60i fps 4:3 or 16:9 8 (4x2)
HDTV 750 total
720 active
45 kHz
(60p)
720 x 1080 24p, 30p, 60p 16:9 3
1125 total
1080 active
33.75 kHz
(60i)
1080 x 1920 24p, 30p, 60i 16:9 3

 

To help you find the best plasma screen for your application, we've put together this guide to the features you should look out for. You'll find most of these features listed for each screen we sell under the Plasma and monitors Buy section.
 

  How the Plasma Screen works Why choose a Plasma TV?
  Screen size Aspect ratio
  Resolution Contrast ratio
  Brightness Depth
  Display area Picture-in-picture / split screen functions
  Wall mounts and stands Speakers
  TV receiver Transportation

If your still not convinced about plasma screens,
then take a look at how they compare to other display technologies.

How the Plasma Screen works
The Plasma Television uses thousands of glass, sealed chambers containing a mixture of neon and xenon. The chambers are in front of colored phosphors. Each chamber has three phosphors, one red, one blue and one green. When these chambers are in use they emit invisible UV light that excites the phosphors on the rear display glass enabling them to produce light that can be seen by us.

Why choose a Plasma TV?
Among the many benefits of renting a Plasma TV screen the, perhaps, primary attraction is that due to the innovative lightweight and slim design the TV can be hung from the display walls or placed on a tabletop, canceling the need for an extra display unit and enabling large audio visual displays in places where a conventional TV would use too much space, or a projector would be impractical.

Plasmas perform extraordinarily well under most ambient light conditions. Very bright light does not wash out the image on the screen. The beauty of these flat screens is that, unlike front view projection screens, you don't have to turn off the lights to see the image clearly and easily. Therefore, plasmas are excellent for video conferencing and other presentation needs, which require the lights to remain on.

Another characteristic of a plasma panel is the extreme viewing angles both vertically and horizontally. With 160 degrees viewing angle, people sitting off to the side of the plasma screen will still be able to see the image without losing any of it.

Plasmas tend to be very lightweight in comparison to similar sized standard display monitors and television screens.

No existing display system can compete with the low depths available in plasma panels. The thinness of theses systems allows for the monitors to be placed virtually anywhere. Some plasma panels are known to be as thin as 3.5 inches deep.

They can be hung on walls, mounted to ceilings, flush wall mounted or placed on a tabletop. Many mount manufacturers are designing more creative ways to mount plasma panels because of the ease of engineering involved.

Plasma panels are also not affected by magnetic fields.

Plasmas are easy to use. Almost as easy as plug and play. They tend to accept inputs for both data and video (industrial models). The main issue is resolution. Be sure to find a panel that works with your resolution needs. All will show standard VGA (640x480) and some will accept signals all the way up to UXGA. (UXGA is a video resolution that supports a max resolution of 1600 horizontal pixels by 1200 vertical pixels)


Screen size
Most plasma screens are in the 42-inch category, but a greater variety of screen sizes are emerging, including 20, 30, 37, 40, 50 inches and our largest screen at 61 inches.  These screen sizes are a measure of the diagonal dimension of the screen, so a small variation in this vital statistic can make a big difference to the actual screen area, as the diagram below shows us.
 

more on sizes of plasma screens

From $30.00 per day (17 inch LCD) to $4500.00 for a 10 foot by 6 foot Plasma Video Wall

Aspect ratio
This is the ratio of the screen width against the screen height. The majority of screens have 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the normal ratio for widescreen TV. Manufacturers are now adding more 4:3 ratio screens to their ranges, which is the normal ratio used by PC monitors and standard televisions. See 20, 23, and 30 inch LCD flat panel display or the  Hitachi 37 Inch Plasma Display. If you are connecting a plasma screen to a PC, you can still use the widescreen format. Your PC can often be set to use the 16:9 ratio instead of 4:3, or the image can be stretched to use the whole screen.
If you're connecting to a video source, a 16:9 plasma screen is ideal for widescreen films and can still display signals from sources that use a 4:3 ratio by stretching the image or by displaying the image at its natural size using a portion of the screen.

Resolution
Simply put, this is the number of pixels available on the screen. The higher the resolution the greater the definition and sharpness of the image when projecting from a computer. This is more important with larger screens where the pixel size is more noticeable, and less important when displaying images from a video source because rapidly changing images make the pixilation less noticeable.
When choosing the correct resolution for you, take into consideration your most frequently used application.
SVGA (800 x 600) is okay for most video and large text presentations, but doesn't have amazing sharpness and is less suitable for small text and intricate graphics.
XGA (1024 x 768) is the most popular choice for presentations and high quality video.
Resolutions higher than XGA are aimed more at specialist applications or high definition TV.
If you're using a PC with your screen then it's best to check that the screen is compatible with the resolution you use on your PC. The resolutions that the screen supports should be stated in the screen's brochure (which is available in Acrobat PDF format in the 'Buy' section of our web site).

Contrast ratio
The contrast ratio is the measure of the brightest luminance the screen can achieve against the darkest luminance. The darkest luminance is important to the image because blacks will be truer to their real color, rather than appearing grey and washed out.
You can use the contrast ratio as an approximate measure of how the image will appear in different lighting conditions. The higher it is, the better the contrast, although the measurement process is open to some different interpretations by different manufacturers.

Brightness
Measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m²). This is not quoted by all manufacturers, but is a selling point for others, so it's difficult to compare screens based on brightness alone.

Depth
Thinner plasma screens, while looking smarter, are more suited to environments where space is an issue, such as exhibition stands.

Display area
This is the measurement of the screen area itself not including the bevel.

Picture-in-picture / split screen functions
A feature on some plasma screens that allows you to view images from two different sources simultaneously. For example, you could show a video seamlessly within your PC presentation.

Wall mounts and  stands
Most plasma screens don't come with any form of mounting, so you'll need to allow for this in your budget. We supply table stands, wall mounting kits and other mounting accessories Call us for more details.  Dual pole adjustable (5.5 feet  to 3 feet ) from $75 per day

Speakers
A few plasma screens come with built-in speakers, but most sell them separately. The speakers provided by the manufacturer are generally the best looking speaker option available, as they're designed to match the screen itself. You'll usually get the option to control the audio volume using the remote control as well, whereas if you were using speakers directly from your source you may not have this option unlike conventional televisions, Plasma screens are not affected by magnetic fields.  Speakers from $50 per day.

TV receiver
A plasma screen isn't quite like a TV - it doesn't include an aerial lead to plug into the wall and start receiving TV pictures. If you want to use the plasma screen for television, you'll need to either pass a TV signal through a video recorder, or purchase a separate TV receiver unit.  DVD, VCR Combo form $45 per day.

Transportation
Due to their size and the amount of exposed thin glass, plasma screens are more than a little prone to breakage during transportation. If you do smash the glass there aren't any repair options available to you, so if you are taking yours on the road frequently, the packaging the screen is sold in won't last forever. For the best protection, ask us about our flight cases.  Plasma Display Shipping Cases from $160 per week.

 

To help you find the best plasma screen for your application, we've put together this guide to the features you should look out for. You'll find most of these features listed for each screen we sell under the Buy section.


If your still not convinced about plasma screens, then take a look at how they compare to other display technologies
.

Plasma Screens compared to other technologies

What is Plasma?



Plasma screen technology consists of two glass panels approx. 0.1mm apart that compress thousands of tiny pockets of gas called pixels. Each of these pixels also contains colored red green & blue phosphor.



When a current is applied to each pixel, the gas inside reacts to form a state of plasma and Ultra Violet light is produced. This UV light reacts with the colored phosphor to produce a range of up to 16 million colors on the screen.



As all of the pixels emit light at the same time so there is no screen flicker unlike traditional display technologies. There is no back lighting or electron beam so the image is much sharper, brighter and consistent from edge to edge.

Why choose Plasma?

Advantages

Larger viewing angle, 160º compared to LCD 40º & rear projection 120º. (Allows a larger audience to be able to view the image reproduction)
No projection throw distance limitations.
Brighter & able to tolerate higher ambient lighting. More accurate & distortion free images. (As plasma screens are flat, unlike the curve found with standard televisions, this eliminates the edge distortion that can occur on curved screens).
Universal Display Capability. (Most plasma models are able to accept video format. Typically they will include composite video (NTSC & SECAM), S-video & component video inputs, plus one or more RGB inputs to connect to a computer).
Digital technology.
Unaffected by magnetism. (Unlike conventional CRT displays, plasma screens do not use electron beams and so can be placed near loud speakers with out suffering any distortion).
Thin Profile to save on space - 3-6.5 inches thickness
Free standing or wall/ceiling mountable

Compared to CRT
Clearer sharper image.
Uniform brightness across the whole screen (no faded edges). (A CRT television will have what is known as a hotspot, where the picture is at its brightness, and then will fade out the nearer to the edge).
Flicker free images.
Consumes less power (some come with an ECO-mode).

Compared to LCD
Brighter viewing angle.
Better colour quality.
Higher contrast ratio.
Better picture.

What do I need?
Plasma screens from any manufacturer can be connected to a video source (VCR), TV, DVD player, satellite system or a computer. Most plasma screens don't have a built in TV tuner so for a terrestrial TV signal, a connection to VCR is required.
You can connect more than one device to a plasma screen at any one time so you can swap between a PowerPoint presentation and a video clip using the plasma screen's remote control. Switch boxes are also available that allow several computers to connect to a plasma screen at once. On the switch box is a button for each input computer, which when pressed, will show that computer's display on the plasma screen.
Some plasma screens also have split-screen and picture-in-picture options. This can be used to display multiple video clips or presentations on the same screen at the same time.

How long will they last?
This varies considerably between manufacturers but usually from 20,000 to 30,000 hours. After this time the plasma screen will only be at around half the original brightness. If you used your plasma screen for 5 hours a day every day it would last over 10 years.
At the end of the plasma screen's life, the screen will be very dull and you will need to replace the plasma screen with a new one. This is one advantage plasma screens have over LCD projectors, which have a bulb life of usually 2,000 hours before replacement.

 

Computers

We can fully accommodate your needs in Registration, Tradeshow Offices, Training Labs, Exhibits, Cyber Cafés and Messaging Centers.

Our unparalleled service and support makes us the best choice every time.

We have highly trained technicians and experienced show coordinators on site during the convention.

When working with us, you can be assured that your computers and peripherals will be delivered Clean, Working and On Time. 

With brand names you can trust like Compaq, Dell, IBM, NEC, Apple, and Hewlett Packard.

We have successfully supported Conventions and Trade Shows for over 20 years.

You get all this with outstanding Service, Trained Support Personal, and Competitive Pricing.

 

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