It was not too long ago when the thought of hanging a television screen the way a picture frame, an oil painting or any piece of art was done would have been considered science fiction. With the development of flat television technology such as the LCD and plasma televisions, however, you can already choose from a variety of displays intended for limited spaces. You can set a plasma television on furniture. You can also hang the plasma television on the wall or ceiling. Or, place the plasma television anywhere you like.

Although plasma television has only surfaced recently, plasma technology has been in use for quite some time. Plasma was often found in point-of-sale monochrome displays and other similar uses. Unlike the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) television monitor, plasma television displays do not contain picture tubes. Plasma televisions, instead, contain three elements: glass, gas and electrodes. A plasma television display contains a cloud of ionized gas trapped between two thin sheets of glass.

Each layer of glass inside the plasma television set is specially fitted with electrodes that carry individual sub-pixels in groups of three (for red, blue, and green). As voltage passes through to an electrode in the plasma television, a single sub-pixel is induced to emit light of that particular color. When there are enough sub-pixels glow to form a pattern, an image is presented on the plasma television’s high-resolution display screen. Since there is no more picture tube, the plasma television comes off as a thin, lightweight device.

When the ultra-thin and sleek plasma television set was first introduced, it immediately caught the attention of consumers. Plasma television displays are currently available in the thirty- to more than sixty-inch range. Plasma television sets provide nice picture quality –making them ideal for any home theater. Unlike LCD displays, plasma television displays generate their own light and do not require backlighting.

Other advantages that you get from a plasma television may include the following:

Higher resolution

Plasma television sets display 1024 by 1024 pixels of images. You do not get this resolution in any standard and even other digital television sets.

Wide aspect ratio

Plasma television screens have 16:9 aspect ratio. This aspect ratio of plasma television screen is intended to simulate the human eye’s natural field-of-view. Thus you can watch movies in the exact format intended by the film’s director. This plasma television screen’s aspect ratio is also the designated format for HDTV (high-definition television) broadcasts in whatever medium it is transmitted – digital cable, satellite TV, or over-the-air.

Flat screen

You may have noticed that the image quality of a CRT screen is sometimes distorted along the side edges and in the corners. This is because a CRT television screen is curved. A plasma television has eliminated this problem because of its perfectly flat screen. You can also view the picture in a plasma television set from wide angles.

Color accuracy

If you want realistic colors displayed in your television screen, top-of-the-line plasma televisions have this capability. The latest technology in digital video processing and plasma television’s panel allow it to display different color combinations, giving you seamless gradations on even the most subtle shades.

Like any other consumer products that utilize the latest technology, plasma television commands a higher price tag. The current price for a plasma television set would allow you to buy two or three rear projection television sets with comparable picture quality. But the appeal of having a neat home theater and the space that can be saved with a plasma television set would make it a good buy to those who can afford its price.