A plasma display panel or PDP is a display technology characterized by the flat panel orientation similar to LED display and OLED panels and different from CRT displays. The technology is explicitly based on the use of plasma or electrically charged ionized gases to produce colors.
The popularity of newer display technologies, especially the massive adaptation of in-plane switching or IPS LCD panels and organic light-emitting diode or OLED display panels, has rendered PDP essentially outdated.
Pros of PDP: The Benefits and Advantages of Plasma Display Panel
1. Better than CRT displays: A key advantage of plasma display is that it has more pixels per inch than displays based on cathode-ray tube or CRT displays. This advantage translates to specific benefits such as sharper image, support for higher definition quality, and bigger or wider screen option.
2. More Compact than CRT: In addition, when compared to a CRT, another advantage of plasma display is that it is less bulky or more compact. Note that CRT display technology is dependent on size. A wider screen requires a bigger tube. This also means that a CRT consumes more floor spaces than a plasma display.
3. Better Contrast Ratios: Advantage of plasma display has deeper blacks than CRT display, twisted nematic or TN LCD panels, and most IPS LCD panels. This advantage means that it has better contrast ratios. However, among current display technologies, OLEDs have deeper blacks and thus, superior contrast ratio.
4. Wide Viewing Angle: The deep blacks of plasma display means that it also has a wider viewing angle than CRTs and LCDs. Take note that LCDs suffer color degradation when viewed at extreme angles while CRTs do not produce deep blacks.
5. Less Visible Motion Blurs: Most plasma displays have refresh rates and response times that are similar to TN LCDs and high-end and expensive IPS LCDs. Ghosting and blurring are not readily visible, thus making PDPs desirable for displaying videos containing high movement speeds and for playing video games.
6. Superior Uniformity: The backlights of LCD panels nearly always produce uneven brightness levels. This fact is especially true for low-end and inexpensive LCDs. CRT displays can also suffer from uneven color production as the size of the screen goes wider. On the other hand, PDPs have uniform brightness across their screen.
Cons of PDP: The Limitations and Disadvantages of Plasma Display
1. Susceptibility to Degradation: A critical disadvantage of plasma display panels is that they suffer from screen burn-in and image retention. This limitation makes PDPs unsuitable for displaying static images. Earlier generations of PDPs also suffers from luminosity degradation that results in a gradual decline in their absolute brightness level.
2. Flickering Effects: Depending on the quality or the standards of the manufacturer, some plasma displays also suffer from noticeable flickers with various hues, intensities, and patterns. The phenomenon is attributed to the bistable nature of the color being produced and the method for generating intensity.
3. Higher Power Consumption: Another disadvantage of plasma displays is that they consume more power and generates higher electricity cost relative to LCD panels that use LED backlights. Average PDPs use 138 watts while similarly sized and newer energy efficient models of LCDs use 91.5 watts. Choosing LCDs over plasma displays can produce 34 percent of energy saving. OLED panels provide better energy efficiency.
4. More Expensive: Plasma displays cost much higher than CRT displays and on average, a little more than most LCDs. However, there are high-end LCDs that are more expensive than average PDPs. Note that plasma displays also require stricter handling because they are more fragile than LCDs and OLEDs.
5. Bulkier than LCDs and OLEDs: Remember that plasma displays have a more compact physical profile than CRT displays. However, when compared to LCDs, they are little bulkier. Moreover, when compared to OLED panels, they are substantially unwieldy. PDPs are also generally heavier than LCDs and OLEDs.
6. Altitude Considerations: Another limitation of plasma display panels is that they do not work well at high altitudes, particular at elevations above 6500 feet or 2000 meters in which they start to display buzzing noise. This con is due to the pressure differential between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude.
