A plasma display panel or PDP is a display technology that has a flat-panel orientation similar to an LCD or OLED display panel and contrary to CRT displays. The technology is based on the use of electrically charged ionized gases called plasma to produce colors. PDP was marketed as a suitable replacement for CRT. However, following the arrival of display technologies such as IPS or in-plane switching LCD and organic light-emitting diode or OLED and AMOLED display technologies, plasma display panels have become outdated.
Pros of PDP: Advantages of Plasma Display Panel and Notable Features
1. Specific Advantages Over CRT: High Resolution and Better Physical Profile
A key advantage of plasma display is that it can produce more pixels per inch than cathode ray tube or CRT displays. This translates to specific benefits such as sharper images, support for higher definition image quality, and bigger or wider screen options.
Furthermore, when compared to CRT, a plasma display is lighter and more compact. CRT is bulkier. A larger CRT display with a wider screen also has a bigger picture tube inside. This also means that a CRT consumes more floor space than a plasma display.
2. Overall Display Quality: Better Contrast Ratios and Wide Viewing Angle
Another advantage of plasma display is that produces deeper blacks than CRT, twisted nematic or TN LCD, and even most LCD panels. This translates to a better contrast ratio. However, among these technologies, OLED still has the deepest and natural blacks.
The color reproduction of PDP is also comparable to high-end IPS LCD. However, compared to TN LCD panels and lower-end IPS LCD panels, it has a wider viewing angle. Note that LCD suffers from color degradation when viewed at extreme angles.
3. More Notable Features: Less Visible Motion Blurs and Superior Uniformity
Most plasma display panels have pixel response time and screen refresh rates that are similar to TN LCD and high-end IPS LCD. It does not produce ghosting effects or motion blurs. This makes it ideal for fast-paced applications such as video gaming.
A particular PDP has uniform brightness across its screen. LCD panels within the low-end and mid-range brackets tend to produce uneven brightness due to their backlighting. CRT can also suffer from uneven color production at bigger and wider screen sizes.
Cons of PDP: Disadvantages of Plasma Display and Key Limitations
1. Major Drawbacks: Susceptibility to Degradation and Flickering Effects
A critical disadvantage of plasma display panel is that it suffers from screen burn-in and image retention. This limitation makes it unsuitable for displaying static images. Earlier generations also suffer from a gradual decline in their absolute brightness level.
Some PDPs also suffer from noticeable flickering effects with various hues, intensities, and patterns depending on the brand or manufacturer. This is attributed to the bistable nature of the color being produced and the method for generating color intensity.
2. Notable Inefficiencies: Higher Power Consumption and High Price Tags
Plasma display panels have higher power draw. An average PDP uses 138 watts while a newer IPS LCD with a similar size consumes about 91 watts. Choosing an IPS LCD over PDP can produce 34 percent of energy savings. OLED is more power efficient.
Another disadvantage of a plasma display panel is that it is more expensive than a CRT display. It even costs more than modern LCD panels. There are still LCD panels that are more expensive. Take note that a PDP is also more fragile than both LCD and OLED panels.
3. Other Key Limitations: Bulkier Physical Profile and Altitude Considerations
Remember that a PDP is more compact than a CRT. However, when compared to most LCD panels, they are a little bit bulkier. Furthermore, when compared to an OLED panel and modern LCD panels, most plasma display panels are both thicker and heavier.
Another limitation is that it does not work well at elevations above 6500 feet or 2000 meters. It will start to produce buzzing noise at this altitude. This issue comes from the pressure difference between the gases inside the screen and the air pressure at altitude.
Rundown: Advantages and Disadvantages of Plasma Display Panel
The advantages of a plasma display panel have made them a suitable replacement for CRT and an even better alternative than a TN LCD. However, due to the improvements in LCD technologies and the arrival of OLED display, it is now considered an outdated display technology. The use of Mini-LED backlighting has improved LCD panels. Emerging technologies such as quantum dot display and MicroLED display have also made PDP irrelevant.
