Flat 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
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.
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.
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
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. Rent
Tradeshow
AV
Equipment
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Superior Performance
A Note About DTV and
HDTV
