| Many people are unsure as to what the difference is | | | | and so excite the particular set of phosphor needed to |
| between LCD flat screen TVs and plasma TV sets. In | | | | produce the color. As red, blue and yellow can |
| fact it is only the screen and the way that the the | | | | produce just about every other color of the rainbow, |
| image is created that is different between these two, | | | | so red, blue and green do the same with photon |
| and even between them and your big cathode ray | | | | sensitive phosphors. |
| tube TV : the rest is pretty much the same. | | | | On the other hand, an LCD (liquid crystal display) |
| Let's look first of all at what LCD and plasma really | | | | screen is totally different, and much more difficult to |
| are. Most people are acquainted with LCD from the | | | | explain. To put it in simple terms, a liquid crystal is one |
| display on their calculators but have never come | | | | that is more liquid than solid, and whose structure can |
| across plasma before. So what is plasma? It has | | | | be oriented by electromagnetic fields to either block |
| nothing to do with the clear fluid in the blood, but is a | | | | polarized light or allow it through. Polarized light is light |
| fluid of a sort in that it is a gas (which is technically a | | | | that is arranged so that its vibrations occur only in one |
| fluid). | | | | plane, so that it is easily filtered. |
| The plasma in a TV screen is formed from neon and | | | | Basically an LCD works by cells either allowing light |
| xenon gases that, when electrically charged, turn into | | | | through or not. This is colored by the use of red, blue |
| what are known as ions. As the energy passes | | | | and green filters in the front of each pixel, so that if |
| through this ionic cloud of gas they start moving faster | | | | light is passed through a pixel it is colored. If it is not |
| and faster, and the negative and positive particles that | | | | passed through, then it is not colored. Therefore, both |
| make up the ionic gas become attracted to each | | | | systems work through the use of the same three |
| other. When they collide they release a photon of | | | | colors of light, just as the old cathode ray color TV |
| energy. A photon is akin to a 'particle' of energy that is | | | | does. With CTR the screen also contains red, blue and |
| part particle and part wave. | | | | green phosphors, just as with the plasma screen, |
| This plasma is contained between two plates of glass | | | | which are excited by a beam of electrons aimed at |
| with a tiny space between them. The inside surface of | | | | each specific pixel. |
| the plate that you view is coated with hundreds of | | | | The choice between plasma TVs and LCD flat screen |
| thousand of tiny cells, each of which are coated with | | | | TVs depends on your specific needs that are beyond |
| phosphor, a substance that emits light when hit by a | | | | the scope of this article, but suffice it to say that each |
| photon. These can be excited to produce either blue, | | | | has its own merits and drawbacks, and whichever you |
| green or red light, and which are excited by the photon | | | | choose will likely be a compromise. The situation will |
| is determined by the energy of that photon. | | | | remain thus for many years since High Definition TV is |
| The TV signal is converted to electrical energy that | | | | not dependent on any particular system, other than it it |
| excites the photons of the plasma gases to specific | | | | is certainly not the old CTR, or Cathode Ray Tube TV. |
| energies according to the color of the original subject, | | | | |