Plasma display panels or PDPs are self-emissive flat panel displays that are being increasingly used to display video and computer images for both business and consumer applications. Because of the their wide-viewing angle and large display area, plasma displays are becoming a leading display technology for public information and consumer messaging applications. It is important to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of the plasma displays to make most appropriate use of PDPs for these applications.

Advantages of Plasma Displays

Color plasma displays have the following advantages:

• Large screen size (over 42 in. diagonal)
• Thin form factor (< 4 in.)
• Full color with good color purity
• Fast response time for excellent video capability
• Wide viewing angle (>160 deg, all directions)
• Relatively insensitive to ambient temperatures

Disadvantages of Plasma Displays

Some disadvantages of plasma displays are:

• Low luminance for outdoor applications (non-sunlight readable)
• Low contrast in high ambient light
• High power consumption and heat generation
• Latent image (Static image burn-in)