Plasma displays are bright (1000 lx or higher for the module), have a wide color gamut, and can be produced in fairly large sizes, up to 262 cm (103 inches) diagonally. They have a very high "dark-room" black level, creating the "perfect black" desirable for watching movies. The display panel is only about 6 cm (2 and one-half inches) thick, while the total thickness, including electronics, is less than 10 cm (4 inches). Real life measurements of plasma power consumption find it to be much less than that normally quoted by manufacturers. Nominal measurements indicate 150 watts for a 50" screen. The lifetime of the latest generation of plasma displays is estimated at 60,000 hours of actual display time. More precisely, this is the estimated half life of the display, the point where the picture has degraded to half of its original brightness, which is considered the end of the functional life of the display.
High-resolution color displays such as modern LCD computer monitors and televisions use an active matrix structure. A matrix of thin-film transistors (TFTs) is added to the polarizing and color filters. Each pixel has its own dedicated transistor, allowing each column line to access one pixel. When a row line is activated, all of the column lines are connected to a row of pixels and the correct voltage is driven onto all of the column lines. The row line is then deactivated and the next row line is activated. All of the row lines are activated in sequence during a refresh operation. Active-matrix displays are much brighter and sharper than passive-matrix displays of the same size, and generally have quicker response times, producing much better images. - Wikipedia
High-resolution color displays such as modern LCD computer monitors and televisions use an active matrix structure. A matrix of thin-film transistors (TFTs) is added to the polarizing and color filters. Each pixel has its own dedicated transistor, allowing each column line to access one pixel. When a row line is activated, all of the column lines are connected to a row of pixels and the correct voltage is driven onto all of the column lines. The row line is then deactivated and the next row line is activated. All of the row lines are activated in sequence during a refresh operation. Active-matrix displays are much brighter and sharper than passive-matrix displays of the same size, and generally have quicker response times, producing much better images. - Wikipedia
DLP is rapidly becoming a major player in the rear-projection TV market. DLP technology has become very popular for office presentation and home theater duties. Pros: Smooth (at 1080p resolution), jitter-free images. Perfect geometry and excellent grayscale linearity achievable. Usually great ANSI contrast. No possibility of phosphor burn-in. Less "screen door effect" than with LCD projectors. DLP rear projection TVs are smaller, thinner, and lighter than CRT projectors. The use of a replaceable light source means a potentially longer life than CRTs and plasma displays. The light source is more-easily replaceable than the backlights used with LCDs, and is often user-replaceable. Cons: In single-chip designs, some viewers are bothered by the "rainbow effect," explained above. Not as thin as LCD or plasma displays (although approximately comparable in weight). Fan noise. Silk screen effect. "Screen door effect" (SDE) may be visible at close distance and/or with lower resolution models (720p resolution and lower). SDE can also be perceived as artificially sharp looking (due to dark gaps between mirrors/pixels which are high frequency content, not part of the image displayed) and not film-like. Dithering noise may be noticeable, especially in dark image areas. Newer chip generations have less noise than older ones. Error-diffusion artifacts caused by averaging a shade over different pixels, since one pixel cannot render the shade exactly. Mediocre on-off contrast compared to CRT reference. Response time in video games may be affected by upscaling lag. While all HDTVs have some lag when upscaling lower resolution input to their native resolution, DLPs are commonly reported to have noticeably longer delays. Color rendition can be off, especially the bright reds and yellows when at maximum brightness. More mechanical than traditional CRT, LCD, plasma, and LCoS displays. Replacement lamps can be expensive (USD $200 or more). - Wikipedia
LCD (liquid crystal display) projectors usually contain three separate LCD panels, one each for the red, green, and blue components of the video signal. However single panel LCD projectors have been produced in the past. Light from a halogen lamp, which outputs an ideal color temperature and a broad spectrum of color is split by a prism into the three component colors. These lamps also have the ability to produce an extremely large amount of light within a small area, on average for current projectors of 2,000-4,000 ANSI Lumens. As light passes through the LCD panels, individual pixels can be opened to allow light to pass, or closed to block the light, as if each little pixel were fitted with a Venetian blind. This activity modulates the light and produces the image that is projected onto the screen by allowing many different shades from each color LCD panel. With a lens that "projects" the image on any flat surface and does not require large "furniture" (like a big TV would), LCD projectors tend to be smaller and much more portable than older systems. The best image quality can be accomplished with a blank white or grey surface to project on, and for this reason dedicated projection screens are often used. However since white is more of a nuetral color it is best suited for people wanting "natural color tones". However it is also true that the darkest your darkest black will get is the equivilant of how dark your screen on which you're projecting on is. This is why some prefer to use grey screens which make the user percieve higher contrast levels due to the image being projected on a darker backgound. But the trade-off that is made with this "percieved higher contrast" levels is that the color tones will be off (like purple lips...ect), this can adjusted through the use of the color and hue settings of the projector but can never be completly and correctly adjusted. - Wikipedia
Thought of the day ...
"The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm." Swedish proverb
