Conventional Plasma Displays  
Basic plasma display technology has actually been around since the 1960's, and works this way: a mixture of neon and xenon gas fills the space between two parallel sheets of glass, which contain millions of tiny cells filled with the gas mixture. This mixture is stimulated by electrical current and is changed into a plasma. As a result, ultraviolet (UV) light is emitted. Red, blue, and green fluorescent substances in the cells absorb this UV light, then re-radiate this energy as visible light to produce the colours and images you see on the screen.

This process creates a bright, vibrant picture. And since these individual cells are creating light and colour, there's no need for the large cathode ray tubes (CRT's) used in conventional and projection TV's, and the display can be very thin and relatively lightweight. Plus, the flat screen eliminates the problem of images bending at the edge of the picture, as seen in conventional TV's.

Plasma Displays
A new plasma display will be a central source of entertainment in your home for many years- lasting as long or longer then a traditional CRT-type television- and this difference in quality is something you'll appreciate each time you turn it on. Life of panel depends on usage etc..

Both a TV Monitor and a Computer Monitor? Yes.
A Plasma Display is a television monitor, capable of displaying high definition TV, regular TV, and home video. AND it's a computer monitor, capable of doing everything a regular computer monitor can do. Just bigger and better.

Watch Digital TV And Regular TV
Most of the television we see now is analog TV, based on standards set decades ago. But you've probably noticed that more and more shows, particularly sports and prime time shows, are also being broadcast- actually, simulcast- in high definition. What's the difference between regular and high definition TV? And, what is digital TV? Since our Plasma Displays reproduce virtually every kind of broadcasting, here's a brief explanation that will help sort things out.

What Is Digital TV?
Digital TV represents the future of broadcasting, and will ultimately replace analog television, though not for while. It encompasses standard definition television (SDTV) and high definition television (HDTV), plus potential data broadcasting capabilities. SDTV delivers approximately the same resolution as regular analog TV, but without the annoying snow and ghosting, so the actual picture quality is higher. HDTV delivers five times the resolution of regular analog TV, with photograph-quality images that you have to see to believe. Digital TV (both SDTV and HDTV) also provides broadcasters with the capability of multiple channels of digital surround sound, so you'll have great audio, to go with great video.

Another advantage of digital TV is that it allows for a widescreen presentation of "16:9". This 16:9 (read: 16 by 9) figure is the aspect ratio of the width of your TV to its height. Most current TV's are 4:3 (think of it as 12:9 reduced to its lowest common denominator). Comparatively, a 16:9 ratio gives you more width, more picture, more fun.

And of course, you can view all of the regular TV shows you're receiving now. A Plasma Display is ready for all current television and video formats, plus those in the foreseeable future.

How To Receive Digital TV
So, how do you get digital TV? You can receive it off the air, with a UHF antenna and a digital tuner (both are widely available) better known as Digibox. Or, you can get it via satellite broadcasting companies. Contact your local cable or satellite operator for more details and availability.

Watch Movies On DVD, Videotape, Laser Disc, And Camcorder
Movies- in whatever format you choose- will look better on Plasma Displays. You'll find connections for all major home video formats on the unit's back panel. And you can set the screen size and shape to match the type of movie you're watching (more about that later).

Play Video Games
With the screen's large size and high resolution, video games will reach a new level. Your plasma display can reproduce games on a multitude of formats, including PC, Mac, and console-based games like PlayStation and the new X-BOX!

Use It As A PC/Mac Monitor
As stated earlier, the Plasma Display is also a monitor for a PC or Mac. You can use it as the primary monitor for your desktop computer or connect it to your laptop computer. Either way, it's able to process signals up to and including 1366 x 768 ("Wide XGA"), so charts, graphs, the Internet, and full-motion DVD's (movies or data) will all look clean and crisp. Like any computer monitor, our units allow you to display several personal computer applications simultaneously. For example, you can run a full-motion DVD from your DVD drive in one window, the Internet in another, and your personal calendar in a third.

The plasma-to-laptop connection
If you want to connect your laptop computer to the display, all you need is a standard computer monitor cable, with the 15-pin connector. Connect this cable from your laptop to Input1 or Input2 of the display, and select the corresponding input with the display's remote controller. Last, you'll probably need to push the "Laptop Screen/External Monitor/Both" button on your laptop till an image appears on the display.

Experience The Web
Whether you're using a personal computer or a TV-based web browser system, our plasma displays are perfect for reproducing the web in your home. And as web sites increase their use of full-motion graphics, displaying them on a high-quality monitor will become even more ideal.

What To Consider Before You Shop
Now that you know more about our plasma displays, here are a few factors to consider before you go shopping.

• The Position Of The Display
  Have a good idea of where your new plasma display might best be located: in which room, and if you will wall-mount it, on which wall. The plasma display takes up little- or zero- floor space, you don't need a lot of room for it. Also, because your new plasma display is a highly valuable piece of equipment, you'll want it in a position where it can't be disturbed by dogs, kids, or excited footy fans.
  
  

• The Amount Of Ambient Light
  As mentioned earlier, a Display performs better than TV's or monitors in bright rooms, so feel free to position it in a well-lit room. However, for best viewing, you should avoid placing it so that it faces a large window, or where sunlight will shine directly onto the screen. Panasonic panels do have ambient light detectors and give optimum output to suit light level.
  
  

• Your Other Home Theatre Components
  Your plasma display doesn't have to be in the same room as the rest of your home theatre components. There are ways to control these components via remote from another room. But you should consider the relative position of your display and these components, because they'll need to be connected to one another.

Delivery And Installation
Once you've purchased a Plasma Display, we will either attempt to deliver using our own Plasma4U Delivery Vans, or we'll trust the job to our authorised delivery freight company. There's a variety of delivery and installation services available from Plasma4U. Please review our Installation Page! 

System Setup and Connections
We KNOW that many people don't like to read operating instruction manuals! But we strongly recommend that you read the one included with your Plasma Display. It will help you with system setup and connections, and tell you how to adjust settings to your exact preferences. The more you know about your panel's capabilities, more enjoyment can be delivered by making most of your equipment.

Protection Burn-In Function
Static, non-moving images left on-screen for extended periods of time can leave a "shadow" on plasma displays (this is true of models from all manufacturers). For this reason, most of the display have built in a protection function that detects little or no screen movement after three minutes and automatically reduces screen brightness. Some of the plasma displays have a more elaborate system which include an pixel shifter that constantly rotates the picture, yet your eyes cannot see or detect the motion. Most of the displays include screen saver that kicks on if you accidentally leave a still image on for a designated period. This should eliminate any chance of burn-in. In addition, you should avoid extended display of static images. Your operating manual has more information on this and should be followed faithfully.

Advantages Of Our Plasma Displays Over Regular TV's 
While at a retail store, you'll probably see dozens, even hundreds, of other displays and TV's, and it may become a little overwhelming. Here is a quick list of advantages of a Plasma Display over conventional CRT-type TV's:

• Less then 4" thick, and can be hung on a wall
• Much larger picture
• Higher colour accuracy. Better red re-production etc
• Brighter images
• Better resolution, flicker free easy on eyes etc
• High-definition capability where available
• 16:9 aspect ratio vs. standard 4:3
• Can be used as a monitor for a PC or Mac
• Images don't bend at the edge of the screen, magnetically free from distortion.
• Reflections from windows or lights are minimised due to high quality anti-glare glass.
• Wider viewing angles > 170 degrees
• Takes up less space (zero, if wall-mounted) and use less power

Advantages Of Our Plasma Displays Over Projection Monitors
Like plasma displays, the best rear-projection monitors were great for viewing TV and video. However, plasma displays have certain key advantages over rear-projection monitors:

• Ideal for any room, even rooms where space may be limited
• Less then 4" thick, and can be hung on a wall
• Can be used as a monitor for a PC or Mac
• Higher colour accuracy than most PTV's
• Brighter images than most PTV's
• Better resolution than most PTV's
• Much wider viewing angles, not restricted to 90 degree viewing angle
• Reflections from windows or lights are minimized
• Images don't bend at the edge of the screen
• No longer require huge viewing distance to get good picture
• No longer replacing burnt out lamps at huge expense

Not sure about some of the terminology used in the website? Check out our Glossary Of "AV" Terms!