Thomson's PROSCAN Brand To Preview 50-inch Flat Screen HDTV Plasma Monitor Scheduled For 1999 Introduction Living Wall Of Entertainment
A virtual living wall of entertainment - featuring lifelike HDTV picture resolution - is the promise of a new 50-inch (diagonal) flat-screen plasma display monitor from Thomson Consumer Electronics' PROSCAN brand on display for the first time during the annual Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES). ""The color images are so realistic they appear to literally jump off the screen and surround the viewer,"" said Gilbert M. Ravelette, Vice President - TV Product Management. ""As the centerpiece of an advanced home entertainment system or for commercial application, this product is unmatched for viewing excellence."" The widescreen shape of the plasma screen reflects the same 1.78:1 of HDTV programming, and the slim, four-inch depth of the PROSCAN PS50100W, scheduled for retail introduction in late 1999 (pricing to be announced), makes is easily capable of hanging on a wall or for built-in application. The display area of the PS50100W is virtually all-screen with the viewing area outlined by a slim border designed to resemble a picture frame. The plasma product delivers deep, rich colors with 1365x768 pixel resolution in 250 candelas brighness, and 300-1 contrast ratio. For home use, conveniently located input jacks - including Composite/S-video, Component Video (YprPb), and RGB - simplify the connection of audio/video components. How does plasma technology work? Plasma utilizes rare gases contained in minute pockets sandwiched between two thin glass panels. Embedded in the panels are perpendicular columns of electrodes. A high voltage is applied to the facing sets of electrodes to generate an electrical discharge that in turn causes the gases to emit ultra-violet rays. The rays excite red, green, and blue phosphors coating the bottom of the panel to produce the colors that appear on the screen. The resulting display is a very flat array of individually addressable pixels, providing for precise image control and eliminating the depth requirements of a conventional CRT (cathode ray tube) color TV picture tube, The combination of a flat surface with light distributed over the entire screen creates a viewing angle of approximately 160 degrees, providing ideal viewing from any angle.