Plasma

Cycle 2 Test

A color bar pattern with high-intensity red, green, blue, cyan, yellow, magenta, and white blocks was connected to each plasma TV through its component YPbPr input. This pattern was left on the screen for a period of eight hours. At the end of the test period, a full white field was displayed on each screen and 16 brightness measurements were taken as before, along with color temperature measurements. The objective was to see if certain phosphor colors had aged faster than others.

Cycle 2 Test Pattern

Cycle 2 Results

Three plasma TVs showed no discernable ghost image of the color pattern, while the fourth plasma TV showed a more visible ghost. The fifth plasma TV showed a strong ghost image of the color pattern, while retaining a ghost image of the Cycle 1 pattern.

Brightness readings, taken in the same 16 blocks, showed minimal variations in brightness from the Cycle 1 data on four of the plasma TVs, with only the fifth plasma TV exhibiting a significant drop-off in luminous intensity. This might point to aging of the blue phosphors on the fifth plasma.

Measured color temperature shift across the screens of all five plasma TVs was insignificant after two cycles, ranging from a high of 490 degrees K to a low of 147 degrees.