Samsung to end panel production in November

Once considered a pioneering technology, plasma TVs have been delivered another nail in the coffin.
Samsung has become the latest manufacturer to announce it will be shutting down its plasma panel business, effective from 30 November.
According to reports, the South Korean firm blamed the decline in ‘overall demand for plasma televisions’ for its decision.

Samsung announced it will shut down its plasma panel business on 30 November, blaming the decline in 'overall demand for plasma televisions'. The 51-inch F8500 (pictured) will be one of the last Samsung models to feature the technology

Panasonic announced last October that it was scrapping the technology, and production ended in March. 

 

DIFFERENT SCREEN TECHNOLOGIES

Plasma displays use tiny gas cells placed between two panes of glass.
Each cell acts like a mini fluorescent tube, emitting ultraviolet light which then strikes red, green and blue glowing spots on the screen.
By comparison, liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs use light from behind the screen that is shone through coloured liquid crystal cells.
Signals control each cell, letting varying amounts of colour through to build up the picture.
LED televisions work in a similar way to LCD technology, but tiny LEDs, rather than backlight lamps, illuminate the cells.
OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens are similar to LED, but are more equipped to handling 4K, or ultra-high-definition.

This leaves LG as the last major manufacturer of plasma displays.
According to Cnet, Samsung’s vice president of Visual Display R&D office, John Ryu, hinted that the end was nigh for plasma last year.

 

Ryu said he didn't think plasma had a future beyond 2014, because it was difficult to make an affordable 4K version of the technology.
Fujitsu produced the first full-colour plasma display panel in 1992, and Philips sold the first models to consumers in 1997, for $15,000 (£8,700).
Plasma displays use tiny gas cells placed between two panes of glass.
Each cell acts like a small fluorescent tube, emitting ultraviolet light, which then strikes red, green and blue glowing spots on the screen.

The news follows Panasonic's decision to stop producing the panel displays in its own range of televisions (TCP42X1 is pictured) as of March this year, leaving LG as the last major manufacturer of plasma displays

By comparison, liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs use light from behind the screen that is shone through coloured liquid crystal cells.
Signals control each cell, letting varying amounts of colour through to build up the picture.
LED televisions work in a similar way to LCD technology, but tiny LEDs, rather than backlight lamps, illuminate the cells.
Traditionally, plasma TVs were bulky, while LCD and LED were much thinner, and the latter overtook sales of the former from 2006.
Plasma also can’t compete with the likes of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens, especially those that can handle 4K, or ultra-high-definition, pictures that have four times the pixels of Full HD.

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