1080p plasma TV, the current reigning champion in high definition technology, has earned itself the title of “true high definition”, and it is not hard to see why. Boasting phenomenal resolution, color depth, and fast motion detection, this television was designed for the increasingly common HD (high definition) broadcasts.

Only a few years ago, plasma screens carried somewhat of a stigma. Screen burn, glare, and required temperature control greatly diminished the television’s lifespan. Nowadays, nothing could be further from the truth, much to the delight of plasma enthusiasts, who used to work hard to prove their preferred style of television was deserving of its praise.

Although there are avid fans of both the 1080p plasma screen and its LCD counterpart, the plasma provides better contrast and richer color, not to mention that it comes in larger sizes for the home theater guru.

These televisions have become ever popular not only in homes and for personal use, but also for businesses; in conference rooms, airports, even restaurants–virtually anywhere that a crisp and high definition screen would be appreciated.

The impressive quality does not only benefit from HDTV, but also such sources as Microsoft’s Xbox 360, or Sony’s PlayStation 3. The full color and detail provided by the plasma TV allows for an overall better gaming experience, especially where precise data display is involved. Proper scaling is a must in these situations, and why would one settle for anything less than total precision?

When HDTV was less commonplace, one could opt to purchase the less pricey EDTV (enhanced definition television) instead, but manufacturers have since discontinued these. Plasma televisions are somewhat tricky in their operation in that there is a fixed number of pixels on the screen that must display whatever is being watched. This means that a program must be up-scaled or down-scaled by the television in order to be properly displayed on the given resolution. This being the case, there were previously many situations where an older plasma HDTV might not outperform a plasma EDTV, depending on the many factors involved in picture display and the pixels involved. This issue is no longer a concern, as plasma screen technology has made leaps and bounds over the years.

The current debate, even between plasma screen enthusiasts, is whether the 1080p is superior to the 1080i. Both possess an impressive 1920×1080 resolution, but the interlaced format (1080i) requires that the source be shown sequentially on the screen, with the odd-numbered lines displaying first, followed immediately by the even-numbered lines, all within a fraction of a second. While this is impressive, the newer progressive-scan format (1080p) shows all of these lines together, resulting in a much cleaner and smoother picture, particularly where motion is involved.

1080p plasma TV might come at a higher price, but it is a shining example of technology at the top of its game, and as more and more HD channels and sources are offered, the 1080p plasma will continue to remain as such, while other televisions will struggle to keep up.