Plasma telly to become the new Betamax

PUNDITS ARE predicting that plasma screens could become the Betamax of the telly world.

Until recently the two technologies didn't really compete. Plasma was the technology if you wanted a big but thin screen, while LCD was viable for smaller displays.

But, according to the Toronto Star, the telly industry is seeing LCD technology as the way forward. It says that the beginning of the end for plasma came when the maker of exploding batteries, Sony decided to scrap plasma development in favour of LCDs.

John Challinor, Sony Canada's general manager of corporate communications, said that plasma offered a good picture but they have serious burn in problems. They also do not last as long.

Meanwhile LCD technology has advanced significantly. There is still no commercial screen in the 60- or 70-inch range, but that is coming, Sony told the Star. Sure enough, Samsung announced such beast today.

Market research firm NPD indicates that plasma sales had increased by 283 per cent, while LCD sales increased by 330 per cent.

A spokesNPD said that plasma is in trouble mostly because it is seen as the early version of large flat screen TV, rather than technology in its own right.

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