The last vacuum tube of our silicon society will dutifully fade into the history books as arguably the single most significant invention of the atomic age. As the inevitable convergence of computers and TV approaches, the CRT will be forced into retirement as the world turns digital. Plasma manufacturers, however, face several challenges.
Production costs are staggering.
Investments into the billions of dollars are a prerequisite. The learning curve to manufacture the plasma panel is steep and the obstacles are many. With only four legitimate manufacturers in the world that can actually build plasma panels, NEC Technologies is a prime leader and innovator in the plasma arena. On May 26 of this year, NEC Technologies unveiled one of the world's first 50-inch plasma display panels at the 1998 Society for Information Display trade show in Anaheim, California. A potent proclamation to NEC Technologies competitors.