Plasma TV, which means that neon gas is trapped between two panes of glass and electrically charged, is the wave of the future. The plasma gives off colored light. This year's Street of Dreams is loaded with plasma TVs.
Plasma TVs offer wide-screen viewing, up to five feet across.
Because there is no picture tube, the sets are about four inches thick. The plasma picture is more accurate than a standard set, especially around the edges where standard TVs distort, blur and lose their brightness. Because of their cost, plasma sets only appeal to the very wealthy. But the future should bring technology breakthroughs and much lower prices. The makers hope to sell 1 million plasma TVs a year by 2004.