Does 120Hz technology apply to plasmas? or is it just measured in LCD's?

Question

Some new LCD's (Sony's XBR line) has 120Hz technology. Does this type of measurement apply to plasma's?

Answer 1

The 120 Hz technology sounds very gimmicky to me.  For example, standard NTSC video is played at 30 frames per second, or 30 Hz.  (hertz is a measurement of cycles per second)  A lot of HD is shown at 60 Hz (30x2).  This works because in the US, the alternating current power from the wall is set to 60 Hz.  In Europe, the power is at 50 Hz- their standard def video is at 25 Hz, and their HD signal is at 50 Hz.  Notice how all the frame rates are multiples of their electrical currents' rate?  This is done to reduce flicker on the screen.  So back to the US, it would seem logical to go from 30, to 60.... to 120 Hz.  The thing is, this isn't increasing the frame rate of the picture to 120 frames per second- rather, (assuming 60 frames per second) it is showing each frame twice at 1/120 of a second each time.

Okay, so to answer your question... plasma displays certainly could tout this technology if they wanted to, but they tend to have a smoother picture than LCDs, which traditionally have a more blurred picture.  The 120 Hz just refers to the rate at which the picture is refreshed.  I have seen the new Sony LCDs and they do look great, but I am very hesitant to credit that to 120Hz technology.

Answer 2

Really just LCD and some Rear projection TVs

Plasmas don't need 120Hz because they don't suffer from image blur at speed.  

Also most authorities find little to no improvement for 120Hz

Seems like another LCD gimmick to me.