Tech

The Rise and Fall of the Plasma Screen

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 08/10/2026, 12:11:23 UTC.

Briefings

In 1960, the University of Illinois developed the PLATO computerized instruction system, which required high-bandwidth video data for its terminals. This system was initially powered by cathode ray tubes (CRTs) that required expensive external memory storage. In 1962, Donald Bitzer's team at Owens-Illinois began researching plasma displays, eventually scaling a prototype to a 16x16 array in 1967. By 1968, Owens-Illinois released a 128x128 pixel panel, and in 1971 they shipped the world's first commercial plasma display panel, the Digivue. The plasma screen replaced CRTs by using a continuous gas medium to store data, allowing for thinner, more reliable displays that could handle the high bandwidth needed for the PLATO system's thousands of terminals.

Key points

• The PLATO system was a network of thousands of terminals connected to mainframes, requiring high-bandwidth video data for each user's session.
• Owens-Illinois licensed Bitzer's plasma display technology in 1967 and shipped the first commercial plasma display panel, the Digivue, in 1971.

Context

The PLATO system was a network of thousands of terminals connected to mainframes, requiring high-bandwidth video data for each user's session. The plasma screen replaced bulky CRTs by using a continuous gas medium to store data, allowing for thinner, more reliable displays that could handle the high bandwidth needed for the PLATO system's thousands of terminals.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to a single article from 2026. Specific manufacturing costs for the 500x500 pixel prototype are not quantified. The article cuts off mid-sentence at 1971, leaving the final commercial launch date and market performance of the Digivue unconfirmed.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 07/11/2026, 20:53:44 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeicr2caeox7suu5eifcsc63v4m2rmhjdvwyfpkn6z4qslgpnv4x4ru