I want to use a plasma screen in the front window of my shop facing direct sunlight. Will prolonged exposure to sun damage the plasma screen?
No! Do not use a plasma screen TV as part of your window display if direct light will be hitting it! We bought a brand new Samsung 50″ to use as part of our display. We also installed a 3M UV shield on our windows AND had a custom UV protective box for the front of the TV made of ventilated plexiglass and acrylic. Within 8 months the TV was destroyed by the sunlight. I have since brought it in but when the TV is off, you can see evidence of where shadows have hit the screen and other parts where the sun has shown. The picture quality has greatly deteriorated as well. Bad idea. Take it from me, $1000 down the drain in 8 months.
Direct sunlight should not affect the screen. After all, televisions can be located anywhere in the end user’s home. You should check the owner’s manual to see if there are any plastic elements that could deteriorate if left in direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time. However, a plasma television may fail earlier than expected in such an environment. The brightness and contrast of the display have probably been increased to make the screen more visible in the direct sunlight. This will shorten the life of the display, if it is used like this for a prolonged period of time.
