Plasma Display Panels (PDPs) are a popular technology for large size television displays. Screen inefficiencies, which result in significant localized heat generation, necessitate the use of advanced thermal management materials to reduce the peak temperatures and spatial temperature variations across the screen. In the current study, infrared thermography was used to obtain thermal maps of a typical, 42", high-definition PDP screen for different illumination patterns and for several configurations of externally controlled heaters simulating PDP heat generation. The results were used to validate a three-dimensional numerical thermal model of the PDP designed to predict the beneficial effects of anisotropic graphite heat spreaders on the temperature distribution. In addition, a color analyzer was used to determine the spatial and temporal variations in luminosity across the PDP when operated continuously for 1750 hours. The thermal model and experimental luminosity characteristics were used to evaluate the deleterious effects of temperature on PDP performance.