The invention provides voltage potential differences for selectively discharging cells in a plasma display device, with greater brightness and reduced power consumption. The plasma display device has orthogonally related electrodes sealed in an atmosphere of neon gas. When a predetermined potential is applied between two intersecting electrodes, the neon gas glows at the intersection. The predetermined potential is achieved by applying two pulse trains which have opposite phases and therefore oppositely going voltage polarities. The difference in the oppositely going peak voltages of the two pulse trains provides a firing potential at the selected intersection. To reduce power consumption, the cell at the intersection is fired at a high potential during an address mode and thereafter held in a glowing state by a greatly reduced voltage. Another embodiment produces a similar result by changing the frequency of driving pulses in the firing and the holding modes.