Panasonic to quit making plasma TVs?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Spitfire, Mar 18, 2013.

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  1. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
  2. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

  3. kevintomb

    kevintomb Forum Resident

    This totally sucks....wow
     
    sound chaser likes this.
  4. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer

    Location:
    The West
    Oh man. Lousy news. Looks like plasma is quickly becoming a dying technology. Shame. Hopefully the OLED displays we keep being promised will make up for the loss of plasma. LCD screens have improved dramatically but still don't match the cinema quality of plasma, IMHO.

    dan c
     
  5. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    Really bad.

    One senses Samsung will see the writing on the wall and follow suit. Even if they do have deeper CE pockets.

    The whole freakin' globe is being downsized.

    Nothin' but Lowest Common Denominator for the shlubs going forward.

    Come on, Lotto.
     
  6. hi_watt

    hi_watt The Road Warrior

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Damn. I have to definitely take care of my Panasonic plasma (3 years old), and invest in the last of the latest plasma sets from them.
     
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  7. kevintomb

    kevintomb Forum Resident


    Im willing to bet they will cost too much in comparison for any picture advantages they have over plasma, OR they will have some serious flaws the first few years, that will keep most from buying them....ehh bad news wither way!!
     
  8. ROLO46

    ROLO46 Forum Resident

    Thats interesting
    I have just been talking to a large Panny dealer who was just back from Cannes and a Panasonic Dealership Event
    He met their Plasma Director and Designer and showed me the latest set
    Its display was excellent and its speed through the menu quite amazing
    Oleds are a long way off and still v expensive
    He knew nothing about the demise of plasma, he thought my Kuro screen would last many years and the box fail first.
    The Kuro dream must survive!
     
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  9. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    This was rumored last year but then they came out with new sets for 2013.
     
  10. His Masters Vice

    His Masters Vice W.C. Fields Forever

    Yeah, and it was widely reported in 2011 that major record companies would stop making CDs by the end of 2012... That didn't happen and it's similarly unlikely that Panasonic will ditch plasma for an unproven format.
     
  11. full moon

    full moon Forum Resident

    That stinks, but Samsung makes some quality plasmas
     
  12. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Gotta say, I love my Panasonic plasma. Hope they continue.
     
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  13. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    Maybe merge this with the Plasma thread?

    But yeah, my VT50 is amazing. I love it. I've gotta a ZT60 in my future and my VT50 has even been pre-sold to a friend. The ZT60 was going to be my "long-term" panel and last plasma. OLED better have an affordable mega-sized within 5-7 years with the best PQ ever achieved by a consumer panel.

    I wonder if Panny would pull out all the stops if 2014 is the final model year (or perhaps the ZT60 is it)? They have a sick pro model that came out a few years which is said to have taken the crown from Kuro (all-around). The technology is there, but is it feasible while meeting power consumption mandates?

    In any event, bring on OLED. So who will be the Pioneer/Panny of OLED!? I'll be ready for an 84" with no compromise reference PQ at under $5 grand in 5-7 years.
     
  14. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    The original source for this was Reuters' news service:

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/18/us-panasonic-plasmatv-idUSBRE92H00020130318

    Japan's Panasonic Corp is leaning towards withdrawing from plasma television operations as part of a downsizing of its television business over three years starting next fiscal year, the Nikkei newspaper said on Monday.

    It is said when a really good technology doesn't sell as well as a superior technology, so it fails and fades due to economics, not quality.

    I'd be glad to take one of Dolby's $40,000 LCD pro video mastering monitors:

    [​IMG]

    http://www.dolby.com/us/en/professi.../prm-4200-professional-reference-monitor.html
     
  15. Have to pay attention and see when they launch their final models and get one before they become extinct. Hopefully that one will last until something truly better comes along.
     
  16. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    Shame. Love them.
     
  17. ROLO46

    ROLO46 Forum Resident

    Power consumption is throttling Plasmas it seems
    Surely we have choice?
    I like a warm screen,but I live in a damp cool country.
     
    phil1db likes this.
  18. I'm not surprised, as they are losing money, as are Sony and Sharp, in TVs. The whole market has gotten downmarket due to price competition rather than performance. TVs have never been cheaper, yet, try to go to a TV store and find a TV 40" or under that has more than 1-2 connectors or audio outs or has a processor that can handle motion even remotely correctly. Just cheap stuff and a lot of the really low end is rebranded contract made stuff, even if they are TV manufacturer and well known brand.

    Not everyone needs a big screen, but even those are cheap, now. Big and/or cheap seems to sell.
     
    PhantomStranger likes this.
  19. dougotte

    dougotte Petty, Annoying Dilettante

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    http://www.rtings.com/info/lcd-vs-led-vs-plasma/power-consumption-and-electricity-cost

    "The next chart shows the yearly cost if the television is watched 5 hours per day for 365 days, at a cost of electricity of 0.11$ per kWh.
    As you can see in the chart, a Plasma television does cost significantly more electricity than a LED TV. However, the resulting cost at the end of the year is not very big, about 40$ more for a 50" plasma. On a 5 year period, the total amount saved would be 200$.
    As mentioned previously here, a Plasma TV cost on average 350$ less than a LED TV for the same size. Based on this, it will take 8.75 years for the total cost of ownership (initial cost + electricity cost) of a plasma television to surpass its LED counterpart. If you plan to own and use your television for more than 8.75 years, a LED television will end up costing you less in its lifetime than a Plasma TV."

    I underlined the "...5 hours per day..." part because I know we only watch maybe 2 hours per day, on average.

    Is the power consumption actually much greater, and does that affect many consumer's buying choices?
     
  20. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    It has been opined by many LD buffs that LaserDiscs look better on plasmas connected direct than they do on LCDs connected direct, unless you either have a scaler that converts up to 1080p from composite or S-Video, or at the bare minimum, one of the vintage video enhancers such as the VIP Hybrid-8 and similar products.
     
  21. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    I love my Panasonic Plasma. I am only lukewarm about my Samsung LCD. That is a real shame, nothing beats Panasonic Plasma to my eyes.
     
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  22. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    Very sad news...
     
  23. ggergm

    ggergm another spring another baseball season

    Location:
    Minnesota
    Unfortunate but not unexpected.

    There is just enough room in my cabinet for a new TC-P55ST60. I'm going to sell my Panasonic 50" plasma that's only 4 years old and get this one. 5" more and a brand new model, and my last Panasonic plasma. It should satisfy me until I see something better.

    Wow. I just did the math. That 10% bigger screen, that extra 5", gives me almost a 22% increase in picture area. Well worth doing. :thumbsup:
     
  24. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    I love my Panasonic 55VT50 and it was the best television of the last year.
    Outstanding picture quality and reference model.
     
  25. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    Shame good quality is going out the window..... You can't beat plasma IMHO....

    People just want the cheap stuff anymore....
     
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