Pioneer Leaves Plasma Market

Advertisement (Why?)

Electronics maker Pioneer, the world's fifth-biggest plasma TV maker, said it would fall into the red for the fourth straight year on costs to scrap production of plasma displays as it shifts its strategy in the cut-throat flat TV market. Pioneer is expected to now turn to Panasonic to supply it with panels for its plasma TVs, thereby allowing it to focus on design and marketing and save on production costs. "This move will allow us to transform our business model for displays from vertically integrated, capital-intensive operations to a leaner business model geared to making value-added product proposals," Pioneer said in a news release.

Pulling out of plasma production marks a major shift in Pioneer's strategy. The company has spent a little over 100 billion yen to build four plasma panel production lines and to buy two more lines from NEC Corp. Pioneer said it would now refocus its resources on more promising businesses such as car electronics and audio equipment.

View: Full Story at Reuters

#1 +Zhivago on 07 Mar 2008 - 16:25

Start making large size OLEDs please.

(1 reply) #2 stezo2k on 07 Mar 2008 - 16:43

I am gutted to see pioneer stop production of plasmas, they make the best tvs money can by IMO, they'll still be good but it'll take a hell of a lot of effort to get their new panels as good as their current ones

#2.1 Munna2002 on 07 Mar 2008 - 17:13

I am just shocked as well. Engadget has a good discussion about Pioneer's exit. Pioneer's Kuro was an amazing product especially with the infinite black feature that was supposed to come out soon.

But I guess I can understand since the profit margins on Pioneer Plasma products were not very good and LCD was giving stiffer competition. Also, Sharp bought a piece of Pioneer so that Sharp could obtain some speaker technology for their LCDs. LCDs in general are made by Panasonic and Sharp nowadays.

Hopefully Pioneer will move towards newer technologies with better contrast like OLED or AMOLED to restore their reign for the state of the art televisions. As of right now, what are the best (quality-wise - LCDs, plasma, and/or OLED) TV on the market?

#3 idoia on 07 Mar 2008 - 17:11

Kuromon!

#4 neufuse on 07 Mar 2008 - 18:16

Plasma is expensive! Most people don't even consider the energy costs of them when they buy them... We bought one when the LCD tv's wern't still that great yet... and the amount of power it uses compared to a LCD of the same size is ridicilous... even today's plasmas use way more power

(3 replies) #5 shakey_snake on 07 Mar 2008 - 18:56

"The company has spent a little over 100 billion yen to build four plasma panel production lines and to buy two more lines from NEC Corp. "
100 billion yen is like what $15US ?

#5.1 SHS on 08 Mar 2008 - 00:14

In the US that round $974,000,000 million dallor

#5.2 bits on 08 Mar 2008 - 00:15

Or about $10million USD

#5.3 SHS on 08 Mar 2008 - 01:38

(bits said @ #5.2)

Your a bit off you need add about 964 million more
Or if round this out it more closest to 1 billion US dallor

Last edited by SHS on 08 Mar 2008 - 01:44

#6 gate1975mlm on 07 Mar 2008 - 19:41

My Pioneer 5070 is a great TV!

Its a year old and I think I will be happy with it for the next 10 years or so!

HD on it looks sooo good!

(4 replies) #7 WolfDV on 07 Mar 2008 - 21:16

what they're just outsourcing is the panel, "just the glass" to panasonic. Panny will make it to pioneer's specs at a much reduced cost, and pioneer will continue to sell plasma's with their "kuro" black level technology, but with outsourced glass.

basically we will still get kuro quality, and hopefully at a reduced price due to the outsourced glass production.

I love my 6010 kuro, and am looking forward to the absolute black, 10 lumen, 9mm tech they demo'd earlier this year.

Last edited by WolfDV on 08 Mar 2008 - 00:59

#7.1 Munna2002 on 07 Mar 2008 - 22:34

Has the burn in factor been eliminated with Pioneer plasmas? And what about the electricity consumption?

#7.2 WolfDV on 08 Mar 2008 - 00:55

average power consumption on modern sets is on par with lcd's of the same size, and when tech with higher lumens per watt is released, power consumption could be nearly 1/10th what it is now in a few years.

burn-in is also nearly a thing of the past .. minor temp image retention can still occur on some plasmas if static images are on too long, however plasma tech is improving, and on the pio kuro's IR is very rare, orbiter (pixel shift) does a good job or reducing this.

The best thing about plasmas is no motion lag, and excellent deep black levels and shadow detail.

#7.3 excalpius on 09 Mar 2008 - 06:35

Everyone is preparing for OLED. Vendors have moved to LCDs with the intention of recouping as much as they can before the OLED juggernaut arrives. Toshiba's HDDVD was sacrificed on the altar in order to give Sony a major concession/win. If Blu-Ray would have lost, then Sony would have had to release OLED now...and NONE of the major players wants that.

Why? Because OLED destroys everything in ALL markets and everyone knows it.

So, for now, everyone is paying Sony to keep OLED off the market for a few more years.

And yes, this is REALLY how the world works...

#7.4 Jugalator on 10 Mar 2008 - 09:39

I think it's too long of a gap until OLED will be viable for the TV market for this to be the reasoning behind this decision. Optimistic speculation seem to speak of around 2010 at earliest (and I can only assume those will be super expensive like the early plasma/LCD's were), and I think that was due to the scaling problems, not out of keeping an eager Sony out.

Last edited by Jugalator on 10 Mar 2008 - 09:45

#8 Neo Razgriz on 07 Mar 2008 - 22:17

Will all Pioneer Plasmas get a price drop now?

#9 saiya on 07 Mar 2008 - 22:53

its funny cause Kuro meant black in Japanese so when you say Kuro Black Tech..its like saying Black Black Tech...hehe

#10 thomasxstewart on 08 Mar 2008 - 01:59

I feel pioneer , good name in electronics, is trying to phase out plasma. Although pioneer will distribute new item, surely price will INCREASE. leaving less markable product. Lets Face It, Burn IN is Unsoluable Problem & adding Lethal doseages of near Gamma ray intensity within 4" of screen isn't too good ethier.

At some point OLED image may far surpass anything Plasma could do, So for smallest niche in bottm of catalog, well its becomes more of specialty item than Product. Panasonic must shudder at thought of all those returned glass panels. One thing that Never panned out was Carbon Nanotube TV, while LCD panels of 40" are light 35 pounds, so everything is going lcd/olcd way & i'd discount any long range intrest in any plasma at all.

Signed

HYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON DRASHEK M.D.

#11 Ficman on 08 Mar 2008 - 13:15

This is a sad day... My Pioneer Plasma weeps...

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net