Panasonic to stop making Plasma TVs

[bigboss]

As highlighted by gel in the other thread:

Guess it is just a matter of time now:

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1363583630

And reported by What Hi Fi

http://www.whathifi.com/news/panasonic-set-to-pull-out-of-plasma-tvs

Makes me wonder:

1) If 2013 sets are not going to be an improvement over the 2012 range (except the ZT65), considering that Panasonic stopped investing in R&D, would that make the outgoing 2012 models some sort of a bargain (not withstanding the widely reported issues)?

2) Will Samsung & LG pull out as well, signalling the end of plasma?

 

[simonlewis]

That is bad news, it will probably another 4-5 years but it looks like my next tv will be a samsung, i wonder what the future of plasma will be.

 

[simonlewis]

Those pioneer engineers must be cursed, first they lose their job at pioneer now they lose their jobs at panasonic.

 

[scene]

Well now OLED looks to be more viable, with the advantages of plasma in terms of brightness and contrast with the lower power demands of LED, looks like that will be the way the world will be going. As the WHF article says, Panasonic are reportedly still investing in the joint venture with Sony on OLEDs, scheduled for 2014/5 touchdown, which matches nicely with a three-year pull out of the plasma market.

It was always on the cards, as BB said on the comment on the article. But will loads of Panasonic engineers be out of work - or will they be / have they been transferred to the OLED/OEL development - a lot of the skills required a picture processing ones and I suspect are transferrable to the production of other large-size transmissive screens.

 

[Oldboy]

Not entirely surprised at the news but the timing is odd as bigboss mentioned, with the 2013 sets just about to hit retailers it throws into question just how good the sets will be over the 2012 models and the levels of customer support you will receive if you buy one.

Is this the start of a move away from plasma tech by all manufacturers though? It will leave just Samsung and LG as the only ones still making plasma tvs and unless the incoming F8500 from Samsung really impresses then the days of quality plasma sets may be over. Got real sympathy for the ex Kuro engineers that Panasonic hired some time ago but then as scene says they may well be put on OEL/OLED development...or leave for Samsung or LG.

It's worrying that Panasonic are scaling down tv production and Japan in particular are suffering more than most from the Korean dominance of the market, with Sony scaling back too are we seeing real signs of Samsung and LG bcoming the only two major manufacturers of tvs? Can Chinese manufacturers now fill the void left by Sony and Panasonic?

 

[bigboss]

Can Chinese manufacturers now fill the void left by Sony and Panasonic?

http://www.whathifi.com/blog/as-ces-2013-showed-the-chinese-arent-coming-–-theyre-already-here

 

[Oldboy]

Can Chinese manufacturers now fill the void left by Sony and Panasonic?

http://www.whathifi.com/blog/as-ces-2013-showed-the-chinese-arent-coming-–-theyre-already-here

I had already read that article but these moves by Panasonic and Sony seem to be opening up a gap in the market for them to fill sooner than I expected...they could be household names within a few years??

 

[bigboss]

It is entirely possible for Panasonic & Sony go Philips route, & license its name to a Chinese TV.

Seeing what's possible with Philips, Samsung & LG need to be worried:

http://www.stuff.tv/news/tv-and-hi-fi/news-nugget/sheet-of-glass-philips-designline-2013-tv-is-a-£2000-disappearing-tell

 

[bigboss]

What Hi Fi news of Philips TV here:

http://www.whathifi.com/news/philips-re-imagines-tv-design-the-pdl-8908-is-the-result

 

[Oldboy]

That's a very very good point! Why waste time building up brand awareness and trust with customers when you can just use the name of an existing brand with worldwide recognition and brand awareness, I guess if the Phillips deal goes well and the tvs are well received this year then perhaps it's something Sony and Panasonic may look at?

The deal doesn't seem to have done any harm to the Phillips brand so far when it comes to tvs and they are still very much Phillips tvs when it comes to styling and tech...is this the future face of the tv business I wonder ??

That designline tv is by far the most interesting design of tv i've seen for years and is exactly the sort of product you would think Phillips would be making, will be interesting to see a review of it when it arrives. Thanks for the info bigboss

 

[strapped for cash]

If 2013 sets are not going to be an improvement over the 2012 range (except the ZT65), considering that Panasonic stopped investing in R&D, would that make the outgoing 2012 models some sort of a bargain (not withstanding the widely reported issues)?

2) Will Samsung & LG pull out as well, signalling the end of plasma?

I think Samsung and Panasonic will manufacture plasma TVs for a few years yet.

Both invested heavily in R&D during the last twelve months. Lower-spec plasmas may not have improved much this year, but both manufacturers promise substantial gains with their flagship plasma TVs. You could argue that each is going out with a flourish. I think it's more likely that technology will trickle down from these high end plasmas over the next couple of years.

As I argued elsewhere, I think plasma will be around until OLED prices match or undercut plasma TV prices. At this point, assuming any issues with OLED have been ironed out, plasma will no longer be economically viable (there may still be a budget LCD/LED market).

With regard to outgoing 2012 models, I personally don't consider them a bargain, but let's not open that wound again.

 

[bigboss]

I think Samsung and Panasonic will manufacture plasma TVs for a few years yet.

Oh, you do love Panasonic, don't you?

I'm sure you meant LG and not Panasonic.

 

[GSB]

Bring on the OLED'S i say,but not just yet....my gt30 is only just over a year old :shifty:

 

[strapped for cash]

Oh, you do love Panasonic, don't you?

I'm sure you meant LG and not Panasonic.

Just telling it like it is. Going through three TVs in as many months that perform very badly with certain content tends to shape your opinion.

You're welcome to pop round and watch the England game later this week. You can suffer the double agony of watching the national team's ineptitude with vertical stripes as an undefeatable feature. (That's not my wallpaper, just to be clear.)

Fun times!

 

[Nick_Shepherd]

Is this all not unlike motor car production? They all used to develop and build their own, now they share tech, own bits of each other and share manufacturing.

This business model is common place these days I suggest.

keeps the brand going and they all still supply whatever tech the customer wants and if its profitable.

i say it's not the death of anything that wouldn't die anyway, its just developed and manufactured by more than one.....

 

[micks_address]

i guess the zt65 is going to be the last great panasonic plasma then? there goes my hope of smallers sizes in the zt next year

max size i can go anyway is 46" - what would be the best alternative to my already excellent 42Vt30?

 

[bigboss]

There have been discussions about the Panasonic VT65, GT60 & ST60, and also Samsung F8500. Check the relevant threads in "TVs and Projectors" section for more info. They are suitable alternatives, and are coming in 50-inch versions.

 

[Anonymous]

That's a bit of a gutter. It reminds me of when Pioneer pulled the plug - they had not long produced the 9th Gen panels, with the 10th Gen eagerly anticipated, and then gone. No more.

Panasonic seem to have finally caught up with Kuro level quality with VT50 and now ZT65; having done so they appear to be pulling out of plasma. I always regret not getting a KRP when they were new, but I just couldn't justify the cost having shelled out £2500 for a 436XDE only 3 years earlier. Plus the 436 was a stunning set in its own right, and gave me 6/7 years of great service.

Perhaps the moral of the story is that I should remortgage to buy a ZT65 and mothball it for future use or perhaps sale ? Or will OLED really allow us to forget about Plasma and leave us wondering why we ever bothered with it ?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

That's a bit of a gutter. It reminds me of when Pioneer pulled the plug - they had not long produced the 9th Gen panels, with the 10th Gen eagerly anticipated, and then gone. No more.

Panasonic seem to have finally caught up with Kuro level quality with VT50 and now ZT65; having done so they appear to be pulling out of plasma. I always regret not getting a KRP when they were new, but I just couldn't justify the cost having shelled out £2500 for a 436XDE only 3 years earlier. Plus the 436 was a stunning set in its own right, and gave me 6/7 years of great service.

Perhaps the moral of the story is that I should remortgage to buy a ZT65 and mothball it for future use or perhaps sale ? Or will OLED really allow us to forget about Plasma and leave us wondering why we ever bothered with it ?

Probably best wait to see what WHF and some of the others say about it before doing anything crazy.

 

[strapped for cash]

Probably best wait to see what WHF and some of the others say about it before doing anything crazy.

You might also wait and see what people make of the Samsung F8500 plasma. This is pitched as a ZT65 and Kuro rival, but isn't as expensive.

If Panasonic stops manufacturing plasma TVs this year, those ex-Pioneer engineers have got to go somewhere; and there's no indication at present that Samsung is pulling out of the plasma business.

 

[Anonymous]

Probably best wait to see what WHF and some of the others say about it before doing anything crazy.

You might also wait and see what people make of the Samsung F8500 plasma. This is pitched as a ZT65 and Kuro rival, but isn't as expensive.

If Panasonic stops manufacturing plasma TVs this year, those ex-Pioneer engineers have got to go somewhere; and there's no indication at present that Samsung is pulling out of the plasma business.

Have always seen Samsung as more about style than substance - they seem to be more concerned about wafer thin bezels and so called "smart" applications than actual picture quality. We will see, but I would be surprised if the F8500 was anywhere near the ZT65.

 

[bigboss]

No one else has invested in R&D as much as Samsung has. Panasonic has stopped investing in plasma R&D. So anything is possible. I don't think plasma engineers will remain stuck with plasma technology. I'm sure they must be working on OLED.

 

[strapped for cash]

I would be surprised if the F8500 was anywhere near the ZT65.

I've been researching the F8500 extensively. I think you'll be surprised.

 

[strapped for cash]

No one else has invested in R&D as much as Samsung has. Panasonic has stopped investing in plasma R&D. So anything is possible. I don't think plasma engineers will remain stuck with plasma technology. I'm sure they must be working on OLED.

I'm not suggesting plasma engineers can't (or indeed don't) work on other technologies. I still wouldn't be surprised if Panasonic's plasma engineers were sourced by other manufacturers, assuming Panasonic calls it a day this year.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

The answers to my next questions are probably widely available on the net, but I'll ask them anyway.

Do plasma panels cost more to manufacture than lcds?

If so, by what percentage?