The End is Nigh?

[strapped for cash]

Spotted this article today:

http://japandailypress.com/panasonic-considering-an-end-to-plasma-tv-production-1820054

I really hope not. With affordable OLED some way off, it could be a few years before there's a TV worth buying again.

After auditioning ST50 and GT50 plasmas, I'd decided to wait and see what CES brings. Perhaps I should be grabbing a 2012 model while they're still available. Or maybe this is Panasonic's way of stimulating demand for 2012 models in light of further financial woes.

 

[strapped for cash]

Ignore the typo in the heading (I'm sure the "e" was there when I clicked on post).

 

[Son_of_SJ]

That would leave only Samsung and LG producing plasmas, neither with black levels as good as Panasonic's. If I could afford it (which I most certainly can't) I'd be getting a Panasonic TX-P65ST50 .....

 

[CnoEvil]

When I saw the title, I thought you were talking about this! :doh:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20764906

 

[jjbomber]

Ignore the typo in the heading (I'm sure the "e" was there when I clicked on post).

On the top left of your post are a couple of tabs and click on the edit one. Then you can correct your spelling mistake!

 

[eggontoast]

When I saw the title, I thought you were talking about this! :doh:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20764906

In fairness the OP's is a bit more serious

 

[simonlewis]

Ignore the typo in the heading (I'm sure the "e" was there when I clicked on post).

On the top left of your post are a couple of tabs and click on the edit one. Then you can correct your spelling mistake!

Or you could just do this.

 

[strapped for cash]

When I saw the title, I thought you were talking about this! :doh:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20764906

In fairness the OP's is a bit more serious

True, I find the possibility of Panasonic ceasing plasma production in the very near future far more alarming.

Cno, without a link to the donkey cheese thread, other posters are missing key information...

 

[strapped for cash]

Ignore the typo in the heading (I'm sure the "e" was there when I clicked on post).

On the top left of your post are a couple of tabs and click on the edit one. Then you can correct your spelling mistake!

Or you could just do this.

If there's a more complicated way, I'll usually find it!

 

[CnoEvil]

Cno, without a link to the donkey cheese thread, other posters are missing key information...

"Key" might be putting it a little strongly....though I did find it mildly amusing, in a bizarre sort of way. :twisted:

 

[Andrew Everard]

Slightly old news, as most of the plasma capacity has already been turned over to other technologies, such as solar panels

 

[strapped for cash]

Slightly old news, as most of the plasma capacity has already been turned over to other technologies, such as solar panels

Perhaps, but I hadn't read anything suggesting the end of Panasonic plasma televisions might be quite so imminent. Maybe I'm not up to speed...

 

[bigboss]

When I saw the title, I thought you were talking about this! :doh:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20764906

I thought the same for a moment, then noticed it was posted in "TVs and Projectors" section.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Perhaps, but I hadn't read anything suggesting the end of Panasonic plasma televisions might be quite so imminent. Maybe I'm not up to speed...

Agreed, this seems to be one of the better-sourced rumours (well, sort of...), but suggestions that the company may be considering pulling the plugs on plasma, or indeed quitting the TV business altogether, have been flying around for a good while.

Seems sad that less than two years ago Panasonic ran a European press trip to show off its TV technology and shiny new factories, and now appears to be in this beleaguered state

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Spotted this article today:

http://japandailypress.com/panasonic-considering-an-end-to-plasma-tv-production-1820054

I really hope not. With affordable OLED some way off, it could be a few years before there's a TV worth buying again.

After auditioning ST50 and GT50 plasmas, I'd decided to wait and see what CES brings. Perhaps I should be grabbing a 2012 model while they're still available. Or maybe this is Panasonic's way of stimulating demand for 2012 models in light of further financial woes.

My advice is to buy now! I am not sure people know how good the GT50 is. I can't believe I only paid £1200 for it! It has to be the best TV I have seen! Every time I watch it I have a smile on my face. I look at the other TVs and I don't even think they come close!

And some of them cost a lot more! Don't miss out on this TV. Perhaps someone else with it or WHF can tell you how good it is?

 

[eggontoast]

I was toying with the idea of replacing my current 2009 panny V10 with one of their newer models, does anyone think I would see a vast leap forward in picture quality ? I'd ideally be looking for a screen size of about 46"

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I was toying with the idea of replacing my current 2009 panny V10 with one of their newer models, does anyone think I would see a vast leap forward in picture quality ? I'd ideally be looking for a screen size of about 46"

Yes, yes, yes!

Look at the the GT50 you can't go wrong. A couple of years back a TV this good you would pay around £2500 for it! This year has been a brilliant year!

 

[CnoEvil]

Eat, Drink and be Merry, for tomorrow...........

 

[StanleyAV]

I certainly won't be shedding any tears were Panasonic to stop TV production. :shame:
I'm absolutely disgusted with the support I had from them. :wall:

What with new emerging TV technologies such as OLED and 4K on the horizon. UK customers can look
forward to better products and better support elsewhere in the market place. :exmark:

Maybe Pioneer can be tempted back by more lucrative technologies?

 

[DandyCobalt]

Aren't Pioneer back in bed with Sharp on the flat panel front?

 

[The_Lhc]

I certainly won't be shedding any tears were Panasonic to stop TV production. :shame:

I'm absolutely disgusted with the support I had from them. :wall:

Really? You never mentioned it...

What with new emerging TV technologies such as OLED and 4K on the horizon.

OLED's not looking that clever right now, I believe a couple of manufacturers are closing to giving up on it as it's just too difficult to scale up to TV sizes reliably (and there's the fading blue issue, etc etc).

 

[The_Lhc]

Aren't Pioneer back in bed with Sharp on the flat panel front?

The Pioneer Elite range was available in the US in late 2011/early 2012, don't know if it still is but it was simply Sharp licensing the name from Pioneer, Pioneer don't appear to have had very much input into the sets.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I personally will be very sad to see Panasonic stop making Plasma tvs. It seems just as they are getting it right, and by all accounts, making the best plasmas ever made, they want to pack it in.

Andrew, is there any truth in what my wife tells me about lots of Japanese engineers working for Samsung and LG?

And, if this is true, could we then see more leaving Panasonic and going to Korea too?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Andrew, is there any truth in what my wife tells me about lots of Japanese engineers working for Samsung and LG?

I think it may once have been the case that Japanese engineers were in demand in Korea as that country's companies strove to build up their businesses, but of late the Korean firms have been more picky about the engineering talent they buy in.

They've also been experiencing their own 'brain drain' from the big Korean names to smaller companies, and indeed to countries building up their own industries, such as China and Taiwan. Such countries have in the past employed Japanese expertise: I remember my first visit to IAG in China many years ago, before it moved into its current plant – even back then the head of production was Japanese, and ran what could safely be called 'a very tight ship'.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Thanks Andrew.

Knowing is enough. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to correct my wife, plus, she'd say you were wrong, as she never is.