What a shocker

[Cricketbat70]

I have worked for my employer for 22 years this year and historically Panasonic were always our best selling TV brand and widely considered as the best.
That all changed a number of years ago when Panasonic decided to farm out production of some models to vestel and those models were no better than supermarket brands but were quite a bit more £ than the supermarket brands. Our rep said all Panasonic are interested in, is shifting boxes in supermarkets. That all ends soon, I suppose because of the flood in Chinese brands but bye bye Panasonic TV's in Europe. According to our director Panasonic just can't make any money in TV's anymore. He also said he's surprised it hasn't had more press coverage. I don't buy What HiFi so I don't know if even they have covered it.
How the mighty have fallen.

 

[daytona600]

Chinese state-owned TCL , Hisense etc are flooding the global market selling at below cost , once all rivals have gone they will control global pricing and prices will go up not down

 

[Gray]

I spent a year installing and setting up new TVs for a local retail chain.
It was a while ago now, but I really liked everything about the Panasonic sets and MUCH preferred them to Samsung, which was the brand that more customers seemed to buy.

Sorry to see them blending in to become just another one of a similar bunch - in the same way that Sony TV has (the absolute king of TV brands in the CRT era).

 

[Cricketbat70]

Chinese state-owned TCL , Hisense etc are flooding the global market selling at below cost , once all rivals have gone they will control global pricing and prices will go up not down

Yeah I know. Those two brands are increasing in sakes for us. We didn't even start selling TCL until last year. Hisense we've only got back into stock from November this year, after not being able to get hold of them when we left Euronics at the same time Britain voted for Brexit.

 

[DougK1]

I really hope they don't pull out of the market. I've bought pannie kit for years. Currently still got a pannie plasma and surround sound, both about 13 years old and still going strong.

 

[davidf]

Pioneer and Fujitsu went the same way - couldn't make any money due to people buying cheap TVs.

And as for "shifting boxes", it's been all about market share for certain brands ever since the demise of the above..

 

[daytona600]

Had a Pioneer Kuro superb Telly, Not much of Pioneer left

 

[Cricketbat70]

I really hope they don't pull out of the market. I've bought pannie kit for years. Currently still got a pannie plasma and surround sound, both about 13 years old and still going strong.

Unfortunately they are in the European market. The email went round work from our directors a month ago, All we are going to get from Panasonic now are microwaves, Air fryers and mini systems. From a brand that used to be our biggest seller when it came to TV's their market share has plummeted, I think in part because of the move to having vestel make certain models. It started off just a couple of models then increased every year. Imagine walking into Currys seeing a Panasonic model side by side with a cheapo brand realising they're exactly the same but the Panasonic is considerably more. Consumer "why buy the Pana I thought they were a quality brand?"
I think it was a move that back fired.
As a company we even went to Vestel and had our own brand TV's made. (A hotel contract that fell through) Our TV side by side with the Panasonic were identical apart from the name badge and the Panasonic was £200 dearer ok we cut out the middle man but even so in Currys etc the Panasonic were a lot dearer.

 

[Jasonovich]

I remember watching from a Vestel brand TV when we were holidaying in Turkey Turkiye, they seem to be in every hotel room. They also own global rights, as per below, to familiar brands from yesteryear.



It's a shame Panasonic don't have the b@lls to complete anymore, why can't they project themselves in the very top end like Sony?
I know Pioneer did this in the plasma days and eventually failed when people started to shift in volumes towards the more inferior leds and they didn't have a B plan.

Er we're ph*cked, I don't think Pioneer as a brand will exist in few years, must be on Vestel's shopping list?
Who brought the rights to Amstrad....ah who cares!
Lord Suger I made my decision, You're Fired!

I must applaud Sony, everybody falls on the last hurdle but Sony keeps going, what's their secret?

There's always a market for high quality TVs, abeit it's niche but will always draw in people with copius amount of wealth because these products are a signature and recognition of their lifestyle.

 

[davidf]

Reminds me of hi-fi during the late 90s. Technics was flying out the door, and the likes of Kenwood, Pioneer, and other Jap brands were trying to compete, but dealers were hacking it out for fun, then moaning they were making no money, so manufacturers made it cheaper in order to provide some margin. When dealers got that margin, they discounted - cyclical. Quality was suffering. In the end, it was great as people could buy amps, tuners, cassette decks, turntables, CD players etc for £90-130, but it wasn't sustainable. Some brands like Kenwood disappeared.

We could do with that now. There's a big lack of budget (full size) hi-fi gear to get youngsters on board.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Reminds me of hi-fi during the late 90s. Technics was flying out the door, and the likes of Kenwood, Pioneer, and other Jap brands were trying to compete, but dealers were hacking it out for fun, then moaning they were making no money, so manufacturers made it cheaper in order to provide some margin. When dealers got that margin, they discounted - cyclical. Quality was suffering. In the end, it was great as people could buy amps, tuners, cassette decks, turntables, CD players etc for £90-130, but it wasn't sustainable. Some brands like Kenwood disappeared.

We could do with that now. There's a big lack of budget (full size) hi-fi gear to get youngsters on board.

My first amp Denon PMA250 mkll £150. 1991. Nothing I bought for my first system was over £200. I did work out last year with inflation the Denon would now be around the price of the marantz PM6007. If I was starting afresh I couldn't afford that. I have less spare cash these days than back then

 

[Jasonovich]

My first amp Denon PMA250 mkll £150. 1991. Nothing I bought for my first system was over £200. I did work out last year with inflation the Denon would now be around the price of the marantz PM6007. If I was starting afresh I couldn't afford that. I have less spare cash these days than back then

I totally agree, price of HiFi is insane.
I almost every time use the interest free installment payment options via Klarna, PayPal or Clear pay.
It spreads it out nicely. The price of HiFi is absolutely crazy though.

 

[Gel Man]

I totally agree, price of HiFi is insane.
I almost every time use the interest free installment payment options via Klarna, PayPal or Clear pay.
It spreads it out nicely. The price of HiFi is absolutely crazy though.

The price of B&W speakers currently is crazy too, I could,ve bought the B&W 704 s2 floorstanding speakers for £1000 from Peter Tyson brand new a year and a half ago, now for the newer B&W 704 s3 they are basically £3000!

 

[davidf]

I totally agree, price of HiFi is insane.
I almost every time use the interest free installment payment options via Klarna, PayPal or Clear pay.
It spreads it out nicely. The price of HiFi is absolutely crazy though.

Everything's insane though, if you think about it.

 

[davidf]

The price of B&W speakers currently is crazy too, I could,ve bought the B&W 704 s2 floorstanding speakers for £1000 from Peter Tyson brand new a year and a half ago, now for the newer B&W 704 s3 they are basically £3000!

Tysons likely bought remaining discontinued stock at a cheaper than normal price. And the newer ones likely have a higher retail price than the old ones.

 

[Gel Man]

Tysons likely bought remaining discontinued stock at a cheaper than normal price. And the newer ones likely have a higher retail price than the old ones.

Frank Harvey did have the B&W 704 s3 for £2000 I noticed about 6 months ago but I believe have stopped selling B&W speakers now and that was why they were so cheap then.

 

[Shrek]

I always wait for January sales, picked up my 603s3 open box half price and my LG tv new less than half price .

 

[Jasonovich]

I always wait for January sales, picked up my 603s3 open box half price and my LG tv new less than half price .

I've splashed out quite a bit so far, I'm going to have to look the other way for the January Sales!

 

[Shrek]

I've splashed out quite a bit so far, I'm going to have to look the other way for the January Sales!

you said that before Jason 😂🙈

 

[Gel Man]

I always wait for January sales, picked up my 603s3 open box half price and my LG tv new less than half price .

How good are the B&W 603 S3 speakers?

 

[abacus]

How good are the B&W 603 S3 speakers?

The only way to know that is to try them out yourself, (Preferably with your own equipment) as everybody's ears are different.

Bill

 

[Gel Man]

The only way to know that is to try them out yourself, (Preferably with your own equipment) as everybody's ears are different.

Bill

Yes, you are quite right. Thanks Bill. 👍

 

[nopiano]

Everything's insane though, if you think about it.

We thought that at lunch today. Welsh Rarebit £13, basically fancy cheese on toast. And £3.30 for a small mineral water, more expensive than a half of Landlord!

 

[Shrek]

How good are the B&W 603 S3 speakers?

I have wharfdale 12.3 for the money are amazing but the B&WS are in a diffrent leauge you should go demo some . I wont be ever changing them im sure .

 

[Shrek]

We thought that at lunch today. Welsh Rarebit £13, basically fancy cheese on toast. And £3.30 for a small mineral water, more expensive than a half of Landlord!

I do a good french toast for £5.00 😆 i refuse to pay for bottled water unless i am desperate .