RIP Panny Plasmas


Just saw a report on CNBC that Panasonic is planning on exiting the plasma business by March 2014. Can't say I'm overly surprised but still a bummer. Hope the others aren't following suit soon.
soix
Zydo: the market for all sorts of TV (flat panel is in a huge nosedive as anyone can see. Prices are so low no company is making any money. The market is oversaturated. The start up of flat panels was great, they made more, and more, now they are making too many. They have to give them away at cost to just be able to move them/ That is stupidity in action.
They all knew the market is saturating, and still make too many anyway.
Perhaps it is just to destroy the competition?
The company which can survive losing money the longest will win???
So anasonic, instead of reading the market, went and blew billions on a new plant. In effect making themselves broke and not being able to withstand the sell below cost market we have now.
So they did not see what was coming. Whichanyone can see and is a typical market event. When new tech take over. everyone wants one. then they got one. And they are all new, so not many buying another.. Well the manufacturing is going to take a big hit during that overcapacity period. PERIOD.
Some companie DO NOT overmanufacture. Even though they could. Like Magnepan. they are way behind on orders.. but they already know that if they built a new factory, as soon as the wave of newness ended, they would go broke. So they plod along in the old factory, and will certainy be around after the frenzy is over. Ditto VPI, same thing, they understand what thier market is like.
Obvious to me Sony and now Panasonic did not.
Anytine a company bulds a new factory and shuts it down in a year they clearly had their heads up thier collective asses.
Elizabeth,
Do you think Panasonic would have come out better if they shipped their plasmas with Pangea PCs? :) Sorry, couldn't help myself. Your analysis of market forces on high volume consumer goods is pretty hard to argue. Good post.
As much as I like my Kuro,if the demise of plasma tech,in general, means a push for OLED,then I say...lets get the show on the road.
I was holding out hope lower production costs and better product management in Korea would allow companies like Samsung to continue producing good plasmas, but apparently Elizabeth is correct as it stands...

http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/samsung-course-record-profit-5599166

I'm with Aolmrd in hoping the newer and hopefully superior technologies come online a little sooner as a result of this. I'm also with Rockdanny -- LCD/LEDs (even the new ones) give me an eye-ache.
I hear this a few days ago, not sure why but I suspect the reason is that plasma cannot be made into UHD except in huge sizes and is cost prohibitive in that case.

Buy a new ZT or for those looking more for bang for the buck, get an ST and use it until it dies, by then hopefully OLED will be around and affordable....