RIP Plasma TVs - Panasonic to cease production

[pittsoccer33]

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/08/pana ... plasma-tv/

According to Japanese business outlet Nikkei, the electronics firm hopes to get out of the plasma biz much sooner than initially thought. Indeed, Panasonic has reportedly already discontinued the development of new plasma TVs and hopes to stop production by the end of fiscal 2013 which is around March of next year.

This leaves Samsung and LG as the sole manufacturers, with little incentive to develop a better product. This year's Panasonic ZT60 is considered pretty much the best tv ever.

OLED is hitting the market as the next big thing, but they have major questions of life expectancy (the color blue fades much faster than other colors) and yield (for every one that works at the factory several don't).

[shmenguin]

dammit. my pioneer better last until OLEDs are stable and affordable. i really don't want to be forced to buy an LCD in the future.

[Rylan]

What does OLED mean?

[shmenguin]

What does OLED mean?

without checking...organic light emitting diodes

amirite?

[Rylan]

Well I tried reading about it, but it is heavy chemistry. And while I understand some, its confusing why they will make a better TV.

[jf]

I consider our Panasonic plasma televisions
the best televisions in the market .

[pittsoccer33]

With LCD and LED you have a liquid crystal screen with a light behind it - a florescent light tube on LCDs and numerous diodes on LEDs.

On OLED the screen actually emits its own light. The problem so far has been the blue pixel light level. The blue burns out very quickly.

There are two OLED sets available now, one from LG and one from Samsung. Both only 1080p, 55", CURVED, and more $$ than a brand new motorcycle.

[Rylan]

I read they needed a backlight still? And that doesn't really answer what makes them so special.

[shmenguin]

i've read that the curved screen adds very little to your experience.

meanwhile...a tv that thin would look so boss mounted on a wall. but the ergonomics they chose prevent that.

[pittsoccer33]

The screen is built in [ridiculously thin] layers, but essentially the screen itself is producing the light. LED/LCD is back lit in some way.

So in theory they can get as bright as an LED, but still support the superior contrast and black level of a plasma.

Anyone with an AMOLED cell phone (original Samsung Galaxy line I know for sure) can attest that burn in is still a possibility.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57 ... levisions/

1. They're expensive, and might not get cheaper very quickly
2. They aren't flat
3. They can burn in
4. There is only one size: 55 inches
6. They're not 4K
7. There are competing OLED technologies

[shmenguin]

I read they needed a backlight still? And that doesn't really answer what makes them so special.

don't know the science behind it, but ultimately, you get a potentially razor-thin screen and the best quality picture out there (deepest blacks and whatnot).

[no name]

I read they needed a backlight still? And that doesn't really answer what makes them so special.

don't know the science behind it, but ultimately, you get a potentially razor-thin screen and the best quality picture out there (deepest blacks and whatnot).

So this is something for the super rich just to say they have it?

[pittsoccer33]

It is for now. Like I said, they only exist at 55" and are only 1080p (not 4K). The Samsung is $9000 and I think LG dropped their price to match, if not its still around $14,000.

TV margins are basically non-existent. Just like how LG and Samsung (Korean) used LED to put the screws to Sony, Sharp, and Panasonic (Japan), Hisense, TCL, Seiki and other Chinese firms are doing it to everyone else now.

The Chinese firms are selling these 4K sets very cheap. They're using 4K as their entrance into the US mainstream.

The legacy manufacturers are currently pricing OLED to 1) try to build in some profit margin and 2) offset all the loses from the large number of OLED panels who don't pass quality control

[Factorial]

I still think led/lcd is too harsh on the eyes compared to the plasma I had. Kind of like solid state vs tubes.

[viva la ben]

I love my edge lit 55" LG LED tv

[pittsoccer33]

I still think led/lcd is too harsh on the eyes compared to the plasma I had. Kind of like solid state vs tubes.

Pro calibrators use something around 35-40 foot-Lamberts when doing a calibration - CNET sets all to 40 when they review a tv. LEDs routinely put off twice that much light out of the box.

Brightness is the maximum white level it will put out. The bottom end stays the same and the high end gets brighter. The Contrast control moves the entire range up or down.

[Nuge]

So what will this do to prices? I'd love to pick up a Panasonic plasma on the cheap.

[pittsoccer33]

So what will this do to prices? I'd love to pick up a Panasonic plasma on the cheap.

I really don't know - opinions on the enthusiast forums are mixed. It will either drive prices up in a run to get one of the last ones, or bottom them out as consumers turn away from an abandoned technology.

[schreibdog]

Wow, a $7.7 billion loss on making Plasmas?

[redwill]

TV margins are basically non-existent.

Yeah, my local Sears store (small town, small store downtown) stopped stocking TVs and replaced that whole section of the store with mattresses. No money in TVs.

[pittsoccer33]

Wow, a $7.7 billion loss on making Plasmas?

Sony has been getting crushed too. At first the pressure was from Korean firms who were making them cheaper. Now Chinese companies are presenting a threat to both.

I don't know what the economics are the whole way up the supply chain, but where I worked we routinely sold Panasonic plasmas at or below our cost. In general we were supposed to make that loss up selling an extended warranty and Monster cables, but when we had various promotions I know the manufacturer kicked the store a rebate back on the discounted selling price at some point. We often got spiffs for selling certain Panasonic models as well (Sharp spiffs were usually $100, Panasonic was either $15 or $50).

Yeah, my local Sears store (small town, small store downtown) stopped stocking TVs.

Sears is (was?) trying to get rid of all their commissioned electronics salespeople. That might sound nice in that you won't be hounded to buy things. But they still have the same metrics (or they wont get hours). So now you have a disincentivized person who likely knows less just doing whatever to keep their job.

[mac5155]

I was skeptical about plasma but love my 51" sammy. walmart special 2 years ago.

[Bioshock]

This sucks. Plasma is easily my favorite kind of HDTV

[thepittman]

Panasonic Plasma's were the best you could buy.

[skullman80]

Yeah I have a Panasonic Plasma 50" in my living room. Out of the 3 HDTV's I own, it's the best easily.