[The News Bot]

Pioneer is to pull out of plasma panel production. That’s the news from Tokyo today, as the company has put its PDP business on ‘review’. The likely upshot is that the brand’s highly regarded Kuro screens will be junked and the super-black screen prototype shown at the last CES will never come to market. The [...]
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[Matt306]

It's not the 1st of April is it?

A big shame indeed if true. The new screens looked very promising. I can't help but think that if Pioneer's weren't so expensive they might not be in this position. If they'd have been as competitive as Panasonic on pricing, my choice of screen would have been much harder.

[McFaber]

Oh Dear.........
With Fujitsu pulling out recently, thus leaving Pioneer as the only higher end option, I'm starting to wonder what's going on with the plasma tech...
All we need now is Panasonic to pull the plug LOL...God help us plasma lovers.

[Dav1dF]

AV Zombie scaremongering once again........

Reading between the lines, which most people won't do, it states PDP is on 'review. And as for the 'likely upshot', why not report facts rather than guessing and worsening an already confused market?

Is AV Zombie anti-plasma?

[luca_37inchlcd]

Originally Posted by Dav1dF

AV Zombie scaremongering once again........

Reading between the lines, which most people won't do, it states PDP is on 'review. And as for the 'likely upshot', why not report facts rather than guessing and worsening an already confused market?

Is AV Zombie anti-plasma?

Yes on review but probs gonna be out..

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/04/p...asma-business/

[Dav1dF]

They can guess all they like, but nothing's set in concrete until 7th March.....

[punkymunky]

Am I the only one who was expecting this, Pioneer's PDP manoeuvres in the last couple of years have always smacked of a business gambling it's final hand.

I mourned the loss of Fujitsu but they failed to shift in a changing market, I am less bothered about Pioneer as I've never been convinced by the hype. On the plus side for Pioneer fanboys, perhaps Panasonic will snap up their coveted technicians.

[McFaber]

Originally Posted by punkymunky

Am I the only one who was expecting this, Pioneer's PDP manoeuvres in the last couple of years have always smacked of a business gambling it's final hand.

I mourned the loss of Fujitsu but they failed to shift in a changing market, I am less bothered about Pioneer as I've never been convinced by the hype. On the plus side for Pioneer fanboys, perhaps Panasonic will snap up their coveted technicians.

I'm glad someone has got the balls to say what I've been thinking of saying....

[Helicon]

Originally Posted by punkymunky

I mourned the loss of Fujitsu but they failed to shift in a changing market

Fujitsu were at the top of the plasma tree because they refused to shift - it was the price driven public's refusal to buy quality screens that finished them off.

[Simba]

maybe they will venture into oled lcd and last it out making premium lcds....until they are forced to stop that too lol

[Helicon]

It's possibly the only chance of a half decent looking LCD tv.

[McFaber]

Originally Posted by Helicon

It's possibly the only chance of a half decent looking LCD tv.

By the time they get LCD to look half decent they're be another tech on the horizon.

[Helicon]

There's a thought........

Maybe it's a secret global conspiracy to wipe out plasmas on the old 'power consumption' argument.....who's that banging on my door?

[senu]

Originally Posted by Helicon

Fujitsu were at the top of the plasma tree because they refused to shift - it was the price driven public's refusal to buy quality screens that finished them off.

Nothing to do with prices then? Pioneer Plasmas are fab but I find thier Prices very hard to justify
For all its "imperfections" the latest 1080p 24p 100Hz 46" Samsung LCDs actually displaying SD quite well and HD very well indeed, the ( er.. superior) Plasmas need to make a serious case for them selves to justify costing 2-4X as much

Marketing apart ( not JP refusing to buy quality), I assure you that the public is often more discerning if the price is right.

[willharris10]

If Pioneer stop that'll be the best plasma screen by far out of production.

There is no-one out there making screens as good. No-one.

But, they're over priced. So I doubt they're selling well. Samsung is the value choice and Panasonic the upmarket choice. Pioneer as the posh choice and the Rolls Royce of screens is probably fighting over too small a niche at their prices. Shame as they are by far and away the best panels.

[Schrijf]

More a black day for fans of top quality Plasma Screens than for Pioneer share holders. Despite the top quality and heavy price tags, Pioneer lost in 2007 almost 100 Million USD on their Plasmas. And when Pioneer anounced a cost reducing business plan early this week, Pioneer shares went 12% up. According to my information Pioneer will shut down their factory in Kagoshima and buy Plasma panels from Panasonic.

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/CF/FR/GA...05.htm&Check=1

[Helicon]

Originally Posted by senu

I assure you that the public is often more discerning if the price is right.

If discerning had anything to do with it, Fujitsu would still be the plasma of choice. Think you mean that price is everything - which is a great shame.

[Crustyloafer]

Originally Posted by Helicon

If discerning had anything to do with it, Fujitsu would still be the plasma of choice. Think you mean that price is everything - which is a great shame.

I would agree with this strongly. The majority of the buying public is anything but discerning with regards to picture quality.

Price means everything and quality/performance means nothing to most people.

If the rumours here are true then this is one of the greatest disasters within the consumer visual display device industry to have ever happened in my opinion. Almost every step in this industry has been a step towards improved performance which is not going to happen for a while now that everyone is forced to revert back to below Pioneer performance standards.

Shame on you the buying public, you have brought this upon yourselves.

You have all made your bed, now you are going to have to sleep in it. Get used to mass market consumer levels of crap performance, crap service and lack of knowledgable specialist dealers.

[Jimmer]

I hope panny are doing ok reading all this. I'd hate to be forced into buying lcd. Been there done that, got dissapointed, wasted money and eventually saw through the hype.

With all the advances in hd etc etc why on earth are we going with imo, the worst material for panel peoduction

[Helicon]

Exactly Crusty.

In this supposedly improving, high quality digital world, we seem to be going backwards. First it was audio, now it's visual - i'm not too worried if i go deaf and blind now. Unless Kelly Brook sees sense and proposes.......

[Crustyloafer]

Originally Posted by Helicon

i'm not too worried if i go deaf and blind now. Unless Kelly Brook sees sense and proposes.......

Even then I reckon you'd get by pretty well on touch alone.

[Helicon]

Originally Posted by Crustyloafer

Even then I reckon you'd get by pretty well on touch alone.

You have a point there......

[SeanT]

And it wouldn't matter too much if you got a bit confused about where you were going

Originally Posted by Crustyloafer

Even then I reckon you'd get by pretty well on touch alone.

[stanleyntl]

If Pioneer sources Panasonic panels - why buy Pioneer?

Panasonic's sheer volume of production will still have its products more keenly priced than Pioneer.
Is it just the UK pioneer shafts on price or Europe too?

From a technical point of view super cool blacks aren't enough to convince the mass market to buy - that's just for us cineophiles!

I personally didn't like Kuro, it's over vivid colours were not to my taste. No doubt the Panny's for '08 will have really good blacks, so I won't shed any tears for Pioneer Europe/UK and it dumping its overpriced niche products.

[punkymunky]

Originally Posted by stanleyntl

I personally didn't like Kuro, it's over vivid colours were not to my taste.

Not to mention it's fizzy pixelated images and lack of edge definition.

It seems US consumers would agree, given the negligible panny/pio price differential state side.

[mannyjarnail]

This is a real shame and i agree with most that things seem to be going in reverse rather than forward. So we are to lose the best plasma panels in my opinion on the market. It doesnt shock me anymore that any company would stop production of high end hifi when i heard about M&K.

[Kdot]

The technology of TVs is moving so fast, why (unless he has money to burn) should Joe Public buy the Rolls Royce solution, when within 12 months, it will be overtaken by the average Ford model?

Between HDMI versions (and numbers thereof), BR profiles, Deep Colour, 24fps, 100Hz, interlaced, progressive, 720, 1080, etc, etc, the enthusiasts market is going to become more and more wary of wasting their money in the upmarket solution, let alone Joe 'I buy at Currys and Dixons' Public.

I can't see how Pioneer (and Fujitsu) ever saw a large enough market to aim for, with such a fluid market and 6-month product lifecycles.

I wouldn't argue that their products aren't the best, but the sums never did add up IMO.

[ISHANTY]

I don't know why people are so sad for pioneer it's their own fault to be honest they forgot the golden rule price is everything and not quality that's why they lost money

[Dav1dF]

Originally Posted by ISHANTY

I don't know why people are so sad for pioneer it's their own fault to be honest they forgot the golden rule price is everything and not quality that's why they lost money

So you think Pioneer should have made cheap screens that look no better than cheap LCD panels? We don't keep LCD's in our store because they just don't look as good as a plasma, we'd rather recommend a decent quality screen. After all, it's why our customers come back to us time and time again. If anyone brings out an LCD which is the same quality as a Fujitsu plasma, they'll be laughing. And we'll start recommending them

[James Baker]

Originally Posted by punkymunky

Not to mention it's fizzy pixelated images and lack of edge definition.

It seems US consumers would agree, given the negligible panny/pio price differential state side.

Well said - I too have not been impresed with the new KURO range -more what hifi hype

Bye Bye pioneer plasmas - you wont be missed.