General Electric partners with Tatung for "premium" GE-branded HDTVs

Who says there are too many players in the HDTV realm? With current mainstays partnering up like it's going out of style, we've found two firms that see something no one else does. General Electric has just announced a joint venture with Taiwan-based Tatung in which the pair plans on making two million HDTVs annually when production gets going in 2009. The two hope to capture at least 5% to 10% of the global TV market in due time, and according to Peter Weedfald, president of North America and global chief marketing officer for the JV, the resulting product will be a "premium brand" that will be "very competitive with current leadership brands." We'll be interested to see what all becomes of this, and hopefully we'll have some prototypes to gawk at come CES / IFA / CEDIA 2009.

[Image courtesy of VintageTVSets]

[webon @ Sep 23rd 2008 12:25AM]

hey how you got my late uncle Charly's old tv??

[Bob Dober @ Sep 23rd 2008 12:29AM]

Ebay

[Ryback @ Sep 23rd 2008 12:58AM]

Does this mean they will give the Tatungs a glossy finish and a new badge and jack up the price? I was planning on buying a Tatung as it has gotten some good reviews. Good picture, poor sound quality. But I use my hifi for sound so I that suits me just fine.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Sep 23rd 2008 9:31AM]

We already have a Premium Brand(s) it's called Kuro and Kuro Elite.

Enough Said.


(Well maybe Mitsubishi laser TV)

[takashisenke @ Sep 23rd 2008 1:03AM]

Does it make rice?

[spt597 @ Sep 23rd 2008 1:11AM]

Trying to go the Samsung route, eh?

[--------- @ Sep 23rd 2008 2:19AM]

As I recall, the line of GE branded digital cameras released last year was also supposed to be a "premium brand"

Didn't really work out that way I don't think.

[UoMDeacon @ Sep 24th 2008 7:44PM]

Agreed. I was about to make a comment about how this TV idea is about as smart as their idea to enter the digital camera market. Not sure which eCLP managed to hop into bed with one of the marketing directors, but this reeks of it.

[Muhammad-Oli @ Sep 23rd 2008 2:31AM]

Hmm... I dunno, their design looks a little out-of-date.

[..... @ Sep 23rd 2008 8:18AM]

Was that supposed to be funny? Cuz it wasn't.

[Muhammad-Oli @ Sep 23rd 2008 9:40AM]

Whoa calm down there, Penelope Cruz. No need to go poking that nose into other people's business.

[JimReaper @ Sep 23rd 2008 4:22PM]

+1 Because it was quite a good try :P

[JimReaper @ Sep 23rd 2008 4:23PM]

I genuinely want the TV in the picture

[Rogbog4299 @ Sep 23rd 2008 6:38PM]

Who says there are too many players in the HDTV realm? I do. There are too many players in the HDTV. But what do you do? How will they do each other in? May be the biggies can help.