Plasma market getting smaller and higher-end, but it's still alive

Pioneer's decision to axe the Kuro earlier this year set off a wave of gloomy predictions about the future of plasma, but we've never really bought into it -- and it sounds like the product planners at LG, Samsung, and Panasonic haven't either. HD Guru asked reps from each company for their thoughts on the state of the plasma market, and the responses were pretty similar across the board: plasma remains the connoisseur's choice overall, and it still makes up just about half of 50-inch and bigger sales. Of course, that means that plasma's niche is shrinking and moving higher-end while LCDs more or less take over the rest of HDTV market, but until something like OLED develops into a true competitor we think plasma's around for a while. Check out the full company responses at the read link.

[jon Posted May 13th 2009 10:34PM]

If you try to pry my kuro out of my cold, dead hands, I'll go zombie on your ass, and beat you to death with an LCD.

[leffga Posted May 13th 2009 5:07PM]

I'm very happy with my Panasonic Plasma. Bought it last summer and so far it's worked great. No problems. My parents have a Sony Bravia XBR and, in my opinion, my plasma has a much better image.

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2009 5:12PM]

My dad can beat up your dad.

[guillo98 Posted May 13th 2009 5:33PM]

lame!! barney has two at his apartment!

[(Unverified) Posted May 13th 2009 6:50PM]

Burn-in with plasmas is a real issue with gamers.

[SVTruong Posted May 13th 2009 10:12PM]

depends on the brand really... My samsung has horrible burn in and it's only a year old. My panny pz80u in my bedroom gets gamed on with an xbox about on average 3 hours a day and not a single hint of burn in. My friends don't have issues with their panny's either. I got a friend with an old school LG plasma and oddly no burn in despite LG's rep for IR.

[Twinkle Tits Posted May 14th 2009 1:11AM]

Aside for maybe the Kuro there is not an lcd panel that can deliver the richness of colors & deep black like a plasma !

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 6:34PM]

Plasma TV's certainly look better than LCD's. As for some recent claims regarding burn-in, it's not really a problem anymore (go back a few years and I wouldn't touch a plasma for that very reason), i've put hours of gaming on my Kuro Elite and have yet to come across any issues. It's depressing that Pioneer has quit making Plasma's but whatever, glad I picked up a 50" Kuro Elite on Black Friday.

As for the comment about the LazerVue, I've read it's color accuracy is better but the Kuro's black rating is still better (that and one's flat while the other's rear projection... go figure).

I seem to have bad luck with TV's, my last TV was Sony's SXRD technology which is now dead as well. What gives?