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Pioneer outlines KURO plasma exit, insinuates that you should buy one now
Okay, so maybe that harshly translated version of Pioneer's recent KURO-related press release doesn't actually encourage prospective buyers to snag a unit while they still can, but it may as well have. Following up on the outfit's curious decision to abandon a product line that was universally adored, Pioneer has decided that just four of its PDPs will stay in production until April 11th. After 3,000 or so of the KRP-500A, KRP-500M, KRP-600A and KRP-600M units have been produced, the lines will be shut down and we'll all be invited to what will undoubtedly be a tear-filled memorial service. The company has also made clear that warranty service will still be provided for an undisclosed amount of time (at least in Japan), but there has yet to be a statement made specifically regarding the North American market.[Via Slashgear]
Bang & Olufsen's 103-inch BeoVision 4-103 plasma is gorgeous, pricey
Plasma's dying, huh? Go and tell that to Bang & Olufsen. Just in case the 50- and 65-inch versions of the BeoVision 4 HDTV weren't expansive enough, the high-end home cinema outfitter has just pushed out news of an all new addition: the 103-inch BeoVision 4-103. If that number immediately rings a bell, here's a cookie. The 103-inch Panasonic TH-103PF9 panel is indeed the exact one used here, but B&O has obviously spruced up the design, added an automatic rising stand and incorporated the BeoSystem 3 and the VisionClear technology that automatically adjusts colors and brightness. Oh, and it tossed in a B&O logo, which is darn near priceless. Speaking of stickers, the set should be available this July for around €100,000 ($136,220) pre-VAT. Check the demonstration vid after the break.[Thanks, John]
Panasonic's VIERA TC-P42S1 plasma reviewed: nice, for the price
So, is Panasonic's low-end TC-P42S1 worth the relatively small asking price (around $1,000)? CNET reviewers sat down to find out exactly that, and they concluded that while it wasn't perfect, it's apt to be plenty awesome for the average HDTV viewer. For starters, it consumes a good bit less energy than previous PDPs, and it also sported black levels that "nearly rival" Pioneer's heralded KURO. Other praises include excellent shadow detail, solid color saturation and a decent array of ports. The only real knocks were the less-than-accurate primary colors / color temperature and the skimpy picture controls, but as we mentioned, these aren't likely to matter to the non-enthusiast. Overall, critics found that this here set struck a great balance between price and performance, but we'd still recommend putting your eyes on one before pulling the trigger.
Samsung outs Fabrizio PAVV 450 Series plasma HDTVs in Korea
Despite a sudden lack of support, the plasma ain't dead yet. Just days after announcing its ritzy new Bordeaux PAVV Fabrizio 650 LCD HDTVs over in South Korea, the same company has introduced a new line catering to the unshakable PDP fans across the globe. The Fabrizio PAVV 450 Series includes a 42- and 50-inch version with Sammy's own Crystal Engine, 0.001 millisecond response time, "Mega Contrast," and a trio of HDMI sockets. Outside of that, details are still being kept under wraps, but hopefully we'll know more after these get a US ship date. Wait, these are coming to America, right Samsung?[Via Akihabara News]
Panasonic's ultrathin TC-P54Z1 VIERA plasma priced at $5,999.95
Yeah, we know -- six large for a 54-inch HDTV seems a bit much in today's society, but the same sort of thing was said last September when Mitsubishi threw a $6,999 sticker on its mesmerizing LaserVue set. Panasonic's one-inch thick TC-P54Z1 plasma, which just might be the last of its breed barring production of the NeoPDP concept, will undoubtedly serve a shrinking niche, but for those willing to pay for the best of what's new, they'll be getting an awful lot of sexy for $5,999.95. Speaking of that MSRP, that's the good word from the HD Guru himself, though we've yet to see an official confirmation from Panny. Honestly though, that's about what we reckoned it would list at after seeing it unveiled at CES, so now would probably be a good time to start hunting for any 10 percent off coupons for your favorite B&M HDTV outlet.[Via CNET]
Poll: Were you / are you planning to buy a plasma?
As the plasma world continues to crumble, we're stopping to ponder how this is affecting current, prospective and future customers. For any of you that were this close to pulling the trigger on a new plasma, has this week's news shaken your confidence in the technology? Are you still planning to buy one? Might you buy an LCD or projector now? Feel free to elaborate on how the mass exodus from PDP has changed (or not) your perceptions. %Poll-26812%
LG denies withdrawing from plasma market... in the UK, anyway
Take this as you will, but George Mead, the Marketing Manager for Digital Displays at LG Electronics UK, has informed T3 that LG Electronics UK has no intention to withdraw from the plasma TV market." To be perfectly clear here, this statement probably is in relation to UK market plans only; after all, those words from company VP Lee Gyu-hong were pretty strong. At any rate, Mead continued by noting that "we have recently implemented a bespoke strategy to promote and market plasma TVs here in the UK," but he failed to specifically touch on LG's worldwide plans (and understandably so). So yeah, it looks like LG PDPs are still safe for the moment across the pond, but we wouldn't be so sure about the rest of the developed world.
LG considering withdrawal from plasma market
Man, plasma's headed downhill -- and fast. Hot on the heels of both Pioneer and VIZIO tendering their resignation in the plasma market, LG's vice president Lee Gyu-hong has reportedly stated that his company is currently pondering its own future in the sector. Should LG pull out, just Panasonic and Hitachi will be left holding down the PDP fort. Purportedly, LG's plasma business is deteriorating in terms of profitability, and the VP stated that future cost savings were practically impossible. At this point (and after coming clean like this), it'd be sort of crazy for LG not to drop out, but what's even crazier is going from five major plasma makers to two within the course of two months. Yikes.[Via Whirlpool, thanks Stas]
Does the death of KURO signal the end of the plasma?
It's kind of amazing, really. Not even a year ago, Pioneer was busy pimping its second-gen KURO, and by and large, everyone that witnessed one in person came away impressed. So, if Pioneer's plasmas were so spectacular, how on Earth did we find ourselves asking if PDPs even have a future beyond 2010? Not long after the economy began to soften, LCDs began to catch up. Sure, a side-by-side test would likely show that an Elite KURO has deeper blacks than the average LCD, but as GigaOM points out, the average consumer was beyond the point of caring. Since the beginning of this year, we've already seen two plasma players drop out completely, and one must wonder how long those other guys will keep holding on. Is the death of the KURO the tipping point for plasma? We'd love to think otherwise, but our gut is leaning to "yes." What say you, dear readers?
Panasonic's 103-inch plasma repurposed as multitouch air hockey table
With VIZIO and Pioneer jumping out of the plasma game, we can totally foresee sales of Panasonic's 103-inch PDP skyrocketing. All kidding aside, a startup arcade would be ludicrous to not shove one of these into the center of the action. What you're looking at above is a mutltitouch air hockey table, made possible by Panny's ginormous plasma and a U-Touch overlay from uicentric. The table was on display over in Amsterdam at ISE 2009, and quite frankly, we're intensely envious of the attendees who were able to blow off some steam by grabbing a game on this. Obligatory video is just past the break.
Pioneer exec touches on exit from plasma business
Yeah, it seems like hopping off of the plasma bandwagon is the thing to be doing right now, but Pioneer's exit is startling in more than a few ways. For starters, the company has been pushing its KURO line as the PDP set to get for years, and by and large, it actually has been the best around. It's one thing to leave a market you aren't winning -- it's another entirely to drop off while you're on top. Bruce Schepers, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing at Pioneer Canada, sat down to speak on the departure with Marketnews. Granted, most of his conversation centered around that fact that no other parts of the company's businesses would be shrinking or vanishing, though he did mention that Pioneer would have ninth generation product "up until summer." He also affirmed that support wouldn't be waning for its heralded receivers and Blu-ray players, and that Sharp was a likely candidate for an optical-based joint venture. For the whole interview, give the read link a look.
VIZIO kicks plasma to the curb, will focus on LCD TVs
We've certainly seen mixed reviews for VIZIO plasmas, but it seems that those very reviews will be the last of their breed. According to the New York Times, VIZIO co-founder Laynie Newsome has confirmed that its existing PDPs will be the last the company sells. Looking back, you'll notice that only LCDs were introduced by the outfit at CES, and while Pioneer may or may not completely abandon its TV initiatives, Americans can now definitively count on just three major players to provide for their plasma desires: LG, Samsung and Panasonic. Newsome stated that the decision was made for a number of reasons. First, PDP sets simply "don't show as well in big box stores," and VIZIO wanted to "devote all of its available shelf space to the technology that moves off the shelves fastest." We're a tad torn as to whether we should weep here, but regardless, a fond farewell is in order.
The HDTVs of CES 2009
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/The_HDTVs_of_CES_2009_HUGE_chart'; It's easy to see that a whole slew of new HDTVs were introduced to the world at CES, but actually keeping up with 'em is another thing entirely. In an effort to make sure you aren't duped into thinking that set you're about to buy is actually a CES '09-announced set, we've laid out the entire line of newcomers (ones that'll actually see store shelves -- we avoided the concepts to save you some grief) just past the break, complete with scheduled release dates and prices where applicable. Nah, you won't find any big screen OLEDs in there (maybe next year, kids), but there's plenty of Hz, pixels and inches to go around.
CES 2009 HDTV mega-guide
CES 2009 may be over and done with, but we'll be feeling the ramifications of it for months to come. For those not watching for every last announcement from the show, you may be surprised to find that dozens upon dozens of new HDTVs were introduced, with many of them slated to start shipping this Spring / Summer. Engadget HD has hosted up a thorough mega-guide to showcase what sets made their debut in Vegas this month, complete with links to more information as well as release windows and pricing where available. If you're even remotely considering a new set this year, you owe it to yourself to give this one a look. Head on over, won't you?
LG gets official with 50PQ60D and 42PQ60D Xcanvas plasmas in Korea
Don't bet the farm on it just yet, but given the FCC filing that outed these sets at the tail end of December, we'd say it's safe to assume that the panel you see above (and after the break) will be headed to America in short order. Made official today in South Korea, LG's Xcanvas 50PQ60D and 42PQ60D plasmas sport a sleeker, more fully integrated design that conceals the speakers within the border. The TV itself also detects ambient light and automatically adjusts brightness in order to conserve energy, and the built-in USB port enables portable media to be loaded on for all to see. Few other details about the pair are being released, but you can expect 'em on sale halfway across the world in around three weeks for $1,460 / $1,022, respectively.[Via Slashgear]
Panasonic's pricey TH-65VX100E plasma reviewed, swooned over
When something costs eight thousand pounds, it simply cannot be even a hair less than phenomenal. According to a recent review of the incredibly expensive TH-65VX100E, Panasonic somehow managed to create a plasma worth that asking price. The 65-inch, 1080p set -- which was introduced across the pond late last year -- displayed "the best picture quality" critics had ever seen on a flat-panel. It also boasted "reams of features and exceptionally flexible settings." In fact, the only negative listed was that it costs more than a Renault Megane, which is pretty darn valid if you ask us. For those with the cash to spare and a hankering for big screen PDP action, it seems like this one just made the short list.
Pioneer responds to recent plasma ban reports with more of the same
Just last week, a report in the DailyMail got everyone worked up over the possibility of certain plasmas being barred from sale in Europe. Now, Pioneer is passing along a response made by the European Information & Communications Technology Industry Association that seems to say more of the same. We quote: "According to the pertinent EU Directive a technology such as plasma cannot be banned from the market as long as the TV sets (using this technology) comply with energy efficiency requirements." That said, the EU and its member states are still hard at work on new regulations to ensure improved energy efficiency across all display technologies, and we're told that "all manufacturers will be required to meet these minimum efficiency standards in order to continue producing, importing and selling TV sets in Europe." So maybe we're way off base, but is this not confirmation of what we'd already heard?[Via HDTVLounge]
Pioneer launches new KURO plasmas in Australia
No need to wait for the CEDIA Gold Coast expo to see new plasmas from Pioneer, as the company has just announced a few new KUROs for those residing in Australia. The 50-inch PDP-LX509A and PDP-C509A have both been officially announced (though whispers of 'em have been circulating for a few weeks now), and the MSRPs are expectedly staggering. AU$6,499 for the LX model, AU$5,499 for the C509A -- yeah, ouch.[Via CNET]
Poll: Do you prefer plasma or LCD?
The conversation already got going on our Plasma vs. LCD post yesterday, but now we're straight-up putting it out there. If you had to choose (and you do), would you opt for an LCD or PDP? Oh, and why? It's time to let your true fanboyism shine though, so don't stop with just dropping your vote below -- hit us up in comments with your supporting arguments. %Poll-25278%
LCD vs Plasma in 2009
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/television/LCD_Vs_Plasma_in_2009'; Although the debate between LCD and plasma has raged on for years, the real battle only started two years ago when manufacturers started producing LCDs big enough to go head to head with plasmas. Now that it has been raging for two years, we've seen some interesting trends develop. LCDs have been very successful at pushing plasma out of its most popular size, 42-inches, and some manufacturers have stopped producing that size all together. Also a result of the success of LCDs, the number of plasma manufactures has decreased over the past two years. Pioneer is the most notable to announce its plan to stop producing its own plasmas starting with the next model and will instead buy glass from Panasonic, but Hitachi and Phillips have also announced similar plans -- and Fujitsu got out of the display business all together. Some might use these events combined with the latest green movement to conclude that plasma is dead, but not so fast.
