Panasonic Dropping Plasma Business (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

From our friends at Home Media Magazine

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wanted to make a quick comment on the above...

Plasma has always been my preferred choice when it comes to displays.

I don't think you can get better black levels anywhere. My opinion.

I was having lunch with colleagues a few weeks ago and I mentioned I was
interested in buying a 4k display in the next year or two.

The response I received was that I probably would not be able to tell the
difference between my current plasma and a 4k display --- especially
considering how close I sit to it (within 8 feet).

The advice continued: "buy the best plasma TV you can get before they
stop making them." Panasonic was the immediate suggestion. Their plasma
displays come very close to the now defunct Kuro displays.

Although I currently own an LG 3D plasma (now 3 years old), I think I am
going to grab one of the last Panasonic VT60 displays before they are no
longer available.

I have seen 4k displays. They look wonderful. However, I can't really say
for the moment that there would be a beneficial difference for me considering
the size range I want (65") or for the viewing distance that exists in my home
theater.

I have no problem holding on to technology that will soon pass. I am very
fond of plasma and I have no problem keeping that technology for the next
few years while we wait for the price of everything else new to come down.

 

[Type A]

With those kind of losses I guess you cant really blame them. Does suck tho. I take comfort in the fact that my 58" and 65" Pannies will likely still be going strong when OLED gets to reasonable prices (one would hope anyway). 4k, and LED for that matter, can kiss my plasma's motherboard.

 

[Charles Smith]

I don't understand why plasma fell off most consumers' radar in the first place. A sudden rampant fanaticism for the lighter and thinner screens?

 

[schan1269]

Samsung and Vizio producing brilliant "confuse the consumers with numbers and total bullshit" marketing.

What also didn't help was Pioneer playing "we make the best TV and we'll take it to the grave...before we lower the price tag."

Hitachi can be blamed a bit as well with their Director Series. They tried to eat some of Pioneer's lunch...in the end both starved to death.

Panasonic's "upper brass" deserves a permanent vacation as well. Maybe Walmart should hire all of them so Walmart can implode.

Seriously...who made these two decisions right on top of each other...

1. Give DuPont 2 years worth of profits to advance OLED.
2. Next month buy Kuro.

Really?

 

[Todd Erwin]

Ron, I would recommend looking at the ZT60. This model uses the Kuro black engine that Panasonic purchased from Pioneer, and definitely has deeper blacks that the VT60. At my store, we have the VT60, ZT60, and Samsung F8500 grouped together, and the ZT is simply amazing. Although most non-videophile customers gravitate to the Samsung, as it is the brightest plasma on the market. Gotta love Samsung for their moth to the flame mentatlity.

 

[Gregg Loewen]

i really like the ST series. Once tweeked out you can't tell the difference between the VT and ZT (unless perhaps they are being viewed side by side).

 

[RolandL]

When I worked in retail, plasmas were a hard sell. Most consumers did not like the reflections you could see on the glass screen.

I have a 42 inch LG Plasma in my bedroom that looks wonderful as long as the lights are not on.

 

[Gregg Loewen]

hi Roland.
the problem is now....same issues with LCD / LEDS. Manufacturers have added the same type of gloss reflective surface.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron, I would recommend looking at the ZT60.

If the difference is nominal between the VT60 and the ZT60 I will go for the latter.

That display should last me for the next 5 years till OLED displays become the norm
and drop down to consumer prices.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I bought two Panny plasmas in the last 20 months so I'm very sad to read this news as I thought they gave me the best picture I'd ever viewed on a TV display I owned.

 

[Gregg Loewen]

i think the VT60 is definitely the set to get!

 

[Jason Charlton]

This really is bummer news. I had tabbed the ST50 as the replacement for our ancient 32" CRT still in our family room. Had been putting off replacing the set because the current set is in a nice entertainment cabinet that will need to be replaced, too (it's always a domino effect...).

The article mentions ending production in "early 2014" - any thoughts on whether or not we should expect any new models/stock to roll out between now and then, or do you think it's better to grab now before they're all gone?

 

[RolandL]

hi Roland.
the problem is now....same issues with LCD / LEDS. Manufacturers have added the same type of gloss reflective surface.

Yes, my Sony KDL55NX810 LED has a glass screen but I don't see the reflections like the LG Plasma.

 

[schan1269]

Yes, my Sony KDL55NX810 LED has a glass screen but I don't see the reflections like the LG Plasma.

That is because the NX810 features Sony's Polyglass. Which is anti-glare.Probably got lucky you bought that one instead of a 701/801. Were you even paying attention to the glass composition of the LCDs you were comparing?So comparing an anti-glare flat panel(regardless of LCD or plasma) to a non-coated flat panel (again, regardless of LCD or plasma) should never be done.

Also Edge-Lit LCD should never be used for BD reviews. They have zero light conformity(which means there is no way to judge contrast) and their ghosting problems are legendary(means you can't judge sweeping scenes from "epic movies" such as Ben Hur)

 

[atfree]

I've owned 2 Panny plasma's for my primary TV viewing over the past 10 years. They were always the best reviewed sets for picture quality and I've loved their performance. Very sad.....

IMO, plasma's fate is very similar to what we're seeing with blu-ray and physical media vs. streaming/online content......basically consumers, as a whole, simply don't differentiate between quality and convenience/price.

Plasma's have always been more expensive that LED's/LCD's so you couldn't grab a 42" plasma for $400 at the local Big Lots.....but you could grab a off-brand LCD/LED for that price (or lower). Plus, LED's/LCD's in "torch" mode at the local store are very eye-catching vs. a plasma which is a more lifelike and realistic image. I was amazed a couple of years ago at a "Black Friday" sale at a local electronics store. I went at 4am to get a new laptop and people were lined up at the check-out with 65" off-brand LCD TV's that were selling for $500! I figure either the displays are now at the local dump or the owners are blind from having their retinas fried by the default torch-mode settings.

Where I make the connection between plasmas and blu-ray/physical media is that the average consumer sees "HD" on Netflix and says "Oh, that's the same as blu-ray" when in actuality it isn't close.

Unfortunately, the lowest common denominator usually wins out.

Fortunately, I just bought an ST30 series 2 years ago and it is wonderful. It will last until OLED, which from all I read has the potential to be better than plasma, becomes readily available at a reasonable price.

 

[Kevin EK]

I'm truly saddened to read this. My 65" Panasonic VT plasma is the best set I've ever owned. It's a truly remarkable picture. My thinking at this point is that I'll hang on to this TV and continue having it calibrated for at least another 10 years, which I had figured would be its life span in any case - perhaps even longer. By the time I have a need to buy something new, the market will presumably have something to at least get close to its quality.

 

[DaveF]

Panasonic confirmed the report: they're out if the plasma TV business in December. http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5050038/panasonic-plasma-tv-production-endWhy do people prefer the weird, up sampled video look over the normal feel of plasma?

 

[Jim*Tod]

I have had my ST30 for two years now and daily marvel at the picture quality. Nothing for me beats a well calibrated plasma.

 

[RolandL]

That is because the NX810 features Sony's Polyglass. Which is anti-glare.Probably got lucky you bought that one instead of a 701/801. Were you even paying attention to the glass composition of the LCDs you were comparing?

The NX810 was freebie from when I was a salesman.