Panasonic quits making Plasma televisions

[DoMiN8ToR]

We've just posted the following news: Panasonic quits making Plasma televisions[newsimage]http://static.myce.com//images_posts/2009/10/panasonic-viera-v10-g10-s1-x1-series-plasma-hdtvs.jpg[/newsimage]

Panasonic today announced it will stop manufacturing plasma televisions before the end of this year.

            Read the full article here: [http://www.myce.com/news/panasonic-quits-making-plasma-televisions-69359/](http://www.myce.com/news/panasonic-quits-making-plasma-televisions-69359/)

            Please note that the reactions from the complete site will be synched below.

[ivid]

Noooooooo !
I love their plasmas. Wanted to get a 65" model last Xmas but they were sold out everywhere.
You can’t really find a TV with a better picture without spending lots more (I’m referring to their top of the line $4000 products). Even their middle range plasmas are fantastic.
I know they are heavy and take a ton of power but really don’t care
This reminds me of Pioneer bowing out of the business, and at the time they sold their Kuro technology to Panasonic.

[DukeNukem]

Pioneer was king (almost bought a 720p Kuro years ago) then the crown passed to Panasonic. Not sure what to expect now. I’ve been looking at picking up a nice 60"-70" inch 1080p LCD or Plasma but I think I’ll just wait it out for a new 4K LCD model. They currently sell for about $2500 in China and twice that price here in Canada for the same thing. Yeah, I’ll just wait it out. I hear 4K is jaw-droppingly nice.

[rexroach]

Your average plasma will use at least a KWH every 3 hours, which is unacceptable to me, much of is as heat adding to your cooling bill in summer.

[CDan]

This story is actually several weeks old, Reuters ran it on 10/8.

OLED will replace plasma as the king of image quality, but not for a while yet. Expect Panasonic to be a player in OLED production. But there’s nothing wrong with plasma when used in an appropriate setting - as in dark. And unless you run the panel wide open in torch mode, it doesn’t consume a great deal of energy.

[clintb]

Umm, rexroach, you may want to do a bit more research on those power requirements. I have a 55" Panasonic GT50 and it’s rated for $24 per year when used five hours each day.

[debro]

At 10c / kwhr that equates to 13.1w.
I’d believe $240/yr.

[olddancer]

As wonderful as Plasma is/was, it’s run it’s course. The new LED TVs are every bit as good picture wise and they’re a damn sight more enviromentally friendly.
Less power and more importantly NO Mercury! As for OLED, everybody has announced large OLED panels and nobody to my knowledge has delivered yet.
LG has been promising a 55" for 3 years and still haven’t come to market with one.
When you have a 90% failure rate on the production line the 10% good become very expensive.
Note to DukeNukem, I get nothing but thanks from everybody I’ve sold a 4K XBR to. 4K is stunning!