Plasma displays inch closer to death

[amirm]

There is a great line in the movie Wall Street: "You know, at one time there must've been dozens of companies making buggy whips. And I'll bet the last company around was the one that made the best goddamn buggy whip you ever saw. Now how would you have liked to have been a stockholder in that company?" Indeed, on the cusp of Panasonic making near perfect Plasma displays we read this: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/why-plasma-tv-dying,news-17668.html

"Panasonic, the biggest champion of plasma TVs, is giving up the ghost and will be closing its last plasma factory in 2014, Reuters has reported. (In response to an email from Tom's Guide, Panasonic said, "The content of the report released overnight is not something that was announced by Panasonic.") Regardless of whether Panasonic is closing up its plasma shop, the technology is on a fast decline. "Plasma has some life left, but by 2015, the market opportunity is getting small," Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis at the Consumer Electronics Association, told Tom's Guide."

The article has good tidbits and additional info. But the story of Plasma dying has been written. If you want a good plasma, you want to buy it in the next 12 months.....

 

[NorthStar]

Exactly, buy your HDTV flat panel plasma within the next 18 months or so. After that it's the new stuff that is taking over. And you know what it is.

* http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24458805

* http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/313480-panasonic-to-close-last-plasma-tv-factory/

_______________

And no one is working on a 4K plasma with 60fps, ...but OLED (no more plasma).

 

[DaveyF]

I think the death of plasma is a great shame ( I think the black's of plasma are still VERY hard to beat). I like my Pioneer plasma better than almost all of the newer LED's and all of the LCD's. Sure 4k is better BUT to see plasma go away, particularly at the prices that they now command, is a major pity, IMHO.

 

[NorthStar]

I think the death of plasma is a great shame ( I think the black's of plasma are still VERY hard to beat). I like my Pioneer plasma better than almost all of the newer LED's and all of the LCD's. Sure 4k is better BUT to see plasma go away, particularly at the prices that they now command, is a major pity, IMHO.

Buy the top 65" Panasonic plasma today (VT-60), and it should last you about two years until OLED Ultra HDTVs come seriouly into showing on your radar's screen and inside your own living room. :b

 

[DaveyF]

Buy the top 65" Panasonic plasma today (VT-60), and it should last you about two years until OLED Ultra HDTVs come seriouly into showing on your radar's screen and inside your own living room. :b

That's a thought. OTOH, I'm hoping my Pioneer will last a couple of years more. BTW, i was in Fry's last night ( do you have these guys up North...pretty vile store actually) and got speaking to the HT salesman. He told me they had the new Samsung OLED in the store for all of 24 hours before it gave up the ghost! Asking price was just over $12K!! OLED will have to get seriously more reliable and far less pricey before I would consider it.

 

[NorthStar]

Here, up North, in our igloos, we have Best Buys, Future Shops, Sony Stores, Audio-Video Unlimiteds, Targets, Costcos, and few high-end audio (video too) stores (Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver).

Because we rely heavily on ice energy, plasmas are very popular here; and Pioneer receivers too (ICE).
And during the coldest winter months, Onkyo (makes for great block heaters, along with plasmas).

* Oh, and we also have Walmarts and Superstores. ...Bingos and bowling alleys.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I guess I feel about plasmas the way lots of guys around here feel about vinyl. You can tell me all about the technological superiority of the best LEDs, I can see one properly calibrated and they can be very, very good. But I just like my plasma. I have this picture in my head of LEDs with their overblown candy colors. I know that's a choice, not a limitation of the technology, but I still think of LEDs as looking like cheap video, plasmas looking like film. Illogical. Inaccurate. But there it is. When my Panasonic finally gives up, I'll buy a good LED and have it calibrated to look like a plasma.

Tim

 

[Gregadd]

It's knd of funny how my tv resembles a speaker. It looks different when I sit off axis.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

It's knd of funny how my tv resembles a speaker. It looks different when I sit off axis.

Another thing to love about plasmas, or used to be anyway...much better off axis than LCDS and LEDS. I imagine that has changed, too. I haven't been in the tv market for a few years.

Tim

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I guess I feel about plasmas the way lots of guys around here feel about vinyl. You can tell me all about the technological superiority of the best LEDs, I can see one properly calibrated and they can be very, very good. But I just like my plasma. I have this picture in my head of LEDs with their overblown candy colors. I know that's a choice, not a limitation of the technology, but I still think of LEDs as looking like cheap video, plasmas looking like film. Illogical. Inaccurate. But there it is. When my Panasonic finally gives up, I'll buy a good LED and have it calibrated to look like a plasma.

Tim

Another thing to love about plasmas, or used to be anyway...much better off axis than LCDS and LEDS. I imagine that has changed, too. I haven't been in the tv market for a few years.

Tim

Tim - I agree completely with both of your posts. It's a shame that a better screen (Plasma) offered at a lower price has to bite the bullit and call it a day.

 

[microstrip]

I guess I feel about plasmas the way lots of guys around here feel about vinyl. You can tell me all about the technological superiority of the best LEDs, I can see one properly calibrated and they can be very, very good. But I just like my plasma. I have this picture in my head of LEDs with their overblown candy colors. I know that's a choice, not a limitation of the technology, but I still think of LEDs as looking like cheap video, plasmas looking like film. Illogical. Inaccurate. But there it is. When my Panasonic finally gives up, I'll buy a good LED and have it calibrated to look like a plasma.

Tim

It is our dream. To have our digital "calibrated" like the best vinyl. But no one has achieved it until now, although we must acknowledge the significant steps that are being made towards it.

Anyway I would be very cautious buying something that is going to be faded-out quickly - will they have replacement screens for service after a few years?

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

It is our dream. To have our digital "calibrated" like the best vinyl. But no one has achieved it until now, although we must acknowledge the significant steps that are being made towards it.

Anyway I would be very cautious buying something that is going to be faded-out quickly - will they have replacement screens for service after a few years?

Most people change their set every 5-7 years, plus you can be sure that Panasonic (should they decide to exit the market) will have a supply for service for several years. Personally I don't think this is an issue.

Panasonic has already said no decision has been made as of yet, and I believe it's confirmed that new plasmas will be introduced for 2014.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

It is our dream. To have our digital "calibrated" like the best vinyl. But no one has achieved it until now, although we must acknowledge the significant steps that are being made towards it.

Anyway I would be very cautious buying something that is going to be faded-out quickly - will they have replacement screens for service after a few years?

I don't think anyone is working on "calibrating" digital to sound like vinyl, micro. What significant steps do you think are being made toward that goal?

Tim

 

[rbbert]

AFAICT (but I'm no expert) the only thing LCD's do better is play brighter. In every other important area (and especially price) plasma has them beat.

 

[microstrip]

Most people change their set every 5-7 years, plus you can be sure that Panasonic (should they decide to exit the market) will have a supply for service for several years. Personally I don't think this is an issue.

Panasonic has already said no decision has been made as of yet, and I believe it's confirmed that new plasmas will be introduced for 2014.

John,

My former TV set- an excellent Loewe CRT - was our unique TV for more than 20 years and was still working perfectly when I replaced it with a 55" Panasonic plasma some years ago .

 

[rbbert]

...Anyway I would be very cautious buying something that is going to be faded-out quickly - will they have replacement screens for service after a few years?

Honestly I'm not sure why that should make any difference. By that time you should buy something newer since in video right now things are definitely on a continuous upward trend (yes, I know about the Kuro)

 

[microstrip]

I don't think anyone is working on "calibrating" digital to sound like vinyl, micro. What significant steps do you think are being made toward that goal?

Tim

Although my statement should be understood with a smile I think that DXD and DSD are closer to achieving the goal. But this time, my "I think" is as unproved as your statements on SOTA analog - I do not have experience with these formats. Let us return quickly to plasma displays, where we seem to agree...

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Although my statement should be understood with a smile I think that DXD and DSD are closer to achieving the goal. But this time, my "I think" is as unproved as your statements on SOTA analog - I do not have experience with these formats. Let us return quickly to plasma displays, where we seem to agree...

I'm sorry, the strength of your statement made it sound like it was informed by something --

we must acknowledge the significant steps that are being made towards it.

FWIW, I don't think listening experience is required to understand that DXD and DSD are not digital steps toward analog sound, but ok....

Tim

 

[NorthStar]

LCD LED HDTVs; some of them have excellent Black Level (Kuro's territory), and almost all of them are much better at 3D than plasmas, because of their higher Contrast Ratio which offers much more peak brightness (in foot-Lamberts).
{A black level of 0.001 ft-L is nothing to be ashamed of; that is extremely close to the very best Kuros.}

Also, IPS (In Plane Switching) LCD panels are excellent in off-axis performance (50 degrees or so on each side), without any degradation (good enough for bars and pubs).

And full-array backlit local dimming are usually the best.

Motion flow (for fast action scenes)? ...No as good as plasmas, but getting better.

__________________

* Me I only watch Blu-rays at night, so a plasma is good enough.
But I guess most people watch TV (soap operas and all that jazz) during daytime and go to bed at night, so plasmas are fading.

=> Check this out; Sony LCD Ultra HDTV , and read it if you feel like it, and without looking at the price.

 

[hvbias]

I don't really keep up with the AV end of the hobby... my G25 is still chugging along, professionally calibrated and looks fantastic (to me).

If the ST60/VT60s have finally passed the Kuros in image quality maybe there is an upgrade in my future.