Can Panasonic save plasma?With Japan's Pioneer and US-based Vizio recently announcing their exits from the plasma market, there's been a lot of chatter about the technology's short- and long-term viability. Some of plasma's problems are PR related. Lingering questions--justified or not--about burn-in and energy efficiency have become part of the public conscious and remain a stumbling block at point of sale. Ultimately, however, there are more simple economics at play. Far more factories are available to produce LCD TVs than plasmas which haven't been able to maintain their price advantage as margins have eroded and the performance gap between the technologies has narrowed.
1. Beat prices for LCD TVs in key size classes.Right now, the most important sizes in plasma are 42, 46, and 50 inches, and it's imperative that Panasonic maintains a price advantage in those sizes. The problem is, according to an industry source, that if all things are equal in terms of size and price, consumers are choosing LCD over plasma by an overwhelming margin.2. Make larger plasmas with enticing price tags.Later this year, Panasonic will bring out the 54-inch TCP54S1 to counter the new 55-inch LCD TVs that are heading into the US market. It's a tall order, but it will have an easier time achieving a picture quality advantage than a price advantage. Beyond the 54-incher, Panasonic will also need something bigger to counter the impact of more 55-inch LCDs. In this economy, however, most of the action is in the 42- to 55-inch range.Tags: Plasma, Organic Light-emitting Diode, TV, LG Electronics Inc., LCD |
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