Plasma TV is Dead - Pioneer Exits

[Biggiesized]

Pioneer was shooting for 5 lumen tech this year.

 

[stratman]

Bottom line: Plasma and LCD will in the not-too-distant future cease to be, some other technology will replace it. That's the gist of the article. No one put a timeline to the demise of either plasma nor LCD, but it will happen.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The latest Kuro plasma's have been suffering from a loud buzz, which really ticked off a lot of Pioneer Elite backers. The picture was out of this world, but trying to overlook the "buzz" killed the deal. I wonder if that was part of the issue. Plasma's do have somewhat of a buzz compared to their LCD counterparts.

As others have said, plasma hands down has the better picture. It will suffer screen burn in, no matter what you're told. Every plasma comes with a warning the warranty does not cover screen burn in.

My 46" 1080p Aquos has an amazing HD picture, and works great with our PC in our main room. The anti reflective screen is also very nice. It does suffer from color banding, like every other LCD I own. The bigger the screen, the more obvious the banding.

My 50" 720p Samsung plasma in our living room is the flat screen of choice for sports and movies. Even with it's glass screen, the reflection isn't bad at all. There's no ghosting, no banding, and the contrast, blacks, colors, and brightness beats our Aquos into the ground. It's our "wow" tv.

Everything is relative. If I didn't own a 50" plasma, I would be more than satisfied at the picture compared to our last sets. Owning both technologies, I'm always trying to bump the contrast and sharpness on the LCD. With the plasma, I never go for the adjustments.

Just because Pioneer quit manufacturing plasma panels doesn't mean the technology is dead. FWIW, the Aquos ran me $1150 and the Samsung plasma $884 out the door just before Black Friday. The plasma was the better deal, even at 720p.

 

[bandphan]

The latest Kuroo plasma's have been suffering from a loud buzz, which really ticked off a lot of Pioneer Elite backers. The picture was out of this world, but trying to overlook the "buzz" killed the deal. I wonder if that was part of the issue. Plasma's do have somewhat of a buzz compared to their LCD counterparts.

the buzz is a non issue with all the installs ive done, i and my clients dont think that Killed the deal at all. There is a hum to plasmas but most wouldnt trade theirs for an lcd. Ive of the opinon that while lcds can look good, plasmas look better. As stated in my previous post, their buissness model is what did them in.

 

[tsteves]

MDS
"Picture quality is entirely subjective"
#This could not be more wrong.
Quote:
"But of course you didn't offer any facts to refute it, did you? Picture quality can be quantified with expensive test equipment but the point is that the vast majority of people don't know and don't care and as I said the majority of the TV buying public cannot discern any difference in quality between Plasma and LCD."

What you said is : "Picture quality is entirely subjective" Which is patently absurd. Don't move the goalposts now. Where are any facts that support this?

Quote:
"the only thing Plasma has going for it is 'picture quality' and a lower price for large sizes - it fails in every other comparison"
#Wrong, and besides - picture quality would seem to be the most important for a video display.
Quote:
"See above. Just saying 'wrong' does nothing to bolster your case. Show me facts."

Where are your facts? "Picture Quality" is a bit vague, but would seem to me the main measure of a displays quality. LCD's are perfect for the casual viewer. Where else does it excel?

Quote:
"Go to any electronics store or online retailer and compare the number of Plasma sets available vs the number of LCD sets"
Irrelevant.
#This is not about winners and losers, it's about disingenuous hype. But, hey, I'm sure it got of lot of page views. So it may be disingenuous hype, but it isn't stupid disingenuous hype.
Quote:
"It is entirely relevant and is in fact the whole point. The trend is pretty clear."

Yes, the trend is clear. It is a sad trend for lovers of quality. I do disagree that this is the point. It is not the point I am complaining about.

Quote:
"I bet if I look back in the thread you were one of the people bashing Clint because you are a fan of Plasma. There is nothing wrong with having a personal preference for Plasma but you have to be objective and weigh all the facts. Plasma is not dead, but it is on its way...and no amount of extra 'picture quality' is going to save it when the masses don't see it."

Yes, I did complain about Clints story. In the podcast he complained that manufacturers don't respect Audioholics as a magazine. Well, it is a great Website, but I'd guess that not a lot of print magazines are going to throw up a "PLASMA IS DEAD!" headline over this. I just think it is a bit over the top and not real sound journalism.

 

[yettitheman]

Wow, what a pissing match!
Let me throw down...

A: Plasma - NOT DEAD. They are still being made and sold. Technically, that means they are twitching.
B: All the technologies exist right now are because there isn't one to replace CRT in my mind. We've used CRT's for how many years and now all of the sudden, "BOOM! Lets make lots of **** that has at least one thing that equals CRT picture quality!" Great idea... except nobody has really declared a winner. It's similar to HD-DVD Vs. Blu-Ray, except throw in more technologies like (oh lets make some names up shall we?) HD-BlueMuffin, Blue-TrueView, HD-UltraDigitalMaxorz, Advanced Progressive High Technology Extreme Digital Versatile Disc Cartridge Movie Playback System and Soda Fountain.
C: I happen to be a physic, and one day all of these will be dead or near non-existent on the consumer market. Why? There will be something better.
Like amplifier technology...

^ That is old crap.

THIS is the new hotness and greatest trend:

It kills Anthem's and Emotiva's like **** Cheney shoots senators


BTW... can I be funny and say this is all blamed on the consumption of chicken sandwiches?

 

[stratman]

"manufacturers don't respect Audioholics as a magazine"


I would venture to say that any manufacturer that doesn't respect Audioholics as a magazine has something to hide, or doesn't like the white glare of truth pointed at their equipment as it gets a thorough review. Although they will like the garbage that passes itself as "authoritative" that caters to their advertising dollars, these are the same that spout silver cables will make your system dance or placing stones on equipment or using green markers on CDs will blaze a path to nirvana, even though this snake oil has been disproven over and over again. Shamefully, these companies care more for the all-mighty buck than the truth or the consumer's interest, so yes it wouldn't surprise me if certain companies won't like Audioholic's truthful reviews. As for the so called "horrid piece" about plasma being dead, well, too many are reading too much into an editorial. Did anyone specifically say when plasma was going to "die?" Did anyone say "after Pioneer's pull out, plasma is dead FOR SURE," In defense of the article, I will say this, people took a few key words and ran with it, without really digesting the obvious. Was it correct to say that one of the hi-def formats was going to die? Is it correct to say that Blu-ray one day will die? Is it correct to say that technology today as opposed to 10 or 15 years ago reaches end-of-life cycles faster? Yes to all. Plasma will die, LCD will die, when? When the market says so. Let's not forget that market forces determine the policy CE manufacturers adopt regarding product longevity, introduction and termination. Pioneer needed desperately to stop production of plasma screens, it cost them too much money, the market didn't respond to their price points and like Toshiba they pressed the issue, which led to massive capitol hemorrhaging. Don't forget that at the end of the day the sole mission of a publicly traded corporation is to provide investors with a comfortable bottom line, something that Pioneer hasn't been doing for a while, their stock shot up after the announcement.

 

[yettitheman]

As for the so called "horrid piece" about plasma being dead, well, too many are reading too much into an editorial.

I agree. It is inevitable, Mr. Anderson

 

[stratman]

I agree. It is inevitable, Mr. Anderson

One of my favorite "anti-hero."

 

[JackT]

As for the so called "horrid piece" about plasma being dead, well, too many are reading too much into an editorial. Did anyone specifically say when plasma was going to "die?"

Oh come on. If you put PLASMA IS DEAD in the title, you can't really say people are "reading too much" into it, can you? What was the author expecting?

Some people are claiming that the article was merely explaining that plasma will be gone "some day", which, if true, makes the article utterly trivial and pointless, because, of course, ALL TECHNOLOGIES will be gone SOME DAY.

Hey, I predicted CRT was dead in 1930, and LO AND BEHOLD I was right!!!

 

[stratman]

Oh come on. If you put PLASMA IS DEAD in the title, you can't really say people are "reading too much" into it, can you? What was the author expecting?

Some people are claiming that the article was merely explaining that plasma will be gone "some day", which, if true, makes the article utterly trivial and pointless, because, of course, ALL TECHNOLOGIES will be gone SOME DAY.

Hey, I predicted CRT was dead in 1930, and LO AND BEHOLD I was right!!!

Jack, it was pure editorializing. Ask Clint personally if he thinks plasma will be dead in two years and I'm sure he'll say most likely not. What the title did do was grab people's attention to the fact that one of the highest regarded manufacturers was stopping internal production. I still don't understand why so many got into a hissy fit. I am a plasma and an LCD owner, I wasn't offended by the title or the discussion, yes both techs will die, so what, it happens all the time, it's one of the inviolable laws of CE. I'm just perplexed at how some responded with such virulence, that was ridiculous.

 

[Jack Hammer]

This is starting to sound like one of the HD DVD vs Blu-Ray threads.

Jack

 

[JackT]

Jack, it was pure editorializing. Ask Clint personally if he thinks plasma will be dead in two years and I'm sure he'll say most likely not. What the title did do was grab people's attention to the fact that one of the highest regarded manufacturers was stopping internal production.

Nope, sorry. If it was just a crazy title to catch people's attention, what about this statement found halfway through the article:

You heard it here first: Plasma TV is dead.

Another crazy attention grabber?

 

[tsteves]

YOU ARE DEAD!
Yep, you heard it here first!
Just because it is inevitable does not make it current news.

Clint predicted Plasma would die, like, a year ago or something, maybe why he wants wants plasma to die, so he can be right. Nothing wrong with that, per se, just not entirely "editor in chief" type of copy. Audioholics is one of, if not the premiere site(s) for "no bs" audio video info on the internet, I don't want to see it getting sloppy. So this is like, my letter to the editor.
Look I like LCD. I recommend them all the time to people who are more likely to benefit from their positive attributes. I won't to sad to see Plasma die, when it does, something better will have prevailed. This is in no way like the HD player war, it is just different video technologies. People who are "advocates" of one tech over another are just plain misguided.

 

[stratman]

Well, the best solution to this spaghetti incident is to ask Clint, let him straighten it out. OK CLINT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO PLASMA? WHEN WILL IT "DIE?" Your audience needs to know.

 

[MDS]

Lighten up, it's just a prediction. A few posts back (can't remember who without scrolling back) someone joked that they predicted the death of CRT in the '30s. That is an especially prescient prediction considering CRT wasn't invented until the '50s.

 

[1tribeca]

Wow! Don't mean to sound like Woody Allen here, but ya'll realize none of us will be walking this planet in a few decades right? (aasuming you're in your late 30's or 40's) you might want to put things into perspective. It's a TV people...settle down!

How can you get offended by Clint's comment(s) I agree with Strat once again...both technolgies will be obsolete soon enough. Til then, enjoy what you prefer.

Either way, I'm sure installers are happy...no more herniated lumbar discs from heaving XBR CRTs around anymore!! They can only get slimmer & lighter from here on...yay!!!

 

[croseiv]

I do find myself wondering what the next technology will be though (beyond palsma/LCD).

 

[1tribeca]

Seems OLED is being worked on quite feverishly.

 

[davidtwotrees]

It's Alive!

Well, I didn't like the title, seeing as I just finished setting up a panny plasma a week before! Smiles. It's all good. The best part was yesterday my Polish neighbor and his brother, who are both about 6'4" 275#, walked in, gave me $400 cash, and picked up my 250# Sony Rear Projection TV like it was nothing and walked out with it. I didn't cry one tear..........
My side firing Canton's just opened up another notch sonically! They had been "firing" into the side of that giant TV for some time now. Plasma might be dead, but mine is alive and kicking........now if I could get the big network channels to stop looking like carppola on the panny!