December 20, 2007 — Sony has become the latest manufacturer to dump its rear-projection television line.
"We are moving our resources toward LCD TV, because that's what people really want," a spokesperson told TWICE. The company will sell off existing stocks of SXRD and 3LCD products, then join Toshiba and Hitachi in the post-RPTV universe.
Coda from Gizmodo: "We have confirmed that this means no 70XBR5 70-inch SXRD!! One of our favorite TVs of the 2007 lineup will now just be a fondly remembered one-night stand. We knew the delay sounded suspicious."
In relative terms, Sony actually does well in RPTV, with a number one shelf share, says the NPD Group. But the category as a whole is declining and flat panels are where it's at. By jettisoning RPTV models, which generally sells for less per square inch, Sony can concentrate on larger LCD sizes, which is where the money is.
Although the LCD (and to a lesser extent plasma) categories are still selling like gangbusters, eventually they too will mature and possibly disappear, or at least move downmarket as RPTVs did. Just a few months ago, Sony introduced its first OLED (organic light emitting diode) display in Japan. The 11-inch panel is just 3mm thick at its thinnest portion. A U.S. launch is not contemplated till 2010, and whether OLED can scale up to home theater worthy sizes remains to be seen. But eventually manufacturers will need a new profit center.
