In a statement made today in Japan, Pioneer has confirmed it’s to CEASE in-house manufacture of plasma displays smaller than 42".
However, they will be making one more series of self-built plasma screens which are due for launch this year.
The statement says that: “we have judged that maintaining the cost competitiveness of plasma display panels at projected sales volumes will be difficult going forward.”
“Accordingly, we have decided to terminate in-house plasma display panel production and to procure these panels externally, after panel production for our next series of models is complete.”
Pioneer will be launching LCD screens in Europe in the second half of this year. Apparently this does not mean Pioneer is abandoning its plans to cater for the upper end of the home display market with its Kuro brand.
This seems to be about making the TVs viable to make and sell in economic terms, and Pioneer specifically refers to “price matching”
It is reported that Pioneer have an alliance with Sharp, and say they will:
- Develop super-thin speakers for Sharp products
- Develop LCD TVs that carry on the legacy of the Pioneer “KURO” series in terms of high picture and sound quality and work together with Sharp to develop the Blu-ray related businesses of both companies.*
The fact that the format war is now over Blu-ray will play a major part in Pioneer’s future plans. It says it plans to “concentrate internal product development on Blu-ray Disc players, which are expected to find growing adoption worldwide.”
While Pioneer would keep building plasmas based on panels sourced from Panasonic, according to the report, this would mark the exit of the 5th ranked plasma manufacturer, and host to some of the best PDP displays and technologies around.
Details will be announced as soon as they are finalized.