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Tokyo, Japan — Mar 07, `08 — Consumer electronics maker Pioneer Corp said it would fall into the red for the fourth straight year on costs to scrap production of plasma displays as it rethinks its strategy in the cut-throat flat TV market.

Pioneer is expected to now turn to Panasonic brand maker Matsushita Electric to supply it with panels for its plasma TVs, thereby allowing it to focus on design and marketing and save on production costs.

Pioneer is the world’s fifth-biggest plasma TV maker, but it has been struggling to compete with larger rivals such as plasma industry leader Matsushita and LG Electronics, which can leverage economies of scale.

“This move will allow us to transform our business model for displays from vertically integrated, capital-intensive operations to a leaner business model geared to making value-added product proposals,” Pioneer said in a news release. More at Pioneer (in pdf).

BENTONVILLE, Ark — Dec 06, 2007 — Wal-Mart announces today it is turning back the calendar with another “Black Friday”-style price event this weekend, unveiling new “Secret In-Store Specials” today on Walmart.com. With savings up to 30% on electronics and other items, Wal-Mart also brings the popular Webkinz toys to its stores nationwide for this event, beginning 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7 through Sunday while supplies last.

Since Nov 2, Wal-Mart has offered three rounds of “Secret In-Store Specials,” revealing on its Web site groups of items with incredible values for Christmas shoppers. Millions of customers have signed up for e-mail and text message alerts through Walmart.com to learn of these specials as soon as they are unveiled.

A few examples of the items and prices available tomorrow at 8 a.m. include:

• 50 inch Vizio plasma TV - $998
• 1 MB Gateway Laptop - $398
• Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player (with 12 free HD-DVDs) - $298

Through the weekend, Wal-Mart will continue to keep spirits festive offering free photos with Santa in stores from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and exciting demonstrations and samples in its Christmas Shops. More at Wal-Mart.

Nov 09, ‘07 — Samsung said Friday it had stopped selling flat panel televisions and other consumer products in Japan, citing poor profitability.

Samsung has emerged in the past decade and a half as a global force in consumer electronics, taking on and even beating Japanese rivals in places such as the United States and Europe. But penetrating the competitive Japanese consumer market, home to rivals such as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Sony Corp. and Sharp Corp., appears to have been a considerable challenge.

“We judged direct sales to individual consumers are less profitable than business-to-business sales,” Lee Eun-hee, a Samsung spokeswoman, said of the reasoning behind the decision. Samsung sold LCD TVs, DVD players, MP3 music players and other items in Japan via the Internet, but stopped at the end of October, Lee said. It had ceased sales in retail outlets in August last year, she said.

Samsung will sell flat screen computer monitors directly to businesses and will continue to sell components such as memory chips and liquid crystal displays, she said. The company will also keep supplying mobile phone handsets to Japanese telecommunications company Softbank Corp., she said.

Since 2004, Samsung has produced LCD panels at a joint venture with Sony to meet strong demand for flat screen TVs, which has soared in recent years as consumers have switched to the sleeker versions.

Nov 07, ‘07 — Hitachi has stopped shipments for Rear-Projection TVs (RPTVs) in North America and its Mexican factories ceased production of RPTVs this summer, according to a Japanese-language Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun report, according to Digitimes.

Digitimes further writes, “Hitachi’s shipment for RPTVs in North America declined from 360,000 units in 2004 to 30,000 units in 2007, citing the report. More at Digitimes.

Seoul, Oct 24, ‘07 (Korea Newswire)– LG will unveil its new ‘G Platform’ plasma TV panels with upgraded picture quality at FPD International 2007, the flat panel display exhibition held in Yokohama, Japan, from October 24-26.

LG’s new HD and Full HD plasma TV panels feature a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, which is twice the highest current existing ratio of 15,000:1. G Platform panels are capable of reproducing exceptionally true colors across the entire spectrum, including even deep blacks with a 20 percent reduced reflection rate. In contrast to existing black panels, which are able to improve colors on the screen only by using clear black-colored panels, LG has improved color reproduction by optimizing the panels’ color phosphors and utilizing dielectrics.

“Our G Platform panel delivers top image quality at an economical price using LG’s advanced technology,” said Christopher Kim, vice president and head of PDP Module Marketing Team, LG Electronics, “Special image processing technology doubles the standard 50 Hz refresh rate to 100 Hz, eliminating annoying motion blur or flicker. These panels will deliver the clearest picture with the least noise to viewers in PAL markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.”

The panels come out in 32-, 42- and 50-inch HD models as well as 50- and 60-inch full HD models. All of these HD models as well as the 50-inch full HD model include industry-leading single scan technology. All of the panels also feature a 100 Hz refresh rate.

There are some conflicting reports surfacing on Australian government’s proposed regulations to ban most plasma and LCD HDTVs by the year 2011. Jesse Denzin-Weber of theInquirer is reporting “WITH AN EYE ON melting Antarctica, the Australian government is proposing regulations that would ban most plasma and LCD HDTVs by the year 2011.

After commissioning a report that found the popularity of high power-drawing TVs like plasma and LCD TVs is growing. The bigger and brighter screens get, the more power is required, and Australia is trying to crack down on energy consumption. This is the government that was looking into banning incandescent bulbs in favor of fluorescent bulbs earlier this year.

The government is proposing a new energy rating system based on six stars to inform consumers about the power performance of TVs.

The Australia Broadcasting Company (ABC) is reporting that under the proposed system the majority of current plasma HDTVs would not meet the requirements and would be removed from the market. In addition to placing limits on the maximum power consumption, the report also suggests that minimum energy performance standards should be put into place. This would keep poor performing products from being sold  in Australia.”

On  the same story Matthew Henry of Current.com.au writes “The industry body representing many of the leading TV brands has rejected suggestions that many current plasma and LCD TVs could be banned from sale within a year, which has been reported in the press today.

Australian Digital Suppliers Industry Forum (ADSIF) chairman, Ross Henderson, told Current.com.au that articles published in response to a new report on proposed energy efficiency standards for TVs were potentially misleading.

“The idea that plasmas and LCDs are going to disappear from the market is simply something that is not in the report,” said Henderson.

“The [Digital CEnergy] report is about suggesting guidelines to implement greater efficiency standards.”

The discussion paper, titled Television Energy Rating Labels: The case, and proposal, for MEPS and Labelling Televisions, argues for a labeling scheme to be introduced in 2008 with mandatory requirements phased in from 2009. But Henderson said home entertainment suppliers are in discussions with the government to work out a suitable timeframe.

ADSIF met with the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) last week to discuss proposals for an energy labeling regime.
“No manufacturers were arguing against energy efficiency standards, the industry supports it. It is just a discussion about the timing and making sure that due process is followed,” he said.”

More at theInquirer / Current.com.au