Pioneer confirms that it's leaving the TV business

Goodbye, Kuro: We had a lot of great times--and even greater contrast ratios--together

(Credit: Pioneer)

It's a rumor no more: Pioneer has confirmed that it's exiting the TV business.

The Japanese manufacturer announced that it will stop producing TVs by March 2010, and instead focus on its existing car electronics and home audio-video lines. The company expects to slash 10,000 jobs (6,000 full-time, 4,000 part-time) as a result.

To date, the company's Kuro line of HDTVs were widely regarded as the best-in-class plasma displays available--check out CNET's review of the Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD, for example.

The Pioneer announcement comes just hours after Vizio announced that it would stop producing plasmas and focus solely on LCD panels instead. The departure of Pioneer and Vizio from the market leaves just three major manufacturers producing plasma TVs: Panasonic, LG, and Samsung.

Full details on the story are available at TWICE.

[styymy]

Wow...........

[sobishop]

Plasma will be joining the list of good technologies that didn't make it. Man I'm tired of being right.

[robd11]

Sigh. Yes, they were "too expensive". But for anyone who simply wants the best, and was not too worried about paying the 100% premium, Pioneer simply kicks ass. Get your Pioneer 60" 1080P plasma TVs now before they run out. I am sure there will be some poor sad commenters who say "yeah, but Panasonic is almost as good for $2000 less, Pioneer is a waste of maney." To you I say go back to your Ikea and Walmart shopping. I only accept the BEST.

[wusupjohn]

Kudos

[chrkeller]

Seriously get a fricken clue. Panasonic 800u series is rated higher than Pioneer's Kuro by CNET and it cost 3k less. Paying $3600 for a 58 inch Panasonic 800u isn't even remotely close to being Walmart shopping. You can't sell an inferior product for double the price.

[Bozco11]

Meanwhile I'll enjoy my tv that only looks slightly worse, which would be hard to tell unless you sat them side by side, and cuddle with that couple thousand.

[matwiow2009]

What a ********.

[sweaty_taco]

I think wusupjohn meant....Kuro's.

[sobishop]

Tell me robd11.....what is it like being in debt up to your eyeballs?

@chrkeller

The highest rated HDTV on Cnet is the 111FD, which gets 4.5 stars versus the 800u, which gets 4 stars. http://reviews.cnet.com/best-high-definition-tvs/

As they say, "The Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD represents the pinnacle of flat-panel HDTV picture quality." That's just CNet, every reviewer, and this is one of the few cases where "every" is accurate, says the Kuros (111, 151) are the best TVs you can get. You don't have to like it, but don't tell someone to "get a fricken clue" and then demonstrate that you don't have one yourself.

That's not to say that Pansonic isn't great. I bought one for my parents this Xmas. But it's no Kuro.

@sobishop

A lot of people in this world make good money (regardless of what happens in the economy or on Wall Street). Don't kid yourself into thinking that everyone who buys a Kuro (like me, the 151FD) couldn't afford it. Indeed, for the best TV ever made, spending ~$5k is an easy (financially speaking) decision.

[ender21]

I think the issue isn't so much that you spend your money on what you want, it's more the implication that to *not* spend the money on what *someone else* tells you is the best is equitable to "Ikea and Walmart shopping."

A little bit black-and-white, don'tcha think? If it's not the best, it's the worst?

As usual, delivery dictates response.

[sobishop]

@nameless user

I'm glad you feel good about yourself in the fact your able to purchase such big expensive things to compensate for you shortcomings. Any moron with a credit card can afford anything they want.

[RRosal]

Not everyone lives with a silver spoon in their mouths, but thanks for showing how pompous one can be based on material goods. Always cheers me up to see that the dividing line between the have's and the have-not's is not every going to go away.

[hexjones]

huh, well I just got a Kuro 5020FD for $2,000

It is within $200 of the Panasonic. Much cheaper than the Elite and very similar, just missing a few custom picture controls that you wouldn't notice after a good set-up and actually watching it.

[Signal-Support-System-Spc]

What about Toshiba Rob? I have a Toshiba plasma in 1080p and it looks far better than any LCD or plasma at Best Buy from any other maker. That is simple reality. Playing an exclusive title on the PS3 is a treat. You can talk your talk about Pioneer, but really, you represent the silent minority who pine for that company. Pioneer should simply stick to what it knows best - like making home stereo receivers; such as the one you have in the living room of your trailer or better making cd players for cars, like the one you installed in your Chevette. With Pioneer making this decision, it will only save the working poor their hard earned money. In the long run, this is also good thing for the economy because it forces the consumer to spread their cash around. Because Rob, when your Pioneer display breaks and you borrow your neighbor's pick-up and make a trip with it to Rent-A-Center for another, you can save your family thousands when you pick up that some-what reasonably priced television. Just think of all the extra food you will be able to buy at Aldi and Save-A-Lot Rob? lol.

[lesleyri]

wow...you sound like a jackass. Sorry your Toshiba looks like a hot mess, and cannot even compare to a pioneer. People who are in denial of Pioneer's superior PQ have never owned one. Why would you say something ridiculous like that? Jealousy? Feeling a little inadequate with your minimum wage job and monotonous life? Let me know how your new sanyo looks when you get it.


Like Hexjones said: they are going for next to nothing right now, get while they last.

[matwiow2009]

Hey Lesley Rhode Island, I guess you're just too busy to write out PQ as picture quality. I know it's a big strain.

[HatecrewDr]

Toshiba's are mediocre at best. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Pioneer makes the best tvs...period. If someone can afford one **cough** you shouldn't hate on them. ******.

[sobishop]

Not all of us get an opportunity to hump a BOSE sound system like you obviously do, lezziyri. I have a Toshiba TV and guess what it shows me a clean clear picture just like all those 3000-4000 dollar TVs do. You would think with how much Pioneer was butt raping everyone who purchased these TVs that they wouldn't need to cut jobs.

[sobishop]

I don't think financial status is based on how much you flush down the toilet for a TV there HatesJewDrs. Not all of us want to be in a huge debt like yourself there chief. Economic recession ring any bells?

[HatecrewDr]

Of course the economic recession rings bells. It's terrible right now. I am still doing well in my respective business and have $0 bad debt i.e. a Pioneer set that's paid for already. Also if you don't care about the difference, more power to you. I love playing 360, PS3, or watch Blu Rays on a high end tv. I can tell the difference between the cheaper sets and the Pioneers and am willing to pay for the quality. Is that so bad? I am not trying to offend you guys, it just disappoints me that people aren't willing to pay for quality anymore and now Pioneer won't be the brand of my next tv. That's all.

[sobishop]

That was a much better response than your first one. That opinion I can respect. I am all about quality but I draw the line when it comes charging the equivalent of a two TV purchase for quality that is just one step up from the competition.

[Renegade Knight]

Cut bells and whistles, leave the quality. That's one way to keep your price reasonable. I find that to get what few things I want, I have to get a passel of things I don't.

[tcr071]

Pioneer was always too expensive. Not too many people are willing to pay double the price for a TV that doesn't look anywhere near twice as good. Sure the $2,300 Pioneer Plasma looks great but it doesn't look $1,500 better than than the competition.

[lesleyri]

TVs that compare to the 5020: panasonic 800U $2000-2600, panasonic 85u $1899-$2300...pioneer 5020 $2400-$3000. No it is not worth $1500, but it well worth ~$400.

[Waam]

Wow - great sets. Thats too bad.

[mvdyk03]

@tcr071: That's a purely subjective determination (i.e. that it's not worth the extra money) and is probably why you didn't buy one. I didn't either -- for the same reasons. I bought a 58" Panasonic rather than the 60" Pioneer, and I'm the first to admit that it was budgetary considerations that made that decision for me. Having said that, there is absolutely no doubt that the 9G Kuros are, hands down, the best performing flat panels available on the market (regardless of tech), and but for the cost and the aforementioned budgetary considerations, I'd have a 6020 on my wall right now. The fact of the matter is, though, that more and more folks these days are driven by those budgetary considerations and that was probably going to significantly impact Pioneer sales and market share. Really, while it's sad for those employees affected and it's sad for videophiles who appreciate the level of quality the Kuro sets had and the role Pioneer played in driving the industry forward, the handwriting for this has been on the wall for at least a year (when Pioneer announced they were outsourcing the glass manufacturing to Panasonic) and it's probably the right thing to do at this point for the company.

[sobishop]

"I bought a 58" Panasonic rather than the 60" Pioneer, and I'm the first to admit that it was budgetary considerations that made that decision for me."

Who is this Bill Gates? Donald Trump? I wouldn't refer to deciding between which $3000 TV you want to buy a "budgetary consideration" unless your the aforementioned guys I spoke of earlier.

[mvdyk03]

At the time I bought my 58pz700u, I got it for a full $1700 (MSRP difference was about $2K) less than the best price I could find on a Pioneer 6010...so, yes, that's a difference that brings budgetary considerations into play. If it had been a difference of less than $500 or so, you would have a point. As it is, though, since it was another 60% or so, you don't.

[jjs4775]

samsung is the best bang for the buck

[HatecrewDr]

Yawn. I think that it is pretty *** for tat. Panasonic and Samsung both make great tvs for better prices than Sony or Pioneer. But I still end up buying Sony or Pioneer. Vizio is probably better bang for your buck, if you are shopping for Vizios it is a different level to jump all the way up price wise to a Pioneer.

[jjs4775]

samsung is the best bang for the buck

[JRWilliams308]

fb test

[afro2358]

That's a shame. I was waiting for Pioneer's LCD to come to America later this year, and now, that's not going to happen. Pioneer's Plasma (50's and 60's) is way too big for my enviroment. Now i have to do some research to find another display for my living room. Any suggestions out there? I will be looking for no more than a 47", and dollars don't matter to me.

[donsms]

The market for high end,top of the line displays just isn`t large enough to stay in business making them.It was and is a niche market thats just too darn small to succeed at.Too bad as Pioneer was the best plasma manufacture ever.The number of display manufactures i`m sure will continue to shrink as the market corrects itself,which it always does.Thats how the free enterprise system is supposed to work.

[Pepe7]

Sure. Check out the 46" Panny plasmas, such as the TH-46PZ85U or 850U. The 85U is a better value once you pay for the calibration, and turns into a completely different animal than out of the box. I'm' not sure the Viera cast, extra HDMI port and extra color gradation is worth an extra 600-800 clams.

-Pedro

[HatecrewDr]

Anyone who is saying that the quality difference isn't noticeable have never actually watched a Pioneer that was set up right...they are truly a sight to behold. I am so satisfied...I had a Panasonic before but it didn't cut it for me. Albeit it was a cheaper model, but even the 800u's just don't have the color accuracy or the depth of black that my elite has.

[Shaun822]

The high end Panasonics have the exact same plasma panel in them as the high end Pioneers.

[sobishop]

A TV is only as good as it's source...period!

[HatecrewDr]

But you still can't make a cheap bottom of the barrel tv look as good as a high end set. Regardless of the source. I have tried before, setting up everything thoroughly and spending a lot of extra time trying to get everything out of a cheaper set. It never looked even close to the truly excellent sets out there.

[superswiss]

Settle down people. Assuming that somebody who owns a Pioneer Plasma has to take on debt is about as arrogant as looking down on those who can't afford one.

I researched a long time before I got Pioneer Plasmas. Yes, I own more than one and I paid cash. They are simply the best, there's no two ways about it. That doesn't mean that everybody wants to pay the premium to get one. Same as not everyone is buying Bang & Olufsen.

There obviously weren't enough people to keep the business afloat. It's sad to see them go, but I'm set with my current panels for several years and by then OLED will be the name of the game.

According to an alleged Pioneer rep (so there's no verification) who posted on AVSForum, Pioneer will continue to produce the 9Gs until early 2010. A lot of people were wondering if the 10Gs would be out before the quit the business, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

[friscoG]

Just another case of the free market running its course. To the average consumer, they more than likely cannot see the difference between a Pioneer Elite set and a Panasonic or LG set. I consider myself to be the type of guy that buys middle to top of the line, but even I seriously don't see enough difference to warrant the price difference between an Elite and say a Sony XBR6 or Samsung A650, or of course Panny 800u. The Kuro 5020 is a good deal right now and I am considering one along side the A650, but at $2000($3499 MSRP), it is still hard to choke down that Pioneer disabled the advanced picture controls and only lets you get that in an Elite. I have no bias against Pioneer as I have a Pioneer higher end CD deck in my car that is still great after 6 years, but this was bound to happen. Most people want to see a tv that is twice as good if it costs twice as much and this is not the case. Their stuff is better but not twice as good, more like 20-25% better.

[Neumenon]

I don't watch or have a TV. I discovered several years ago that it's an incredible waste of time. My laptops more than suffice for viewing all forms of media.........without commercials/advertising. I even have all the crappy advertising on the Cnet site blocked.

[sludog]

My 15 year old Zenith 27" tube set will crush your high end plasmas. It even has picture in picture and a sleep timer.

[sobishop]

Yes, it would literally "crush" any plasma with its 100+ lbs fat self.

[RRosal]

LOL!

[mikegunnz]

my 1971 zenith b&w tv is by far the best. It's blacks are definitely blacker than all current tv's out. And it also comes in its own wooden cabinet that sounds the tube/screen. What a TV!!!! It's a tv and furniture all in one!

[popriver]

that's funny