Panasonic has been tapped to pinch-hit for Pioneer.
The two television makers said Wednesday they had come to an agreement in which Panasonic will produce the panels for Pioneer's plasma televisions.
(Credit:
Pioneer)
The news comes a month after reports surfaced that Pioneer was pulling out of the plasma business. When Pioneer confirmed it would be finding someone who could make the panels more inexpensively than it could, there was a sense of dismay and disappointment among fans of its Kuro technology. Pioneer plasma TVs are generally regarded by experts--including CNET Reviews' David Katzmaier--as having the blackest black levels of any TV on the market.
In a joint statement, the two companies said they will build a new type of panel that integrates Pioneer's Kuro technology and Panasonic's NeoPDP, which it currently uses in its Viera TVs. Panasonic will have the panels sporting the new, combined technology ready for Pioneer by the second half of 2009.
Panasonic is the largest producer of plasma TVs, so the panels should be more affordable for Pioneer, which is trying to cut costs. Neither has said how much the panels will cost.
Panasonic, which is really called Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., will officially change its name to Panasonic starting October 1.
The name change, which may prompt calls for a holiday from copy editors, will help the company simplify its branding and messaging. The company already shifted over to the Panasonic name in the states. In Japan, it has continued to go by Matsushita, but the products are sold under the Panasonic brand. (The company's design showcase in Tokyo is also called the Panasonic Center.)
The company will also change the name of its National subsidiary, which specializes in household appliances, to Panasonic in 2010. (The National Center, chocked full of crazy household appliances like a $20,000 sleep systems, is a great place to visit. The National Center also has an .)
Matsushita Electric was founded in 1918 and was first known as Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works. The company tinkered a bit with the name in the 20s and 30s but settled on Matsushita Electric Industrial in 1935.
CHIBA, Japan--The decisive battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD is at hand, says a prominent Panasonic exec.
Blu-ray manufacturers are going to start cutting prices and go out on a promotional binge this holiday season, Matsushita Electric Industrial's Kazuhiro Tsuga said during a briefing with reporters at Ceatec, a large tech trade show that started here Tuesday. At Matsushita, which is best known for its Panasonic brand name, Tsuga is an executive officer who oversees networking efforts, some home electronics technologies and overseas labs, and other areas.
By the end of the Christmas season or the end of the first quarter, the writing will be on the wall. The format war in earnest may last only another year, he predicted.
"The BD (Blu-ray disc) companies will try to do our best to promote Blu-ray," he said. "The studios want us to put money in to promote it."
He added: "By the end of the year, you will see good products with very good promotion."
The Blu-ray coalition is also working on ways to cut the price of slim Blu-ray drives and recorders to allow the technology to infiltrate notebooks and PCs.
And wouldn't you know it--Matsushita has new Blu-ray players on the way. The three models will handle 18 hours of full-HD programs on a dual-layer disc and will go on sale November 1 in Japan, according to Reuters.
Tsuga's no fan of combo players that conjoin Blu-ray and HD DVD features. Last year, he called the idea "stupid, stupid." He pretty much repeated the comment this year and said that Matsushita still has no plans for such a device.
He downplayed Paramount Pictures' commitment to release movies on HD DVD exclusively, saying it only lasts for 18 months, and argues that studios are going with HD DVD "because big money came" to them. (Microsoft, Toshiba and Intel are the main backers of HD DVD.)
If you're embroiled in one of those battles in which you feel a constant need to one-up your neighbor (brother-in-law, co-worker, whatever) with your consumer electronics, getting your hands on this will put you ahead in a big way.
The world's biggest producer of plasma TVs is planning to sell the world's largest plasma TV by early 2007, reports Reuters and other sources.
Matsushita Electric Industrial announced Monday that it hopes to sell a 103-inch plasma TV, beating out Samsung's announced 102-inch plasma screen by exactly an inch. Described as "bigger than a double-sized mattress and almost as heavy as an upright piano," the flat-panel television measures about 7.8 by 4.5 feet and weighs a mammoth 474 pounds.
Though the company hasn't settled on a price point yet, its largest plasma television currently available (a mere 65 inches) goes for $7,500 in Japan, just to give you an idea.
While your neighbor might be insanely jealous if you snagged one of these next year, it's doubtful he'd trade utility bills with you.
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