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IMHO, Pio pulled the plug too early on the high-end players. There was high demand and inflated prices for years after the format was discontinued
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Pioneer ended the format too early... pure bad strategy.
Market for X9 and X0 was still there for many years to come
There was virtually NO market for the X9 nor even its lower-priced cousins at the time the models were discontinued. That's why the players and technology were discontinued - there was little demand and thus no money to be made. A few people on AVS does not constitute "high" demand. And maybe not even "a little" ...
Ask those who have used and new X9's - how many have been sold during the past five years? And it's not just the relatively high prices. Listings on eBay for an $3,000.00 X9 in excellent condition went unanswered.
Personal example - I have two X9's, one in excellent condition and one new in box. I periodically field PM's and emails inquiring about a sale. Every inquiry fizzles out even though my offered price is $1,000.00 - $2,000.00 below the "market."
There is NO market for retail laserdisc players that would justify ANY production of ANY model by Pioneer.
Any idea to the contrary is a mixture of nostalgia, wishful thinking, and a misunderstanding of a "market."
Period.
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That is possible today. Pioneer still makes parts for many of their players.
Not as stated. Pioneer may have some odds and ends left - NOS inventory. But they are not "making" parts for LD models (the DVD-LD combo players are not in the same situation). And it is not possible to get most, let alone all, of the parts for laserdisc players.
You can't even get parts from Pioneer for Elite cassette players, which sold in far greater numbers.
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you can still find brand new players.
On the secondary/used market only, of course.
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I think they are still supposed to supply all parts for the X9 through 2012 if I remember right.
All of my research indicates that this is not correct. As far as I have been able to determine the last year of actual X9 manufacture was 1999. The Japanese "10-year rule" would ostensibly relieve Pioneer of service responsibility now.
BUT - I have never been able to nail down what the law or regulation is. Is it for maintaining a supply of all parts? Availability of whatever parts are on hand at the time manufacturing ceases? Providing a (similar) replacement in lieu of parts? etc.
I think that 2012 year expectation comes from the fact that a "new" X9 could be found retail, or NOS Pioneer in 2002. That was long after manufacturing ended.
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Parts are not an issue with the X9 at this time.
Yes parts ARE an issue. They are not available from Pioneer at this point (except for a few stragglers at the back of old inventory shelves).
You can't even get an Owner's Manual, let alone hardware.