Pioneer To End TV Production - Page 8  

Hopefully I'm wrong. I just think there's some obvious red flags here.

I've never been in a situation like that before and hopefully I and all the other Pioneer product owners won't have to find out.

The Japanese companies are bleeding red due to their high currency. Take a look at this chart comparing the South Korean Wong with the Japanese Yen during 2008. The Yen is up over 50% with most of the gain in the last 3 months. The Japanese cannot survive if their currency continues to rise.

http://www.x-rates.com/d/KRW/JPY/hist2008.html

It has gone up even further since year end.

Fron WSJ

Sharp Corp. said Friday it swung to a net loss in its fiscal third quarter and warned it now expects to post its first full-year net loss since 1950, as weak consumer demand and the yen's strength undermine Japan's technology companies.
The company also said it plans to cut 1,500 non-full-time jobs and close down some production lines at two liquid-crystal-display manufacturing plants in Japan, in an effort to cut costs.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1233...l?mod=djemTECH

If I weren't getting married in June I would run out and buy a 151 now. Should I call it off?

That was somewhere in the back of my mind.

Did someone say earlier that we have NOT seen an official respoonse/comment from Pioneer themselves yet on this story?






So they're in trouble, too. I think everyone is at this point.

I would not call Audioholics' Clint DeBoer an idiot.

AJ

I'm just happy I got my 6020 (well, hopefully the SECOND one ISN'T shattered ) in the bag.

Really, for recent purchasers (now and last year) what was the long-term reality anyway?

I mean unless you replace your tv every year, most of us would've likely held onto our Kuros for at least 3-4 years before replacing them, and by then, something better will/would have come along anyway (OLED, superior LCD's, who knows?).

As long as we get sound longevity out of our sets, all will be fine.

James

Can someone please explain this to me? I thought that if a country's currency raises then they have more buying power but maybe I'm just thinking about how the dollar works.

Hi,

Even if Panasonic buy the Kuro tech, it will be well into next year before they implement any or part of it - there will be intense pressure from and within the LCD markets with everyone touting LED-BL and it may behove Panasonic to get the Kuro tech and apply it to entire LCD line up as it would be too expensive for anyone else to implement LED-BL on all but the bigger sets and Panasonic can apply as much of the Kuro Tech on the entire plasma line up - this will give them dominance in terms of PQ across their entire range. I doubt if Panasonic will do it to that level though - I was hoping last year that Panasonic took over Pioneer's TV division lock, stock & barrel to avoid this very situation of Pioneer pulling out of the market. I am wondering how long Samsung & LG will stay committed to plasma - their line ups are nowhere near as varied as their LCD ones. I have a feeling Samsung now might make a power-play on Pioneer and get what it can - they will see it as sweet revenge for losing a lawsuit by Pioneer against them recently. This really is extremely sad for the Plasma market. My dream of owning a kuro has just died.

Bazzy!

Dude I think the wife can wait , I mean this is like owning a dinosaur

If he is the one who wrote that article then yes he is a total idiot.

The marketplace is speaking but too many folks aren't listening. OLEDs may come but unless the engineers can get display units into the $1-3K range they'll never see the light of day in the coming years. Forget about OLEDs, forget about 1" thin sets, forget about blackhole black's, forget about sets that cost $5-15K. Manufacturer's that attempt to make money in that market in the next 5 years will either change their strategy or go out of business.

Some may not want to hear that view but the marketplace is speaking very loudly. Those that are deaf to it, do so at significant risk. Many manufacturers are just starting to listen to the consumer now. For some they are listening too late.

What can I say, when it comes to large purchases I prefer to do business with companies that are in business. I wouldn't purchase a new car from a company that told me they weren't making cars anymore either.

And the band played on...

The stronger the yen is against the dollar the more expensive it is to their largest market (us) to buy their goods.

"Can someone please explain this to me? I thought that if you currency raises you have more buying power but maybe I'm just thinking about how the dollar works."

Don't mince your words, Chad. Tell it like it is!

Probably right, but that actually makes me a little sad. This is one of my favorite hobbies and to see the quality getting pulled away from us (avs'ers)stinks. But obviously there aren't enough of us.

Then go buy your Tv from a company in buisness.

Just remember that the guy next to you that bought the Kuro will have the superior picture.

Just ordered my Pioneer 5020. This is the largest consumer purchase I've ever made (Recent college grad now working). I've been doing a ton of research this past month. After reading 8 pages of doom and gloom on this thread,fear kicked in and I immediately reached for my credit card.

That makes sense, thanks.

LMAO.
James

D'oh!

Well,

I predicted this most sad end. Great TV company, they had a great run. Its not a time to be down but to look forward to the future. The end one era is the begining of another.

Yeah, if you look at a Kuro from a performance/reliabilty standpoint, you'd be crazy to NOT buy one before it's too late. I think the 3 year failure rates hover around 1%?

Buy another one in 4 years if you want.

James

yep, i agree.

this is like an audiophile finding out that Bose is putting all of the other companys out of buisness.

It just stinks.

"no doom and gloom", LMAO. Anyone who just lived through the past year's events could not possibly take comfort in that press release.

That's the truth. It's milk and honey right up to the point the stock is worth a couple of pennies and the government moves in and takes you over.

Yeah, you're a regular Nostradamus. Predicting the demise of plasma tech is like predicting the "end of winter". It's inevitable, I'm afraid.

The writings been on the wall for 3+ years now.

Did anyone really think they'd (Pioneer) go any further than the coming generation, at best?

Bout the only real rumblings I heard is that they MAY try to push out 10th gen tech. Hell, it'll be interesting to see how long it survives, period, now.

James

Just go to best buy and do a gift registry for the 151. Hopefully a couple people will scan it so you can have a 151 waiting at home when you return from the honeymoon.

That's not a good comparsion because no one put Pioneer out of business but Pioneer. I told you that you can't have a Gucci approach to market flat panel TV's and hope to survive. WHo ever the CEO was that came up with that ridiculous marketing sceme should have been fired a long time ago.

The name of game is "affordable" flat panels.