[bpt8056]

I've been reading a lot of informed posts here the past couple months and I can honestly say that I feel well-prepared to enter the HDTV market. Thank you.


I read that Sony had just about laid off some 22K people and they're pretty announced that they're leaving the CRT market. Since they still have manufacturing plants (in Mexico?) that produces the CRTs such as the 34XBR910, how long before they decide to stop producing them? Do they have another model coming up to replace the 910 series or is the 910 series pretty much the last XBR series ever from Sony in the CRT market? It doesn't seem to be a wise business decision to spend so much money on R&D to create the Super Fine Pitch CRTs only to have it last for one product cycle. I'd like to see the 910 series enhanced with a few features like FireWire, HDMI, digital tuner (unlikely I know), etc.

 

[Orta]

The unfortunate reality is, legitimately sized HD Plasma's and LCD's are still far to expensive for the "everyman", and that's especially true of the Sony's. Take note, their 30" LCD runs around $4999, and that's the reduced price! Unless they plan on limiting themselves to the high end sector, I don't see how any manufacturer (not just Sony) will be able to weasel their way out of the tube market any time soon. Now, I can't say which brings in more profit, but I would imagine they sell a lot more 510's and 910's than they do 900's. If there's a corporation sustaining market out there for $5000, 30" LCD's, perhaps some entrepreneurs should get together and start rebranding the Dells, cause there's some big money to be made!

 

[bpt8056]

Here's what I found:

Focusing Electronics Strategy


Sony will distinguish between strategic and mature categories for the electronics business. Engineering and development resources will be concentrated in strategic categories such as flat panel TVs, Home Servers and mobile products. Mature categories such as Trinitron CRT TVs, analog video systems and analog personal audio systems will have their product engineering and development functions strengthened at Sony EMCS. This will allow profit to be maximized even in a shrinking market.


From the statement above, it seems that the Super Fine Pitch is most likely the last innovation from Sony's CRT department. What does the acronym EMCS stand for? I'm wondering because I'd like to figure out this ECMS can maximize their profitability.

 

[Jet Champion]

I think Sony in 2005 will make one last successor to the 910 with HDMI--it's kind of like when they made the 40XBR 800 after the 40XBR 700 and improved it with DVI--the next one will be the last one and it will have everything!

 

[senator_k]

I just read this post in Agoraquest:


quote:


New TV's on their way this spring:


XS & WF Series Grand Wega in 55" and 60" Sizes.


46, 51, 57 and 65" WS520 Series


KD36XS955 (36" Widescreen Tube!!), as well as 34" and 30".


36", 34", 32", 30", and 27" (yes, 27" HD) HS series (420)


And of course, all your FS series (120)


No specs or features just yet, only models.


unquote


This thread is located at: http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic....12298&forum=35

 

[cajieboy]

I think it's too early to tell exactly when the demise of Tubes will be in the future. Sony made its name in TV, and they have strong markets all over the globe. Their plants are all tooled up & turning out Tubes by the zazillion to handle these global markets. But Sony isn't a slow learner, and has seen the handwriting on the wall, or in this case the Flat Panel wall. Sony is positioning itself for the inevitable, and plans to make a sledgehammer dent in this market w/all its available resources, which are considerable. Competition has eroded too much marketshare, and Sony wants it back. It's either that, or go the way of Kodak. Moral of the story, "when you snooze you lose".

 

[Jet Champion]

To all you naysayers out there who laughed at me when I said that widescreen would break the 34" barrier just read what senator_k said. Direct-view CRT will go out, but it still can make a company alot of money in the next few years..maybe Sony is finally listening. How many 36" widescreen sets do you think they'll sell--I bet they'll sell alot. All of you direct-view lovers out there tell the manufacturers that you want bigger widescreen TV--the campaign is already starting to catch Fire. Join the International Crusade for more and bigger direct-view widescreen TV!!!

 

[cajieboy]

Jet, sign me up!!

 

[ThumperBoy]

Forget it Jet - nobody wants 300 pound 2foot thick monsters nowadays, flat sceen is in! Plasmas are the way to go beyond 34" size and Sony is concentrating there - they recently released a new 37" plasma so they wouldn't make the same size CRT! The cost to retool for a new size CRT is just too high for such a small market, it won't happen.

 

[Jet Champion]

You don't have to retool if you use the same company that produces the tubes for the 38-inch Loewe!

 

[ThumperBoy]

Sony won't do that - they only use their own tubes, they would never use a 3rd party CRT. Besides you said a 36" 16:9 tube, not the 38" one.

 

[cajieboy]

I agree w/Jet, Sony will sell these larger Tubes like hotcakes. Maybe not to the hardcore videophiles on this Forum, but to millions of other people in the country that want the advantages of excellent HDTV Tubes at a price they can afford.

 

[bpt8056]

I think there is a strong possibility that there will be a 36" WS from Sony, but not the way you think it might be. The information didn't say which country the 36" model will be available. I'm thinking that this could be the European version of the 34" version here in the USA. If there is indeed a 36" WS for the US market, then I think this may replace the 40XBR800 since the other forum mentioned that the XBR series will only be flavored in widescreen.


Now I'm wondering if the MSRP will be lower this round or should I expect the same MSRP as the 910 series? Panasonic announced their upcoming 34" WS model to be priced at $1399 so it would be logical for Sony to lower their MSRP. I'm guessing maybe $1799 for the 34" XBR955 model (I'm hoping lower).

 

[ThumperBoy]

I think you are confusing the numbers. Outside the USA the advertised diagonal size of TVs is the CRT size, whereas inside the USA its the viewable diagonal size. So the 34XBR910 in the USA is advertised as a 34" set, but outside the USA its a 36" set - its the same tube however! So you can buy a 36" widescreen set outside the USA but you won't get a bigger set in reality. I don't expect any new larger tube set models in the future, especially from Sony! In fact I expect the opposite more and more of the largest tube models will be discontinued especially the larger HD 4:3 models like the 40" and 36" sizes, leaving only the 34" widescreen HDTV direct-views until the plasmas come down enough to replace them all in a few years!

 

[Jet Champion]

I just think Sony will eventually make a set larger than 34-inches because RCA once made a 38-inch and they're not the greatest video engineers in the world. When it comes to glass tubes the 40-inch Sony is more of a marvel of engineering than the 38-inch Loewe tube. Now why would Sony or anyone else produce a widescreen more than 34 inches? Well you certainly wouldn't do that if you thought that most of the people in the market for such a set would buy either rear projection LCD or plasma for a comparable price. Now even a 37-inch Panasonic EDTV Plasma isn't HDTV and isn't as cheap as a possible 36 or 38-inch direct view tube which I believe could be produced for around $2600, You might could get an LCD for that price, but it wouldn't produce as good blacks and most direct-view buyers for that reason wouldn't want it. One day prices will fall and LCD and Plasma will take over but that won't happen for at least three years in my opinion. What you also have to consider is that most purchasers aren't smart videophiles like cajieboy or thumperboy upgrading to a great plasma widescreen. Most buyers are the Wal-Mart crowd who are used to low prices and are REALLY USED to plain old PICTURE TUBES! That's why I say 2005 will probably be the year it happens if not this year simply because whoever is left producing tubes--the one company that is smart enough to BREAK the 34-inch barrier will reap all the financial rewards. Now maybe they won't make a larger size 910 and maybe even 38-inches is a little too large, but somebody will make at least a 36-inch widescreen and it will sell like hotcakes--it won't last long, but like a dying star in it's last death throes I believe direct-view widescren TV will have one last flash of brilliance and break the 34-inch barrier. Long live direct-view widescreen TV! If any of the manufacurers are listening just consider ALL the people in the market who DON'T like change and ask yourself if making a larger size widescreen direct-view would be profitable--the answer is yes and the brand loyalty could then be transferred to imroved plasma and LCD displays when they come down in price--so if not for direct-view lovers then produce bigger widescreen direct-view TV so it will make you MONEY!!!

 

[ThumperBoy]

Dream on - it won't happen! Instead you will see the larger direct-view HDTV CRTs disappear completely. Look forward to cheaper large widescreen plasma displays however.

 

[senator_k]

I thought Thumper may be correct about the quoted 36" widescreen really being a 34" in the US (considering that the source of the info is unknown and could be directly from Japan), _but_ if that is the case, the other screen sizes don't make sense! If you assume that it really means a 34", then you'd have to delete 2" from the other quoted sizes (i.e. the 30" would be a 28" in the US). I don't think there are such sizes, so perhaps the 36" widescreen is real! Time will tell.

 

[archiguy]

It's doubtful there will be a direct-view widescreen CRT set larger than the current wave of 34 inchers. Size and weight are the biggest culprits, all talk of new technologies aside. Also, keep in mind that most entry doorways to houses are 36" wide, with only about 33" clear with the door open. A TV has to be designed to fit through those doors, period. The larger the screen, the further back you have to push the electron guns to avoid geometry issues, and there's a practical limit to that distance.

 

[ThumperBoy]

Since the manufacturers show off the prototypes for their new HDTV designs at CES each year, if there was any new model bigger widescreen CRTs coming you would have seen some this month at CES - zero, nada. Lots of newer bigger higher resolution plasma displays were shown however!

 

[Jet Champion]

Let me ask you this Thumperboy because when you are at the rear projection forum people jump all over you: Where were all the great advancements in rear projection LCD at CES? There was alot of flat panel LCD advances, but the last time I checked the flat panel LCD sony 42-inch was around $10,000! I have no doubt that flat view LCD will come down in price, but it's going to take some time. Where are all the

NEW advances in black level and reduction of screen door effect with rear projection LCD at CES? There aren't any major improvements--the industry just wants to shove rear projection LCD down direct-view lovers' throats. Where are all the price reductions for DLP? Would you really want the Gateway? Show me all the low cost 1366X768 plasmas out there with good black level. See alot of the posters at the forum wish that I would just shut up so Joe Six Pack lurkers would go purchase upgrade technologies sooner or would purchase inferior rear projection LCD right now and the industry could make their profits. So all you tube lover lurkers out there don't be fooled by the CHEAP PRICE plasma crowd or by the GREAT PICTURE QUALITY rear projection LCD crowd--they're trying to get you to buy displays that right now DO NOT EXIST!!!