This week I posted an article on Audioholics that scooped the news (by an entire day) that Pioneer has called it quits on plasma panel production. This is huge news as it means Pioneer’s gambit to sell only high-end plasmas (hey, even the high end line is called “Elite”) failed to generate enough business to make sense. Pioneer has multiple plasma panel manufacturing plants – all of which it will eventually close or repurpose. It will now buy all of its plasma glass panels from Matsushita (Panasonic).

It will now buy its plasma panels from Matsushita (Panasonic).

It will now buy its plasma panels from Matsushita (Panasonic).

Oh, did I repeat myself? Apparently I need to because with the amount of hate mail we received you’d think people didn’t actually read the article and stopped reading after they finished the headline (which succinctly stated: “Plasma is dead.”) With the amount of hate mail I received, you’d think I called their baby ugly.This is huge news and, considering that Pioneer’s stock jumped UP 11 points following the news, I’d say the investors think that LCD is the winning ticket and long-term solution as well. Pioneer also stated it would begin manufacturing LCD displays with panels purchased from Sharp.

When I say “plasma is dead” I do not qualify this with a date. I do not say “plasma sucks”. I do not say “LCD is better than plasma.” I do not say “Man, your baby is ugly.” But for some reason, the straw man feedback and responses we received are absolutely mind-numbing… and incredibly defensive.

Make no mistake – plasma IS dead. While Panasonic is pumping out some excellent products (and so was Pioneer while it lasted) the writing is on the wall. Hitachi already has 1.5-inch thick displays coming to market this year and Sharp is rushing to release its ultra-thin displays as well. When the LCD market is flooded with <1-inch thick televisions, people are going to flock - quality be darned.So that's what this article was about. Oh, and your baby is ugly.

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