RSSSony decides to dump money-losing rear-projection TVs
By Ed Oswald | Published December 27, 2007, 12:04 PM
The technology that spurred the big-screen television phenomenon among consumers took another step towards oblivion on Thursday.
Sony has been losing money on rear-projection televisions for quite a while, as consumers opt for the smaller form factors of LCD and plasma sets. In a statement this morning, the company said it would focus on LCD and OLED televisions from here on out.
About 400,000 rear-projection sets are expected to be sold this year, down significantly from the 1.1 million sold in 2006. In contrast, some 10 million LCD TV's are expected to ship, much higher than the 6.3 million sold a year ago.
Decisions like this highlight Sony's continuing effort to rid itself of money-losing ventures in an effort to bring itself back in to steady financial ground. Led by its efforts to continue selling rear-projection TVs, the television division lost nearly a half-billion dollars over the six months ending in September.
Worldwide, consumers will likely not notice the disappearance of Sony from this market, as all but 15 percent of rear-projection televisions are sold here in the United States. LCD TVs have taken off as both competition and the diving cost of parts have allowed companies to lower prices to a point that is affordable by the average consumer.
Other companies have already bid adieu to the technology, including Hitachi, which quit the market earlier this year, and Seiko Epson, which announced its withdrawal earlier this month.
The last rear-projection televisions from Sony are slated to roll off the production lines in February, according to published reports.
Article should read:
Sony decides to dump money losing Blu Ray and the failing PS3.
It sure didn't take HD-DVD long to catch up and surpass Blu Ray in movie sales. Sorry Dave, you were forced to choose a format while I kick back smoking a cigar lit with a $100 bill while drinking a dry martini enjoying any HD movie I want.
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|this strategy greatly limits the consumers of large screen TV's.
I have a 65" Mitsubishi DLP. I paid about $4000 for it 4 months ago. If I wanted a similiar size Sony flat screen (which the only thing they have bigger than a 52" is their 70" model) it would cost me over $32 grand????
No freakin' thanks.
50" and below, I agree, LCD is the way to go, but there are many of us who are well beyond the 60" screen size and are not willing to downsize.
On a side note, I think DLP does a better job of scanning different resolutions vs. the pixelation you see on LCD's.
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|actually scratch that - I wouldn't buy Sony regardless.
Over the years I have owned a long list of various brands from phones, TV's, DVD players, car stereos, etc.
A few years ago when my Sony DVD died on me I realized that EVERY Sony device I have ever purchased has died or broken in some way whereas EVERY non-Sony device I have purchased has not (minus the Rio Karma)
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|Mitsubishi Samsung and Toshiba are the leaders of DLP rear projection. Sony never got a foothold on that market like they did with CRT.
Vizeo has taken over LCD and plasma sales and they truly suck. Most poeple buy a TV based on how it will look in a room and not the actual picture. Look at all the idiots who buy Panasonic TV's, not only are they overpriced, but they look bad too.
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|Well, for anyone that wants a rear projection TV still, you are going to see some insanely low prices on them as stores start to blow out their inventory of these things fast. Personally, I wouldn't buy one at any price but if you want a big screen TV at a very low price and don't need the best picture quality, there will be some very good deals out there now on rear projections.
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|Its not a surprise that companies are dropping this type of TV since better ones are becoming more affordable. It makes good business sense. Projection TV's are difficult and often heavy to move around, and also take up a lot space. Overall I don't think the picture quality is that good on them either.
I've got an LCD now and love it. Glad to finally ditch the tube.
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|LMAO, coming from the poor bas**** (Joey / Dave) who owns a Panasonic and a PS3 as his high end HD movie player. Your "surround sound" system has no rears or center channel, according to the pathetic pictures to uploaded to imageshack. When you linked all of your pictures from your other usernames, you forgot to change the camera assigned tag of the files so we know you and all your aliases use a Sony Cybershot camera.
One more thing Dave, the plasma in my kids playroom is bigger than your main TV by four inches. Doesn't that just piss you off to no end? You are the only jagoff I know who bought a "space saving" plasma, then put it in a stand so it sticks out 20 inches from the wall.
Maybe they dont let you hang TV's on the wall in your apartment complex, or was that a trailer?
It's so easy to pick on you. Why do you even start with me when you already know I'm smarter than you and any five people you know put together?
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|Panasonic are indeed quite good at plasmas, and PS3 is editor's choice at very respectable hi-fi magazines. Of course, there are better ones.. but at this price/performance? Actually, I am going to buy myself PS3 - primarily for serving as a multimedia hub..
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|The $299 Blu Ray player looks head and shoulders better than the PS3. I've seen both running HDMI through a $6000 scaler on the Runco 65" plasma seeing as I'm the one who hooked them up.
The PS3 is a great Blu Ray player for people with cheap TV's who don't know the difference. Like Dave.
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|Actually you can build (or buy pre-built) a HTPC than can do a hella lot more than the PS3. Like for one pause and rewind TV. It also downloads the TV guide from the internet and you can browse what's on TV (and record individual shows or the whole season), much like a DVR.
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|You forgot to mention cheaper, also. :P
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|Is this really news? The only person I know with a crappy rear projector, is Hollywood.
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|Yawn. As Sony zealots go you've become truly boring.
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|Hi there Hollywood, got ANOTHER username..
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|You aren't seriously implying that anyone but you uses different usernames are you? Sorry, but no one here is going to buy it. You have zero credibility.
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|No I'm not Hollywood. It might be hard for you to believe but there's more than one person in the world who thinks your dumb comments and endless shilling is lame.
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|No ones deleted your account yet?
shame.
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|Don't even bother with this turd. If you want to have some fun, Google "DaveBG Blu Ray" or "DaveBG Sony". His real name is Dave Peterson and he is a complete and total "looser" as he spells it.
I see no one has signed your petition in months Dave.
http://petitionspot.com/petitions/Blu-ray/
Created by Dave Peterson on 9 December 2006 @ 11:13:20 AM
LMAO @ your lame ass.
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|The fact is I'm too lazy to go through all that trouble. He must have fifty GMail accounts that he created just to appear like several different people not only here, but at the AVS forum where he has a lifetime ban, thanks to me.
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