-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
EPTE Newsletter: Panasonic to Exit Plasma TV Business
October 28, 2013 | Dominique K. Numakura, DKN ResearchEstimated reading time: 4 minutes
Recent reports say that Panasonic, the consumer electronics giant in Japan, may exit the plasma TV business in the near future. In poker terms, this is a "good fold." The company has lost billions in the TV business over the last few years.
During the 1980s, the two types of monitor technologies available to consumers were CRT monitors and LCD monitors. LCD panel technology quickly became the choice for flat panel monitors over CRTs. The market for LCD panels exploded during the 1990s, fueled by new portable electronics and laptop PCs.
Despite growth in the LCD segment, Japanese electronics companies were considering alternative display technologies because engineers believed that LCDs could have technical limitations with larger-sized panels. Several new display technologies were considered for large flat panel TVs, but Plasma displays was the choice in the early 2000s. However, LCD displays enjoyed the highest market share because of significant improvements with a high market share over the years.
Quickly, it became a two man fight: Plasma versus LCD. Panasonic was the industry leader in the plasma group and Sharp was the industry leader in the LCD group. Hitachi and Pioneer dabbled in the plasma segment, but quickly dropped out and switched over to the LCD group.
Panasonic is the last major TV manufacturer of Plasma TVs in Japan. The company invested billions of dollars in Japan to build manufacturing plants to support the production of plasma display panels. This sequence of events reminded me of the VCR wars between Panasonic and Sony 30 years ago. Panasonic did not have any technological advantages against Sony, however, they came out on top from its marketing superiority and strong global sales network. I think that Panasonic strategists believed they could come out on top again by applying the same formula--an intense marketing campaign coupled with an aggressive sales force. Unfortunately for Panasonic, this formula did not work.
The company struggled for several years after their huge investment and lost billions. The plasma segment is not profitable and Panasonic decided not to lose their whole stack--they will fold their hand.
The LCD TV is the overwhelming favorite in the Japanese market. Some consider Sharp the category leader, but can they hold a position of superiority? The reality is that Sharp has suffered mounting losses against its rivals. The comapny needs to become more innovative and competitive in an industry that is extremely dynamic. Sharp could suffer the same fate as Panasonic.
The latest and greatest product in the TV segment is the new Ultra HD 4K. All major electronics companies in Japan have thrown their hat in the ring and are promoting the ultra-high-definition TV available with LCD or OLED displays.
A new game has started and this one may be winner take all; or the companies will repeat the same story as the 3D TV made few years ago.
Dominique K. Numakura, dnumakura@dknresearch.com DKN Research, www.dknresearchllc.com
*To view previous issues of the newsletter, click here.
Headlines of the Week
(Please contact haverhill@dknreseach.com for further information on the news.)1. Mitsubishi Electric (Major electric & electronics company in Japan) 10/9The company has unveiled a new full color TFT-LCD with touch screen for business uses. It is available with gloved hands.2. ADEKA (Chemical company in Japan) 10/11The company has developed a new additive for the TSV copper plating bath. The new additive simplifies process control. 3. Sharp (Major electronics company in Japan) 10/17The company will begin volume production of high-resolution IGZO LCD panels at its Kameyama smart phone plant before the end of the year.4. Toshiba (Major electronics company in Japan) 10/21The company will roll out new models of the CANOVIO series--portable disc drives with 1/2 to 2 TB capacities. Users can access information from their phone or tablet PC via the Internet.5. Fujitsu and Murata (Major electronics companies in Japan) 10/22The companies have agreed to cooperate on sharing a component data library for noise analysis of assembled PCBs.6. AIST (Public R&D organization in Japan) 10/21The organization has co-developed a new spin torque diode for high-frequency electronics. The sensitivity of the new device is three times higher compared with a traditional semiconductor diode.7. Riken (Independent R&D organization in Japan) 10/22The organization has co-developed a new thin film structure for organic photovoltaic cells to increase voltage.8. Toshiba (Major electronics company in Japan) 10/23The company has unveiled a new thin TB 2.5” hard disc drive, “MQ02ABF100,” for personal computers. It has two discs in a 7-mm-thick housing.9. JDI (Major display panel manufacturer in Japan) 10/23The manufacturer has named Jeff Hsu, former vice president of Innolux, as the CEO of the marketing subsidiary in Taiwan.
10. Panasonic (Major electronics company in Japan) 10/24The comapny has commercialized a new fully-automatic conveyor robot, “HOSP,” for hospitals. It does not need any constructions under floor.
Recent Articles from DKN Research
To view past articles, click here.