Pioneer Looks Toward LCD as Kuro Project Leads to Losses

[meatyb0y]

Oh yeah, one more thing -

I was using this as an excuse to the wife as to why we had to buy that new Elite for the bedroom RIGHT NOW!

Now that excuse is gone. Bummed.

[kluvlaw]

Originally Posted by rlpiii

+1.

If $200 is your limit. . . then you really are not into this stuff. . . just go back and play with your bose. . .

OR, some people got used to the value of HD DVD, which provided players at and very close to the $200 price point, and got used to that and resulting pressure on Blu to constantly slash prices. Blu's a costly joke w/ no quality increase for greatly increased cost. Most didn't realize that w/ the demise of HD DVD that HD content was about to increase in price (for the first time, reversing the downward trend since the early 2000's). The Blu industry no longer has an incentive to sell players or content at greatly reduced prices...and consumers have every right to think their costs are too high.

[adr5]

Originally Posted by HT Junky

Usually, in the electronics world, companies spend a lot of R&D on a new product that is superior to existing technology. When this technology first hits the market, it is more often than not, a relatively expensive product.
As time goes by, and the product gets momentum, the price usually drops. A new, better technology comes out and the minus 1 technology becomes mainstream and more affordable.
Todays technology is the top of a very large pyramid of incremental (some larger than others) improvements.
What is going to happen if these new technologies are choked off by this kind of preasure?

If the improvement is that great, then it will work it's way down the pyramid. As more people buy the technoloby, the price will drop. Some so called improvements are not worth the asking price, so they go no where, as they should. Plasma seems to be a dying technology, so this was bound to happen anyway. I'm in the market for a new TV and plasma was not on my shopping list.

[TheMoose]

Originally Posted by kluvlaw

OR, some people got used to the value of HD DVD, which provided players at and very close to the $200 price point, and got used to that and resulting pressure on Blu to constantly slash prices. Blu's a costly joke w/ no quality increase for greatly increased cost. Most didn't realize that w/ the demise of HD DVD that HD content was about to increase in price (for the first time, reversing the downward trend since the early 2000's). The Blu industry no longer has an incentive to sell players or content at greatly reduced prices...and consumers have every right to think their costs are too high.

Why does every thread end up with rants on the evil Blu-Ray?

[adr5]

Manufacurers should understand that until they get the price of their units to $200, or less, their market is going to be limited. That means that the market for their movies is also going to be very limited and movies are where all the money is made. I have an HD-DVD player that I got at a great cost, especially when you factor in the free included movies.
I'm sure that the price of HD-DVD movies will drop. That will keep me happy until Bluray prices drop to a reasonable level. If they don't, then I won't be buying. What may end up happening if the price doesn't drop is that the next generation technology will come out and make Bluray obsolete before it gets good penetration in the market.

[JerryDelColliano]

Firstly, Pioneer has definitely not pulled out of the PDP market any more
than, say, Sony has pulled out of the LCD market. Pioneer has decided to no
longer manufacture PDP in-house. This is very different than pulling out. By
outsourcing the panels---to Pioneer's specs---we hope to reduce overhead and
lower cost. We will still be using exclusive Pioneer technologies and
assembling these displays in-house.

Secondly, Fujitsu did not supply us with panels. The timing of their exit
from the PDP market and our lack of inventory was an unfortunate
coincidence. A dramatic price-drop in our current KURO line resulted in an
unforeseen purchasing splurge by our reseller accounts, and we very quickly
found ourselves with very low stock.

Lastly, Pioneer is a core developer of the Blu-ray Disc format, as opposed
to being a supporter. In fact, Pioneer was the world's first consumer
electronics brand to have fully operational blue-violet laser optical disc
players and recorders which we showcased at CES 2000. At the time we had an
exclusive partnership with Nichia Corp. which at that time was the only
producer of blue-violet OPUs.

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This is from a Pioneer exec who wanted to have his voice heard on this matter. I thought the forum would be the best place to post this.