Pioneer kills HDTVs, RIP Kuro

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When Pioneer last year announced that it was shutting down its plasma panel production line HDTV enthusiasts hearts skipped a beat. Today we have learned from the HD Guru that Pioneer has pulled the plug any on further production of HDTVs.

The biggest draw to Pioneer plasma TVs was the Kuro line of HDTV which was considered to be the best in class plasma with its unrivaled level of color reproduction that has yet to be matched in the industry.

Pioneer has not publicly made an announcement yet but "according to industry sources and confirmed by a Nikkei News report Pioneer Corp. is ending production of its highly rated plasma HDTVs and will be exiting the TV business"

When Panasonic (Pioneer's soon to be provider for its panels) announced that it would delay the opening of a new plasma panel factor to early 2010 it was the final blow for Pioneer. After Pioneer closed the doors on its factory it needed the Panasonic panels to continue producing TVs; the delay may have also gotten Pioneer out of a contract obligation to purchase the panels.

(2 replies) #1 Max™ on 07 Feb 2009 - 17:30

Pioneer = the end is nigh.

#1.1 Digitalfox on 07 Feb 2009 - 17:37

Maxï¿½ said,

I shame really..

I always loved their products..

#1.2 TRC on 07 Feb 2009 - 18:34

Don't they make most of their money on stereo equipment?

(1 reply) #2 TruckWEB on 07 Feb 2009 - 17:57

So, how many new unemployed with this news?

It's been like that for a couple of weeks/months now, so many people loosing their jobs. This is not going to help the economy. No jobs = no money to send.

#2.1 mmck on 07 Feb 2009 - 18:30

Having comapies and jobs around that don't need to exist worse for the economy. It just makes debt worse, and eventually these companies that arguably shouldnt exist become bigger problems.

The economy worldwide isn't as bad as many news corporations etc. make out - sure people are loosing jobs, but currently it's not awful, and nowhere near what it has been in the past.

(1 reply) #3 +Lewism on 07 Feb 2009 - 18:23

My parents have a Kuro and it's the best TV ever. This is the end of plasma.

#3.1 excalpius on 09 Feb 2009 - 09:05

Plasma died two years ago when everyone announced they wouldn't be making them anymore...ahem.

(1 reply) #4 skynetXrules on 07 Feb 2009 - 18:35

whatever happen to the owner of those TVs ?

when the TV dies within the warrenty , SOL i guess huh ?

#4.1 LonelyCooler on 07 Feb 2009 - 23:48

skynetXrules said,

Not neccesarily, usually the company is bound to that warranty and it will still get done, even if its outsourced to a different company for the repairs.

(4 replies) #5 Mista T on 07 Feb 2009 - 18:39

Plasma Tvs are good but they consume so much power compared to LCD panels.

#5.1 excalpius on 09 Feb 2009 - 09:06

Which is why everyone stopped making them and selling them over a year ago. Anyone who bought in the last 18 months didn't do their homework as they were just clearing out old stock.

#5.2 shockz on 09 Feb 2009 - 13:17

excalpius said,

Have you been to a retail store lately? Plasma is still around... and always looks better than an LCD.

#5.3 Sticktron on 09 Feb 2009 - 16:30

Anyone who bought in the last 18 months didn't do their homework as they were just clearing out old stock.

Says who? As of this post the Pioneer Kuros are still the finest quality flat panel display device on the consumer market.

#5.4 excalpius on 10 Feb 2009 - 07:27

They were the last makers and sellers of Plasma. Due to the huge power costs, etc. only people who had more money to burn on their utility bills and bought purely on black level (which is REALLY important to me too) bought Plasma. Everyone other vendor dumped their Plasmas last year, knowing that OLED is coming.

So everyone is recouping costs on LCD fabs now as fast as they can, because OLED owns all.

I, on the other hand, did my homework and decided that for the new few years I didn't want to spend a fortune in electricity for a very slight difference over the Sony Bravia 4/5 series. That'll hold me just fine until OLED arrives.

(6 replies) #6 Julius Caro on 07 Feb 2009 - 19:03

No more HDTVs or no more plasma HDTVs?

#6.1 devn00b on 07 Feb 2009 - 19:08

Julius Caro said,

"Nikkei News report Pioneer Corp. is ending production of its highly rated plasma HDTVs and will be exiting the TV business"

I think that answers your question

#6.2 xendrome on 07 Feb 2009 - 19:31

Aren't plasmas HD.... and TV...?

#6.3 +Lewism on 07 Feb 2009 - 19:38

They don't make LCDs.

#6.4 thren1 on 07 Feb 2009 - 19:49

Lewism said,

They do make LCDs

#6.5 DClark on 07 Feb 2009 - 20:20

thren1 said,

My understanding is that they sell LCDs, but they don't manufacture them.

#6.6 bangbang023 on 08 Feb 2009 - 03:27

The Pioneer LCD's use a lot of proprietary Pioneer technology.

(2 replies) #7 HalcyonX12 on 07 Feb 2009 - 22:07

Isn't Kuro Microsoft's new search? Or is that Kudo?

#7.1 TRC on 08 Feb 2009 - 01:25

If you mean Windows Search 4.0 I think it was Casino.

#7.2 dlegend on 08 Feb 2009 - 06:29

Kumo

(3 replies) #8 Raa on 08 Feb 2009 - 00:04

I think my Sony Bravia is way ahead of Plasma anyway, no loss.

#8.1 excalpius on 08 Feb 2009 - 01:37

Absolutely. I don't know why people are surprised. Everyone abandoned plasma two years ago and anyone dumb enough to buy one just didn't do their homework.

Besides, OLED will own everything in every market. YUM!

#8.2 bangbang023 on 08 Feb 2009 - 03:27

Your Bravia will never produce the blacks that the Pioneer's did.

#8.3 excalpius on 09 Feb 2009 - 09:07

The tradeoff was a technology that doubled your power bill with technology that was obsolete when it came out.

Again, OLED beats them all.

(1 reply) #9 mocax on 08 Feb 2009 - 02:17

Maybe they're going into OLED business

#9.1 excalpius on 08 Feb 2009 - 02:31

If they are smart they are. All the major players are just trying to make as much money off LCDs (to recapitalize their R&D) for the next year or two and then it's game over. OLED ftw.

(2 replies) #10 Baked on 08 Feb 2009 - 02:36

Good Plasma is a waste of money....so much power used compared to LCD the sooner all plasmas are gone the better.

#10.1 PureLegend on 08 Feb 2009 - 07:14

Did you ever see a Kuro? It was absolutely fantastic in terms of black.

#10.2 Baked on 08 Feb 2009 - 08:08

Yeah my brother has one...I prefer my Samsung LCD :p uses 1/4 of the power....perfect 1080p via hdmi from my PS3.

#11 TRC on 08 Feb 2009 - 03:13

I'm getting a CRT based rear projection set. Plasma, LED, DLP, I don't really like any of them.

Last edited by TRC on 08 Feb 2009 - 03:24

#12 Neo Razgriz on 08 Feb 2009 - 05:40

That 55" Z series LCD by Sony is looking slightly more attractive now. A review even stated it's blacks rival the Kuros.

My 508XDA (5080HD in the US) Plasma, by Pioneer of course, is still doing great of course. Even though as a replacement to the original, it too now has a pink-stuff image that's visible on the darkest of images.

*sigh* Shoulda got an LCD in the first place I reckon.

#13 Mikee4fun on 08 Feb 2009 - 08:19

Plasma has been a dieing technology, Lasers FTW

L A S E R S!!!!! =P

#14 DJ Specs on 08 Feb 2009 - 08:20

The people here who said LCD looks better than Plasma need to see an optometrist now! LCD SUCKS ass! Simple as that. If you disagree, you are in denial. Plasma was superior. Heat .. yes, it was a major drawback. Anyway, OLED.. needs to get to market now so we can dump LCD, and Plasma.

(1 reply) #15 WolfDV on 08 Feb 2009 - 09:09

NOoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

PLEASE GOD WHY~~~~~~

I will miss future Pioneer Kuro Plasmas (gen 10 absolute blacks for example)... RIP

Still loving the current pioneer 5080,5010,and 6010 sets (I may have to get an Elite 60" before they go extinct)

Hopefully panasonic gets some of the pio magic kuro black tech, and enhances their future plasma sets.

#15.1 excalpius on 10 Feb 2009 - 07:30

Get over Plasma!

OLED is coming. It is SUPERIOR in every way to Plasma and LCD...by MILES.

Pioneer was the LAST vendor to dump Plasma for a very good reason.

(1 reply) #16 Delmont on 08 Feb 2009 - 13:39

I saw a new Samsung plasma tv at Best Buy last week. A new line of plasma the guy said....to me it looked great. To me, had deeper colors than the lcds. So, how would this be a mistake to buy? If it looks great to me, isn't that what matters?

#16.1 excalpius on 10 Feb 2009 - 07:31

As long as you have more money than common sense regarding your Utility bill, go for it. 8P

#17 stezo2k on 08 Feb 2009 - 14:46

My kuro is fantastic, its just such a shame my next tv wont be a pioneer

best tvs you can buy

(2 replies) #18 Airlink on 08 Feb 2009 - 17:14

Sorry plasma-lovers, but LCDs and OLEDs are the way forward. Plasmas are just not energy-efficient enough. Think green.

#18.1 stezo2k on 08 Feb 2009 - 21:25

energy efficiency isnt everything. most of the highest rated tvs (mostly pioneer) are plasma

#18.2 excalpius on 09 Feb 2009 - 09:08

The others are the Sony Bravia high end LCD line.

#19 +zhiVago on 08 Feb 2009 - 18:13

I guess the margins got too low for them.

#20 Anaron on 08 Feb 2009 - 19:31

OLED is the future. If Pioneer is doing what I think they're doing, then they're going to make a lot of money over the next couple of years. They nearly perfected plasma technology. I can't wait to see what they'll do with OLED technology.

#21 InPCHell on 08 Feb 2009 - 20:28

The problem is that companies are trying to do something for everyone. How about working on one technology and keep improving it? Virtually every company is stretching their dollars thin because of ridiculous R&D.

(2 replies) #22 Pabs(Sco) on 09 Feb 2009 - 13:23

Personally I'm still using an old 26" CRT widescreen JVC TV :p

Untill it breaks I won't be upgrading, hopefully it lasts long enough for OLED tech

Why have HD TV when 99% of Brittish TV is Standard def anyway

#22.1 Sadelwo on 09 Feb 2009 - 15:47

Bluray, PS3, 360? If you don't do those then yea, you need not worry

#22.2 Pabs(Sco) on 09 Feb 2009 - 16:06

Sadelwo said,

PS3 yes I do own one, and use it

But games look fine. I do wish for a HDTV but I don't constantly use the PS3 so I don't see the benefit.

The only reason I see to on buying a HDTV is the larger screen size, right now the 26" CRT is fine for TV/DVD

(2 replies) #23 LaP on 09 Feb 2009 - 15:30

When my 27" JVC CRT died and i went to stores to buy a new TV the Plasma technology was way more expensive than LCD.

Got a 32" Sharp Aquos LCD. Black may not be as good. They may be some ghosting when watching sports or playing racing games. But the colors are great and the quality is way beyond what my old CRT TV could do. I did not even bother looking at Plasma TV as none of them was close to the price i wanted to play. I paid around 900$ CAD for my Sharp Aquos and the less expensive Plasmas was around 1700-1800$ CAD i think. Adding taxes it was over 2000$ CAD.

Now maybe some people don't care about paying 2 grands for a TV but i sure was not ready to pay that much.

Hope OLED technology will be affordable after a while.

#23.1 excalpius on 10 Feb 2009 - 07:33

OLED is cheaper, faster, lower on power costs, superior in color, has true blacks (because it is a true light emitting technology) and is superior in every way to LCD and Plasma. OLED is, in fact, so cheap and easy to make, you'll see it soon in unrollable sheets, billboards, etc. etc.

#23.2 +DARKFiB3R on 10 Feb 2009 - 18:52

It's not cheaper for the consumer yet. Sony's 11" OLED screen costs around Â£2000

I'm pretty sure my next TV (in a few years) will be OLED

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