The market share for plasmas has slowly but surely been eaten up by LCD televisions in recent years, as consumers are lured by the latter's higher...See more »
The market share for plasmas has slowly but surely been eaten up by LCD televisions in recent years, as consumers are lured by the latter's higher specifications (for around the same price) and versatility (little/ no risk of screenburn). According to a report from Display Search (the leading flat panel display market research consulting company), LCD TVs accounted for 57% of the global TV market on a revenue basis for the first quarter of 2007. Even more worryingly for plasma makers, the technology's traditional size advantage over LCDs is quickly being eroded. The same report revealed that within the 40 to 44-inch TV segment, market share for LCD TVs increased to 58% versus 41% for plasmas (the rest were rear-projection TVs). 50-inch and over is the only class where we can safely say that plasmas still dominate. And that's not the end of the doom-and-gloom. LG Electronics, the world's second largest seller of plasma displays on a unit basis, plans to close down its plasma factory in Korea amid operating losses. I'm not sure if Panasonic the plasma market leader should rub their hands in glee at their rival's misfortune, or be worried by plasma's dwindling popularity. But one thing's for sure... Panasonic have a game plan, and they're not going down without a fight. In the summer of 2007, they unveiled their first plasmas with true HD resolution the PZ700 series to satisfy the thirst of the public clamouring for 1080p. Now, Panasonic brings us the PZ70 plasmas. While positioned as a cheaper "cut-down" version of the PZ700, the PZ70 range actually boast a higher contrast ratio and 1080p/24 capability. Competitively priced around the magical £1000 mark, Panasonic TH42PZ70B offers a serious alternative to 1080p LCD televisions for those looking to buy a 40" to 42" HDTV. Let's see how it performs...See less »
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