One word Chris... Apple

Just because an electronics company is huge in one decade, certainly doesn't constitute it to be successful the following decade. Look at SONY - HUGE in the 80s. Look at the Walkman...

Never very impressed with Sharp. Two of my friends have their LCD TVs and the picture quality from both is pretty dire! Should be VERY interesting when Panasonic & SONY combine efforts for their TV panels. Maybe B&O will use these instead of Samdung?

You can add micro suck to the gone in 5 years list too.

I wouldn't think Samsung have particularly endeared themselves to potential partners in the future either after the apple fiasco.

What goes round comes round ....

Yes it's all because of apple. Nothing to do with the global economic slowdown, or the fact that everyone bought a new flat screen to replace the tube in the last few years - often when they upgraded their house during housing boom, and companies invested as if was sustainable demand rather than an anomaly. Yes apple, the company that doesn't even make a tv. 

Stan

The mere thought that Apple may eventually bring out a TV an disrupt the industry just as theyve done before has no doubt had an effect on the competition.

panasonic have announced they're leaving the market to concentrate on making screens for the iPad.

Try reading up on it. 

Very sad news for Panasonic. My experience with them over the past 20+ years has demonstrated to me that they produce some of the most genuine, reliable and top performing products that i've ever come across. Dare I say it, hand on heart, far superior to BANG&OLUFSEN products in longevity, reliability and performance. They are certainly a brand to be trusted to deliver. Can only be great news for Apple!!!

So if Panasonic are to stop Plasma production, that signals the end of the BV12 & BV4. With OLED just around the corner, that is not a problem...

Paul W wrote:

My experience with them over the past 20+ years has demonstrated to me that they produce some of the most genuine, reliable and top performing products that i've ever come across. Dare I say it, hand on heart, far superior to BANG&OLUFSEN products in longevity, reliability and performance. They are certainly a brand to be trusted to deliver. Can only be great news for Apple!!!

I'll play devils advocate here and take you mildly to task Paul.... 😁

How many B&O products and how many Panasonic products have you owned over the 20+ years to make the comparison?

Is this personal anecdotal opinion, or do you have some objective facts to back up your comments?

A peer reviewed academic survey perhaps?

Just teasing.... but we all have our POV based upon anecdotal tales, or personal experiences - the facts could be quite different though in terms of an overall market picture..

Best Regards

John... 😐

Flappo wrote:

What goes round comes round ....

Like a balloon or a football perhaps?

Shouldn't that read 'What goes around comes around'?

😎

Flappo wrote:

The mere thought that Apple may eventually bring out a TV an disrupt the industry just as theyve done before has no doubt had an effect on the competition.

panasonic have announced they're leaving the market to concentrate on making screens for the iPad.

Try reading up on it. 

Riigght... The "mere thought" that Apple *may* bring out a tv has long time manufacturers running for the exits. The Steve Jobs reality distortion field lives on. How about Panasonic is concentrating on markets where people are actually buying products?  Nobody is buying tvs right now, and they will probably never buy them at the same rate as the last 10 years...  I guess the market is not buying because Apple *may* bring out a tv?!?!  Not because they already have a fairly new tv, and see no compelling reason to replace it.  

I also believe the Japanese are getting clobbered by the Chinese - tvs (non-B&o) are so cheap and margins so thin, yet investments are huge, why bother?  Especially since there are rumors that Apple *may* produce a tv ( /sarc)