New Plasma LG

 

Plasma Plasma TV LCD victims

Revolutionary at the time of CRTs, this technology has been scanned by the arrival of LCDs.

"The question is not whether plasma TV screens will disappear, but when" slice Eric Surdej, CEO of LG France. The market share of plasma TV screens has melted like snow in the sun. Sales of plasma TVs have plunged 14% in the world in one year, according to the firm Display Search, and represent only 6.7% of total TV sales. In the third quarter, it has sold more than 51 million LCD TVs in the world, against 4.1 million plasma screens.

France is no exception to this trend: 300,000 plasma TVs should only be sold in 2011. 4% next year, their market share is expected to rise to 2% in the short term. Plasma screens weighing nearly a quarter of the market there is still seven years.

Several factors explain the decline of a technology that has revolutionized the industry yet on TV, marking the advent of the flat screen. The selling price of plasma TVs have certainly eroded to spend 3800 euros on average in 2004 to 700 euros in France in 2011, according to GfK.

This decrease was not enough to cope with the onslaught of new generation flat screens, LCDs, and that of the LCD with a backlight LED, which are even thinner, consume less electricity which makes have treated the design. Enjoying a very aggressive pricing policy, they were quickly sold at prices much lower than plasma screens (440 euros on average), especially in standard sizes of screen.

In addition, the LCD screens have solved one of the major shortcomings of the plasma: there are no "dead spots". Indeed, the plasma input range have long suffered from a poorer image quality when is slightly offset from the screen. In addition, plasma screens have kept the reputation for having a life generally limited to ten years, although this problem has been solved.

Until now, the Plasma TV 120 cm and were able to withstand competition from LCD. Large in the plasma were still significantly less expensive. The trend is expected to reverse next year. Samsung is a particularly offensive expected in this segment and is known Korean brand aggressive in terms of price.

Panasonic sole candidate

Facing declining, most manufacturers have abandoned the production of plasma screens. LG and Samsung offer this technology but still use now appealing product. And because their industrial base is amortized. Only Panasonic plasma still put to differentiate themselves. "We want to make our plasma TVs Rolls," explains Laurent Roussel, Director of Panasonic France. Its market share is likely to suffer, but who cares, put on a Panasonic high-end positioning to correct margins and generate new profits by selling televisions. In addition, the Japanese said in early November that its industrial redimensionnerait to adapt to these changes. Remaining alone on this niche, Panasonic overcomes in part to competition from Korean and Chinese rivals. A need for a group that includes a loss of 3.9 billion euros for the next fiscal year.