7 implications of Pioneer’s decision to stop plasma TV manufacturing

Pioneer might not be stopping to sell its plasma TVs, however its decision to actually stop making the panels is a major 180 degree turn from the fifth plasma manufacturer in the world. So here is the first implications of this decision that immediately come to mind:

1. Flat panel TVs are not the rosy high margin market that most people imagine. Margins are tiny and the technology is mature as we have now reached ninth or tenth generation panels and plants. Size matters a lot apparently, and Pioneer is a notable victim of that trend.
2. Japanese manufacturing is not the fortress that it used to be, despite the fact that Panasonic and Sharp will supply Pioneer with plasma and LCD panels respectively.
3. The fact that Pioneer actually trusts Panasonic and Sharp for its panels means that there is still a lot of cutting edge technology involvement and Pioneer wants to keep the game in Japan with minimum risk.

Lumenlab’s more affordable Q42 from $3,850

About 2 weeks ago we discussed here whether the Lumenlab Q is worth $10,000. I did not hide the fact that I fancy its daring and innovative concept, but unfortunately a 10K product is definitely not accessible by the majority of us.

Earlier this week, Lumenlab presented the cheaper Q42, as a follow up to two important steps:

1. It created the Q, an expensive and impressive product to differentiate itself from the competition and draw press attention, a goal I think it has achieved for its small size. This way it created anticipation for a cheaper model.
2. Less than a month later it presented the cheaper Q42 model, probably the central product in its effort to get a market foothold.

The two product announcements were too close together to be a result of online comments on the high price of the Q. Whatever the case, at $3,850, the Q42 is a much more affordable model that sports the same cool appearance and functionality of the Q.

It’s the end for Sony rear-projection TVs

Rear-projection TVs were major show off tools back in the days of CRT TVs. They could offer large sizes at affordable cost. Personally I never liked their picture quality so never went anywhere near them and do not feel much sorrow now that Sony has decided to pull the plug in all related production sites. Combined with a similar move by all other rear-projection TV manufacturers, it means that now this technology is more or less display history.

Since SED displays by Canon and Toshiba don’t make it to the market, the game is LCD vs plasma vs OLED. For the time being OLED screens are too small and expensive to challenge LCD and plasma but with R&D funding from large names behind them the battle will be anything but boring. Now all that manufacturers and electronics chains have to do is unload older stock to unsuspecting and non-informed customers as we approach the 2008 Olympic Games to make room on the shelves for the new LED backlight stuff for Christmas 2008… :-)

Link 1: Engadget

Link 2: Reuters

Virtual Cable makes car guidance child’s play

From time to time there is new ideas that make us pray every night they become commercially available products as soon as possible. Virtual Cable from MVS in the US is such a great and elegant looking idea. No more need to have a small screen for the GPS instructions. All you need and indeed get is a guideline that seems to hover above the vehicle following the correct route. Follow the line and that’s it. The Virtual Cable display is volumetric in order to create the desired 3D effect, must be preinstalled and can cooperate with any navigation method, much like a monitor is matched to any PC. The MVS site states that all components are already available and mass produced, an important factor to keep the cost within reach.

Link: MVS

Relevance of the term “digital”

Unless somebody has been hibernating or decided to live deep in the amazon basin for the last three decades they must have noticed the gradual encroachment of technology in all aspects of our life. Things were interesting enough in the late 70s and the early 80s with the first personal computers. The introduction of CDs for data and music led to the triumph of optical storage, and if predictions for holographic discs live up to technical and cost expectations we will be the owners of 12 cm (or smaller) discs for many years to come. With the arrival of miniDV, video recording has become higher quality and more reliable, so if any of you have old VHS tapes you better hurry to transfer them to your hard disc and DVD discs, before they are completely useless… Photography has followed a more conservative path but the last 5 years have seen cataclysmic changes. Chemical film development is now a process of the past and only a bunch of traditionalists would refuse to admit that CCD and CMOS sensors can do for them as much (or more) as film. The final factor that arrived to stitch everything together in an allpresent net is of course the internet that we all love. Communication? Interaction? Games? Business? It’s all there for everybody to read, hear, see and more importantly contribute!