The current high end Pioneer 1080P Plasma is set to be made obsolete by brand new plasma technology which Pioneer claims will give them a significant edge in the plasma market.
Pioneer is set to release in mid 2007 a brand new Plasma technology that engineers claim will deliver a significant improvement in plasma image quality. The results Pioneer claim has been achieved by the development of new colour filters, new ASIC Processors and new manufacturing capability.
The development which was announced t CES 2007 comes at a crucial time for Pioneer who is facing stiff competition from LCD TV technology. In 2007 Plasma is set to grow by 18% and LCD TV technology by over 58% according to CES Research. Pioneer who do not have a presence in the LCD market are desperately trying to take the Plasma high ground with the new screen which the Company claims said will have richer colours, deeper shades of black and better contrast than predecessors.
It also makes obsolete the current 1080P model which is selling in Australia for $15,000.
The new plasma technology is part of the Tokyo-based company’s push to better compete with rivals including South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, LG and Japan’s Hitachi, which offer both plasma and liquid crystal display, or LCD, televisions.
“We have to find our own balance and not simply follow the competition,” Katsunobu Shioda, general manager of Pioneer’s home entertainment business group, said after a briefing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Shioda said Pioneer’s new TVs may cost more than its rivals’ products, but will deliver better picture quality and performance. The company plans to announce prices and sizes soon. Pioneer’s current line up includes 42-inch, 50-inch and 60-inch plasma TVs.
