Plasma steals a round from LCD in the second quarter of 2009
Strange days, indeed -- we never would have thought it, but in the second quarter of 2009 plasma was the only large screen (greater than 40-inches) TV technology to show growth in the US market. Compared to the first three months of the year, plasma was up 31-percent in volume and 35-percent in dollars according to research firm Quixel. Take the DTV transition and add in the soft economy, and you've got a recipe for moving low-priced and good-looking 42-inch, 720p plasmas -- a whopping 40-percent more units. Even plasma fanboys like us wouldn't mistake this as a comeback, but we're happy to see evidence that consumers are using their eyes for more than peeping spec sheets when figuring a set's value. The revenue figures clearly show plasma's 50-inch battle line -- a large decrease in 46 - 50-inch 1080p sets was outweighed by gains in 1080p sets larger than 50-inches, and the 237-percent increase in sets 60-inches and up shows the way forward. [Warning - PDF read link]


















it's called the pioneer kuro effect, I suggest you look that up. With that being said, I am pretty sure that the numbers will go down in 3rd and 4th qtr, once the pioneer stock depleted.
Except that the report says that it was lots of 720p and 42" sets that were selling. Pretty much all of the remaining Kuros are 1080p and 50"+.
I think its the price and picture quality. When you can get a 50" for under $1000 and a 42" for around $700, a lot of people look closer at the picture on the screen than the spec card.
Not only that, but when you can get a 50" plasma for around $1000 that looks as good as or better than an LCD for around $3000, the choice is clear. Maybe people are starting to wise up and realize the specs on the box don't mean much anymore.
Finally, people out there starting to know the TRUTH!
Plasmas have BETTER picture quality and CHEAPER!
This is a win win situation!
Wow KJ4GR, welcome to 2009 where burn-in is, and has been, a thing of the past. I've had my plasma for 3 years. I game on it constantly and have never EVER had burn-in. This is why people are scared of plasma. Lots of idiots out there spreading myths that were proved false years ago.
I also heard you have to replace the gas in plasmas after a while.
@ Loban
He said, "...returning their LCD's due to burn-in.". Try reading next time. You jumped all over his case for nothing...
I think people are getting tired of returning their LCD's due to burn-in. LOL
I bet most of those are Panasonic sales. Their new line of plasmas have gotten rave reviews.
Here is a good question: Why don't they make 24" or smaller plasma monitors?
because it's not in the technologie's spec...while not impossible, a plasma so small would display a very low pixel count...and wouldn't be too usefull as a computer display because of that...and add the burn in/ir risk and pwm/dithering (not very clean desktop) and bang...plasma is not for that market (while LCD is)
the smallest commercial available plasma screen was a 32" 852x480 LG
plasma stands for the best picture quality for TV, movies and games...not for computer displays, every technology aims for a special purpose
this is great news...I hope people think again and check out the new Panasonic line, their really good and they ask very reasonable money for them...
good to go plasma!
Yeah, putting out top-tier picture quality for a low price really gets it done. Picked up a 42" panasonic viera G10 for under a grand... and that was the expensive 42" 1080p panny plasma.
Just got done visting my brother who lives about 1400 miles from me. He has a Panasonic Plasma HDTV. It looked great. More natural colors and when you sit off axis it still looks great.
I've come to dislike the neon look of so many LCD HDTVs.
The picure is great, I just wish they didn't suck down three times more power as an LED LCD.
Not really a wonder.. Even mediocre plasma will look as good as high-end LCD. When we go down on LCD quality scale the picture quality is simply unacceptable to me.
I say Plasmas all the way.. That's why I have 3 of them around my house and simply refuse to get LCDs. Every single person I know who came to my house that I know have cheaper/mid priced LCDs are in awe at any of my Panasonic or Pioneer plasmas.
It could certainly be just me, but it seems that lately, when I'm at an electronics store, all of the LCD TV's appear much brighter than the plasmas?? I have a Panny Plasma 720 myself and love it.
I just don't understand why this has been the case for the 4 or 5 different stores I've been into over the past few months. Are they afraid of burn-in so they turn down the brightness or....
I always recommend Plasma and my wife and I notice the difference when comparing our Samsung LCD to our Panny. The Plasma is just brighter and seems to show more vivid colors.
Well, I'm a Best Buy installer drone and a lot of the sales guys i work with in the home theater are a bit more educated than you'd think from the general masses that frequent here. I and my coworkers have always pushed the benefits of plasma over lcd and have managed to clear up many of the misconceptions that customers walk in with. As an installer I take great delight in setting up/wall mounting a new plasma, of which we are mounting 20-30% more plasmas than we were before which is good news indeed for plasma sales which seem to be going up regardless of whether it's Pioneer's Kuro or not. Samsung's and Panasonics are doing very well with LG trailing behind.
Just from browsing around and overhearing salespeople talking to customers, I have to agree that Best Buy and FutureShop employees are definitely talking up plasmas more these days. Not everything being said is 100% accurate, but at least they aren't pushing people towards LCDs with completely false statements about burn-in and 120 Hz being better the way they used to.
From what I've overheard, two things have really helped plasma lately:
1) the ridiculous, but apparently effective "600 Hz" stickers
2) the low prices
Panasonic 720p units have an issue with diagonal lines in them. When I called Panasonic, they did not want to agree their was an issue, finally had a service company come and look at the set and he said it was due to interference... yeah right, cnet reviewed these sets with the same outcome.
Could one additional reason be that top tier LCDs now seems to all sport highly reflective, glossy screens? I NEED a non reflective screen, but if my choices are the same gloss on both plasma and LCD, it will be FAR more likely that my next set is a plasma.
personally, I own a plasma and think they do look better than LCD's...specs be damned.
Specs be damned? Why? Plasmas tend to have better specs...