It’s odd that no one is coming out and saying it, but Plasma TVs are dead.  I’m not sure if it’s Panasonic’s fault of the technology that just isn’t as cheap to improve upon but the writing on the wall says that Plasma TVs will become a relic similar to CRT, and DLP TVs before them.

Why do I say that?

No one is making them anymore.  CES has come and gone and I can’t think of one….one manufacturer that came out and said that it would continue making new plasmas.  Sure you can buy them for dirt cheap right now, and that is what is signaling to me that the end can’t be very far in sight.

In 2006, Sony started the trend by saying that it would stop making plasmas.  No one really missed them since Sony was great with LCD TVs and there were still a bunch of other companies still producing the sets.  Now with Pioneer saying they’re getting out of the Plasma TV biz and Vizio following not too far behind them it begs the question of when Samsung and Panasonic will follow suit.

The answer appears to be: soon.  Samsung didn’t announce any 2009 plasma or DLP models sealing their fate since Samsung is one of the biggest electronics companies in the world.  Panasonic, and it’s new owner Sanyo has been reassessing business for some time and plasma may just be a bad business to be in.  With LCD TV you can do all types of crazy things to refresh rates and since they’re “brighter” – it gives off what appears to be a better picture to a user.

Get your eulogies ready, plasma technology is on it’s deathbed.

• Samsung To Purchase Sony HDTV Business For $3B US
• Panasonic Will In Fact Release Plasmas For 2009
• Panasonic Z1 Gets Priced At $5,999….Ouch!
• And Then There Were Two
• LG Exiting Plasma Business Too?