Sony and Sharp Backing LCD TVs Over Plasma?

LostCluster writes "Several reports out of Toyko are indicating that Sony intends on dropping out of the plasma TV business and ramping up productions of LCD TVs instead. Meanwhile rumors have it that Sharp is planning on investing US$1.9 billion on an LCD production plant."

Comments

Prices for flat-screens TVs will be dropping

[Anonymous Coward]

Look at all the engineering required to make a CRT work. The only reason CRT images are as good as they are is that there is a century of engineering in steering that electron beam and figuring out the shape of the glass and what to coat it with to make it glow in the right colors.

In other words, making CRTs is a cast-iron bitch.

They're cheap because of economies of scale and engineering experience.

Plasmas and LCDs, on the other hand, have (IIRC) direct connections to the pixels to light them up. No steering of a beam involved - just switching electronics, which we've gotten really good at in the last few decades.

Now we're just waiting for economies of scale to knock down the prices, and engineering experience to make manufacturing more efficient.

Twenty or thirty years from now, I'd bet a flat-screen TV can be had for the equivalent of a few hundred bucks.

Kibbee

[CastrTroy]

I still think that CRTs offer the best picture out there, at least for the price. Sure they may take up a little extra space. But they are much better. Most CRTs I've seen last 10 years + with being on for many hours per day. You don't have to worry so much about burn in, and they look good from just about any angle. I don't think i'm going to buy anything other than a CRT for quite some time.

Re:LCD over Plasma? No brainer...

[Gr8Apes]

And what about DLP? High resolution, no burn in issues, high contrast, vibrant color, light wieght and small footprint, although not small enough to hang on your wall. What more could you want? (Oh, and a $300 bulb every few years under average use, can't forget the negatives).