Sony kills off rear-projection TVs

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 28th December 2007
Comments (9) Stumble
Sony kills off rear-projection TVs

LCD: That's where the money is, says Sony.

Before the advent of high-definition, if you wanted a large-format TV your only choice was a rear-projection screen. Although the technology allowed for screen sizes far higher than CRT was capable of scaling to, the sets suffered from high temperatures and poor viewing angles. Despite this, the displays had their fans.

These days screens of 40” and more are commonplace and very few manufacturers still produce rear-projection sets, preferring LCD and plasma technologies. In a statement released yesterday morning one of the few remaining rear-projection manufacturers, Sony, announced that it would no longer manufacture the displays.

The popularity of rear-projection sets has been waning for some time, with only 1.1 million sold in the US last year compared to 6.3 million LCD sets. That gap is set to increase, with preliminary 2007 sales figures showing 400,000 rear-projection TVs being sold to 10 million LCDs.

Despite this, Sony has always been a firm backer of the technology. Its departure from the market marks the third company to cease manufacture of sets based on the technology this year, alongside Hitachi and Seiko Epson.

Sony is hoping that by concentrating on the current LCD technology, and betting heavily on OLED for the future, they will be able to turn a profit for the first time in a while. Sony's US television division lost almost $500 million in the six-month period ending in September this year, and continued mass-production of an unpopular technology already ditched by many of the its rivals can't have helped this figure.

The company has announced that the final production run of rear-projection sets to bear the Sony name will occur in February 2008.

Does anyone remember rear-projection sets with anything approaching nostalgia, or are we all waiting until we can turn the living room wall into a 100” OLED display screen? Let us know via the forums.
Quote Furymouse 28th December 2007, 11:03
First to post!!

I think the samsung rear projection dlps are the best looking tvs I have ever seen. I honestly stood in the middle of the store for twenty minutes staring at them with my mouth open, crying a little.
Quote Mister_Tad 28th December 2007, 11:42
Get it while the gettin's good...
http://www.digitaldirect.co.uk/products_moreinfo3/index.asp?product_id=14657

Can't argue with that size for that cash
Quote mikeuk2004 28th December 2007, 11:45
Wow, I didnt realise these still existed or even crt TV's. Not seen any local to be honest.
Quote Mister_Tad 28th December 2007, 12:03
The newest DLP and LCOS projection sets easily rival direct-view panels for picture quality

I have a feeling they're being dropped due to public perception, as the technology can certainly keep up with the times, and the cost is far less than plasma/lcd
Quote p3n 28th December 2007, 12:03
*rubs his new 40" samsung lcd* ... really LCDs have come a long way and my blacks are perfectly black enough for my needs :p
Quote woodshop 28th December 2007, 13:08
i can't believe that sony is still interested in OLED, manufactures are dropping there plans with those like flies in the face of huge manufacturing startup costs and LCD and Plasma's continuing evolution and price drop..

Only thing OLED still had gong for it was its so thin.. but with the new super thin LCD's coming in @ under 3.75 inches currently available on the market and working sample coming in @ less then an inch thick OLED is looking worse and worse to manufacturers.
Quote DXR_13KE 28th December 2007, 14:16
Darwin...... it happens....
Quote jkeyser14 28th December 2007, 14:20
Quote:
Originally Posted by woodshop
i can't believe that sony is still interested in OLED, manufactures are dropping there plans with those like flies in the face of huge manufacturing startup costs and LCD and Plasma's continuing evolution and price drop..

Only thing OLED still had gong for it was its so thin.. but with the new super thin LCD's coming in @ under 3.75 inches currently available on the market and working sample coming in @ less then an inch thick OLED is looking worse and worse to manufacturers.

They would also have lower power consumption, something I'd consider fairly worthwhile. And most other companies will probably wait for someone else to perfect it first so that they can come in and reverse engineer it at a much lower cost.
Quote Smilodon 1st January 2008, 04:44
I thought RP TVs were dead a long time ago. Must have been 10 years since i last saw one. And back then they were terrible. Both size (depth) and picture wise. Most people went for normal projectors.

Quote:
Originally Posted by woodshop
i can't believe that sony is still interested in OLED, manufactures are dropping there plans with those like flies in the face of huge manufacturing startup costs and LCD and Plasma's continuing evolution and price drop..

Only thing OLED still had gong for it was its so thin.. but with the new super thin LCD's coming in @ under 3.75 inches currently available on the market and working sample coming in @ less then an inch thick OLED is looking worse and worse to manufacturers.

OLED have pretty huge potential. The advantages isn't very big when it comes to TVs. However, in cellphones and laptops OLED is the future. As soon as the price starts dropping it will be more common i guess. (and hope!)

Another advantage is contrast and brightness, which can be compared to plasma. (But let's face it. Plasma will never be very popular on portable devices...)

LCDs have the potential to compete against OLED in the portable market, but it will never compete when it comes to power consumption. (Unless they come up with some clever dynamic LED back light which can be made thin enough. Still I don't think all those LEDs can compete when it comes to power consuption. (anyone remember Brightside?)


edit: the come in 40 inch versions now! ;)
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