SEOUL, KOREA - The era of plasma display panels will likely to be ended this year. Following Panasonic, Samsung Electronics is also reviewing the idea of stopping plasma TV production from next year.
A Samsung Electronics official said, “It would be difficult for the plasma TV industrial ecosystem to be maintained due to Panasonic’s withdrawal from the business. We will continue to release plasma TVs this year but unlikely to do so from next year.”
The panels used for the flat panel TVs have been supplied mostly by Samsung SDI, LG Display, and Panasonic.Under today’s plasma TV industrial ecosystem, the suppliers of parts and components, including glasses and liquid crystals,cannot achieve their scale economies, thereby having no option but to cease their supplies if Panasonic stops production.
Panasonic announced last week that it would give up its plasma TV business from March and sell off its production facilities.