Hirai: Sony wont exit TV business

Sony has ruled out exiting the TV business despite continuous losses to its divisions.

Kazuo Hirai, head of Sony's consumer businesses, said that the company was not considering selling off any of its factories, and that it would not exit a TV panel partnership with Samsung Electronics. "Televisions are a core business for Sony and it would be unthinkable for us to shrink that business," Hirai said.

The company has said it will put forth plans to reform its troubles TV business this month, while warning that losses on TVs could widen this year. In the past, it has sold off factories in Spain, Mexico and Slovakia, and outsourced much of its production to third parties.

The company's TV business is heading for an eight straight year of losses, as it struggles to cope with competition from lower-cost Asian rivals, and even with Samsung. Hirai was clear however that the company has no plans to dismantle its partnership with the South Korean firm.

"We are absolutely not thinking of abolishing the joint venture, and it's not something that would be easy to do," he said.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 5 Aug 2011 21:36

Jeffrey_P

Sony has not manufactured TVs for years.
Who is their partner(s)?

I will go as far to say Sony does not design their equipment either.

What is the BS about Sony? The TV business has been outsourced longer then some of the members of AD chronological age?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/sony_tv.html

Jeff

5.8.2011 22:34 #1

Azuran

I have Sony's solution to their TV woes right here:

Stop charging double the price of your competitors. Perhaps once upon a time your brand name was worth something, but no one really gives a crap anymore.

6.8.2011 00:05 #2

LordRuss

Sony is a HUGE importer of the TV industry's cameras & editing equipment. How this would work into their TV sales to consumers is confusing. Having worked with their equipment; it's over priced ($60K for a BETA "PLAYER", no recording, just playback) & fragile as hell. Their cameras (professional) are of the same ilk. For a few bucks more in the scheme of things you can buy Ikegami & have a much better product.

When I was photographing for the Army, DoD stopped buying the Sony cameras (pro-sumer) for the combat theater in favor of Panasonic. You could buy 6 Panasonics for the price of one Sony. The sand destroyed the record/playback heads. Trying to fix a Sony was next to impossible, not to mention costly. The Panasonics... when they fired a head we just tossed them under the wheels of a Humvee or a set of tank treads.

Sony was pissed with the loss of that military contract to say the least.

I can only assume that Sony is hoping that the crossbreeding of professional into consumer sales is what's going to keep their head afloat. It's 'wishful thinking' in my book.

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

6.8.2011 15:40 #3

eggbert52

Originally posted by Azuran: I have Sony's solution to their TV woes right here:

Stop charging double the price of your competitors. Perhaps once upon a time your brand name was worth something, but no one really gives a crap anymore. Exactly. And the fact that they get out of plasma sales which were left for dead but are now coming on extremely strong. People have realized that plasma doesn't have ghosting issues anymore and they are 2/3 of the cost.

Wake up Sony!

Egg

6.8.2011 15:51 #4

ZeusAV

Yeah Sony's "pay more for our devices because of our name brand" just doesn't fly anymore.

Especially in today's economy, people want a good looking flatscreen at a decent price. Even Samsung TVs are cheaper than Sony and they use mostly the same low quality parts.

6.8.2011 17:03 #5

buxtahuda

Originally posted by eggbert52: Originally posted by Azuran: I have Sony's solution to their TV woes right here:

Stop charging double the price of your competitors. Perhaps once upon a time your brand name was worth something, but no one really gives a crap anymore. Exactly. And the fact that they get out of plasma sales which were left for dead but are now coming on extremely strong. People have realized that plasma doesn't have ghosting issues anymore and they are 2/3 of the cost.

Wake up Sony! Um, don't know what world you live in, but the fact that it's a phosphorous-based technology (like old CRT's) pretty much means that ghosted images will always be an issue. It's just less likely to happen due to pixel-shifting from the TV and the ever-more-popular use (more like option to use) of lighter as opposed to darker frames or bars around 4:3 video (or like the truly annoying white bars around some streaming videos).

But so long as there is no overuse while on a static screen, plasma is alright these days. Definitely fantastic considering their prices, just have to slightly regulate your usage or spend time lighting all the pixels until the ghosts are gone.

Anywho, apart from gaming (and I wish there was some decent alternative, but all the console businesses are blood-suckers) I haven't bought or in any way endorsed a Sony product. Growing up I was always told they were a solid brand, a company with experience and quality, etc., but for as long as I remember I've always generally liked the cheaper alternatives to their products that happen to give you more features.

Wonder why they don't do well...

~*Livin' Electronicallly*~

8.8.2011 16:53 #6

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