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Hardware Hitachi Partners With Matsushita for Plasma Production
Nirav Sanghani (Blog) - May 25, 2007 1:33 AM

5 comment(s) - last by exdeath.. on May 25 at 7:33 PM

Hitachi and Matsushita strengthen their relationship with cross-supplying plasma panels

Hitachi, Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. announced on Thursday that the two companies agreed to build upon their plasma TV partnership. The agreement holds that the two companies will supply each other with plasma display panels.

With the new agreement, Panasonic maker Matsushita will begin supplying Hitachi with 103-inch plasma panels, and Hitachi will supply Matsushita with 85-inch plasma panels. The former will take place before the end of fiscal 2007, while the latter will take place next business year.

Hitachi and Matsushita has formed a previous agreement in February 2005 to partner up in different areas of plasma TV development. The wide-ranging partnership included research and development, production, marketing, and intellectual property. The new agreement is strictly for cross-supply.

Measured by the standards of the flat-panel display market, larger screen size plasmas are growing at a high rate. Both companies agree that collaboration will allow them to grow and expand their flat-panel business operations by cross-supplying and sharing development assets.

Hitachi has always held a big share in the plasma market by being the first company to develop the first 1080 42-inch and 55-inch plasma. Panasonic maker Matsushita developed the world's largest plasma TV, sizing at 103-inches.

To compete against the LCD TV market, which is able to produce larger screen sizes at cheaper prices, plasma makers are prompted to make closer ties. Plasma TVs, of recent, have been slowly losing ground on the 40-inch-and-larger panel market.

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1080 for Hitachi?

By jmunjr on 5/25/2007 3:53:23 AM , Rating: 3

The 1080 resolution for the Hitachi panels is misleading...

Read this for one look:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/tvs/review/2006/05/2...

RE: 1080 for Hitachi?

By Oregonian2 on 5/25/2007 1:41:08 PM , Rating: 3

Yes it is with the horizontal being 1024 rather than 1920. However the set is a 1080- i set, not a 1080- p set and this seemed to confuse the reviewer. The set actually interlaces and really is a 1080 i, not a progressive scan display that converts the interlaced input as one might assume. Can't fault Hitachi for that part -- but the reduced horizontal is something to watch out for, for sure.

P.S. - That review also is a bit sloppy, like a lot of others, in terms of their test sources. Saying that they have a 1080i source doesn't necessarily mean the source has 1080 content, only that it's interface is 1080i. My (SD) DVD player puts out 1080i, but it would not be a good source to compare a 720 and 1080 set with. Someday all 1080 sources will be "real", but nowdays there's no telling a lot of the time, I think.

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By bbomb on 5/25/2007 9:29:04 AM , Rating: 2

I wonder if this means that one maker will produce one set of panel sizes and the other will produce a different set of sizes. That would make sense as I bet they could produce more and reduce costs by doing so versus having to produce all sizes.

Plasmas are nice but cost may too damned much. At least when I was buying they were. A 42 inch plasma was $3500 and the 60" RP LCD I bought was the same price.

RE: .

By animedude on 5/25/2007 1:03:11 PM , Rating: 2

There is no comparison between plasma and RP LCD. Plasma just beats RP LCD hands down. Buying TV is not about the bigger the better.

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RE: .

By exdeath on 5/25/2007 7:33:42 PM , Rating: 1

And 720p and 1080p DLP/LCD/SXRD front projection beats plasma and everything else on the market hands down.

I get sick walking down the TV isles of electronics stores. Rear projection, plasma, LCD, nothing, absolutely NOTHING, comes even close to looking as clean and vibrant as my projectors.

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