Economics

If Panasonic Quits Plasma, TV Snobs Will Cry

Plasma screens at the Panasonic stand at the IFA Consumer Electronics Trade Fair in BerlinPhotograph by John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
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Electronics giant Panasonic has been eyeing an exit from the plasma television market, a turnabout that would unleash wailing cries and gnashing teeth among videophiles.

There’s a passionate—if perhaps not very profitable—audience that values plasma displays for offering the best in picture quality among mass-market TVs. “If it is true, it’s a heartbreak,” says Rob Sabin, editor of Sound & Vision, a monthly magazine that covers consumer audio and video.