Sony wants in on Vizio’s turf

21 Oct 09 20:54 by Jared Newman in category LCD TV To news archive

Sony may be setting up an attack on Vizio and other low-cost LCD television brands with a budget line of its own.

Speaking to “market sources,” DigiTimes says Sony will introduce the “B Series” in 32-inch and 40-inch models, priced lower than the brand’s existing S-series. The 32-inch TV could cost the equivalent of $463, or even lower, according to the report.

To bring costs down, Sony will reportedly outsource TV production to Taiwan, where manufacturing is cheaper and more flexible. The electronics giant closed one of its two television plants in Japan in January. If Sony finds success with its B-Series, it’ll pressure other manufacturers to outsource as well, the sources say.

sonyhdtv

If the reports are true, this would be a dramatic decision for Sony, which traditionally prides itself on offering higher-end, but higher-priced products. “I think it’s important to point out there is a very big difference between the high-end 1080p sets (from Sony) and the low-end kind of Vizio and Chinese manufacturer semi non-HD sets,” Sony executive vice president Robert Wiesenthal told analysts in May 2008, responding to Vizio storming the HDTV market (of course Vizio makes full 1080p sets, too).

Sony’s attitude appears to be changing across its product line, not just for televisions. In July, Sony’s IT products vice president Mike Abary admitted to Laptop Magazine that the company’s high-priced mentality hurt its computing division, pointing to “a paradigm shift in the marketplace that has rendered Sony products to be seconded [sic]  guessed in terms of its competitiveness by consumers.”

Abary bemoaned what he called a “race to the bottom” in computing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony’s TV unit is begrudgingly adapting to the same trend in HDTVs.

Regardless of whether Sony is dying a little on the inside, I’m excited to see whether the B-Series is for real. Vizio makes good televisions, but its only competition right now is from lesser-known brands such as Dynex, Proscan and Viore. When shopping for a new set, it would be nice to see another familiar face at the low end.

3 Comments

zap em
Posts: 900
Posted on: 23 Oct 09 22:44
JARRED
Maybe it's a good idea. At least you will know the quality should
be okay. Especially if they add some extra features like 1080P,
that other low budget lcd's don't have.
ZAP.
Zathros
Posts: 1370
Posted on: 28 Oct 09 18:41
Vizio TV's really suck. They really aren't a company but a relabeled product. It would be good in Sony muscled them out.
alan1476
Posts: 15752
Posted on: 28 Oct 09 19:45
I have a 32" Vizio from Costco and its fine, 1080p and all for 359.00. I should have waited for the Sony.

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About this category

LCD TV

  • Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens are often used for computer screens, but also make up the flat-screen television market together with Plasma TVs. The fact that a television uses Plasma or LCD technique doesn’t say much about the image quality of the television, neither does it say something about resolution or viewing angle. LCD TVs often come in a smaller size than their Plasma counterparts, but tend to have slightly lower power consumption.More about this
FAQsIs a 1080p resolution television worth the extra money?What is a LED television?

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