Samsung will no longer be producing plasma TVs after November

If you’re like me and love the many benefits that a plasma television affords then you’ve probably noticed that such sets are getting harder and harder to find. Panasonic halted its plasma television production late last year and today we’ve learned that Samsung is doing the same. Samsung said it will be shutting down its plasma panel production business by November 30. The Korean tech giant cited a decline in overall demand for plasma televisions as the contributing factor to the decision. The fact that Samsung is winding down its plasma panel production isn’t a huge surprise. Samsung Visual Diplay R&D Vice President John Ryu hinted at the move back in January. At the time, he told the publication that he didn’t think plasma televisions had a future beyond 2014 for a couple of different reasons.

Samsung SDI has announced that it will shut down plasma panel production by November 30 of this year. According to multiple reports, including Reuters, the firm said the reason for the shutdown was a decline in overall demand for plasma TVs. A company statement says it will concentrate resources on its energy and materials business. Since this article was originally published Samsung has provided CNET with the following official statement, confirming the timing of its exit from plasma. “We plan to continue our PDP TV business until the end of this year, due to changes in market demands. We remain committed to providing consumers with products that meet their needs, and will increase our focus on growth opportunities in UHD TV’s and Curved TV’s.” Earlier this year, I called the 2013 Samsung PNF8500 the last great plasma TV. That’s because the company, despite rumors to the contrary, decided not to release any substantial new plasma models for the 2014 year, and the 8500 remains our top TV for picture quality. How long the 8500 will remain on sale is still uncertain, but its days are now officially numbered. Panasonic pulled the plug on plasma last year, to much chagrin, leaving the dwindling plasma market to Samsung and LG. Samsung’s move to end plasma production was hinted at in January by John Ryu, vice president of Samsung’s Visual Display R&D office.