Looks like Pioneer was losing too much money in their plasma TV division and are exiting the TV manufacturing landscape. Grab a Kuro if you can!

Here are a few articles:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10158724-92.html

http://www.djnewsplus.com/article/DN...opment-Nikkei+

I guess thats why we saw all the Kuro sales over the last few weeks. I was walking through Best Buy two weeks ago wondering where the hell all the Pioneer sets were. They didn't have a single one. I guess this is why.

I thought I heard before that they were either out sourcing their plasmas to Panasonic or were going to. So now they aren't even going to do that?

Shame...but the single best picture I have ever seen was on a 50" Pioneer Plasma. Course I didn't buy it, which may have been Pioneer's problem....

This sucks.

I was planning on getting a 60" Kuro when I move into our new house and put in a HT room.

LCD seems to be taking over for plasmas, which is a shame since plasmas seem to be superior in many ways.

Didn't Pioneer mention this almost a year ago and they were going to outsource from Panasonic?

I'm in the same situation but can't buy for a few months. Hopefully there will still be stock.

That was my understanding as well -- unless this most recent bit of news is something different.

It's something different, although (I think) only the login-only article in the OP actually makes this point clear.

More info here:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/p...ff-dvd-busine/

Let's hope this ends with TV production. They make great AV equipment.

It could explain the why they are releasing cheaper Blu-Ray players in the upcoming months, finally.

Damn it. Why couldn't they just push through one more year and see how it goes with the Panasonic deal?! I eventually wanted to get a Pioneer plasma.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7885175.stm

I wonder if it's worth it to try and find one in the coming months, or just go with the 12G Pansonic models.

Would technical support and such things be outsourced to panasonic as well? Great deals on these sets, but lack of technical support is worrying me.

I work with Pioneer here in Japan from time to time and a high level executive told me YESTERDAY (Feb 21) that they will be continuing to make the KURO TV's for another year - they did not just stop production on 10 minutes notice. So, if you're truly in the market for one you have about another year. They are extremely popular, so you might have to put your name on a waiting list.

Yes, I thought I had seen articles that said production in 2010 (although I did not take that to mean through).

Gah! I guess there was some misinformation/speculation floating around out there. Pioneer officially has announced withdrawl plans...and they are quick!

http://www.slashgear.com/pioneer-con...april-2438679/

It's sad too, since I think the earliest Pansonics to match these 2008 levels will be next year.

Is it worth it to buy one now while they're still available, or would I be better off waiting 6 months and seeing if Panasonic produces something better?

Panasonic is in the process of releasing their 2009 models. I do not believe any of them match the quality of the 2008 Pioneers. As I said, I expect the earliest a Pansonic model may match the 2008 Pioneers is in their 2010 model year.

If your interested in a Pioneer, I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up.

Update: bought a Kuro Pro-111FD and I love it. Thanks guys.