Sony and Panasonic debt

[Lex]

Their debt has been reduced to JUNK bond status. Apparently both companies have big issues. A bit surprising to read really, of these two prior Japanese power houses. I guess now it's Samsung and LG that are the stars. A company that doesn't evolve with the marketplace can find themselves without.

Can they climb back to the top? I guess time will tell.

[Kevin P]

I hope so, since the quality and feature set of most Sony and Panasonic products are a cut above the rest.

[Hdale85]

Well I think Sony's quality and features have been lacking for quite a while, and Panasonic banked hard on inexpensive Plasma's years ago and haven't done much since.

[P-Dub]

Here's an interesting read on Sony

http://kotaku.com/5960411/how-sony-is-turning-into-a-ghost-in-japan-and-around-the-world?tag=sony

[Face]

Considering Sony's business practices, I'd be glad to see them go.

[Dmantis]

We are now living in sad times my friends , for me anyway.
For years and years I have Installed both Sony and Panasonic products. I have felt Sony has always been a cut above the rest. They jumped into the LCD business after the plasma boom and I thought that was a mistake. Sony made excellent Plasma TV's. They also made the very best Tubes TV's.
Their gear in cd players , Blu ray , Receivers have always been excellent for price to value. I always liked their stuff and had a home for their products here.
Panasonic is the last sole IMO that make a top shelf plasma. IMO they make the best TV's except the Elite which doesn't compare due to it's higher price tag. Even so the VT models hold their own weight.

I sit and watch the world change , not for the better IMO. Companies keep dropping off , and quality goes down. Samsung and LG do not make better products then Sony and Panasonic IMO. But for some reason the general public prefer a cheaper crappier solution then buying a quality product.

So be it.

[dan87951]

I will never buy Sony again after my 60" XBR2 fiasco! Talking to the TV repair man about the issue and he said if Sony went under they would too, as "Sony's TV's are so poorly built its what keeps us in business." He did say he hardly ever works on Panasonic and Samsung. My blu-ray player is a panasonic and his been great for the past 2 years.

[Hdale85]

Yeah Sony hasn't been top quality for quite a long while, not just TV's either their car audio and what not was HUGE in the late 80's and early 90's, but then they took cost saving steps and got rid of their ES line and started pumping out crap head units, along with crap speakers and so on. Seems like right around that time their TV's started to take a dive, might of been a bit later. I've owned several Sony TV's in the past but I'd never get one these days.

[HedgeHog]

I agree that Sony has lost their ways. But the problem is the consumer's entitlement mentality (always the best for nothing) and the rate of technological advance. Why overpay for something that will be outdated in a year (ultra high end items notwithstanding).

Said to see this happening but when a manufacturer misreads the market, these things happen.

-H

[Lex]

I really have mixed feelings. Sony has been around so long, I hate to see them fail. But then I have had quite a few Sony mis-fit products over the years. It's little things mostly. I do have 2 Sony TVs, one is a older 720p plasma. It has been solid. I can't say I am as fond of a 46" lcd I own. It looks pretty good once image comes up, but the set looks aweful when it first comes on, seeing very heavy bulb light from one part of panel over the rest. I do know it will be a throw away TV, I won't ever spend money on it. Let's face is, many TVs today are throw aways. I paid $1000.00 for my Samsung Plasma, would I spend 500 on it when it's 5 years old? Nope, I'll go look for it's equivilent of the day probably.

Panasonic though, I have had several great products over the years, and always had confidence in the brand. I have a Panasonic microwave that has been kicking for at least 25 years! That's amazing. I have had good luck with their toaster ovens as well. However, I can't say that I have bought much Panasonic the last decade anyway.

[Hdale85]

I love Panasonic honestly, they make a slew of great products. The only thing currently that I have from them are cordless phones and their cordless phones are the best consumer phones in my opinion. I'd be much more sad to see Panasonic go then Sony.

[Ovation]

I love Panasonic honestly, they make a slew of great products. The only thing currently that I have from them are cordless phones and their cordless phones are the best consumer phones in my opinion. I'd be much more sad to see Panasonic go then Sony.

Panasonic makes the best cordless home phones IN THE WORLD. Why? Because they are the only phone I've ever seen that allows me to create my own call block list. I keep three sets of Panasonic phones running just to maintain my call block list (so many telemarketers and other bothersome callers that they've filled two phone sets to capacity with blocked numbers and a third of the newest set--that's over 200 numbers).

[aud19]

Yeah wouldn't be all that sad about Sony other than from a historic/sentimental perspective. Haven't been a big fan of theirs for a couple decades now.

Panny on the other hand makes tons of quality products. Heck even my electric shaver is made by them! We've also invested a fair bit in to their Micro 4:3 camera system that we absolutely love. SLR quality photos in a nice compact, portable package! If I was buying a TV today I'd be looking long and hard at one of their plasmas as well...

[Hdale85]

Exactly..... I think Sony Japan makes some amazing stuff, but over here they have been on a downward slope for many years. Panasonic has such a big market share of so many different products it's hard to believe they are having that big of a problem.

[aud19]

I'd imagine Panny has one or two divisions dragging it's overall down. I find it hard to believe the ENTIRE company is in that much trouble.

I think Sony's problem was they tried to race to the bottom while trying to cash in on their brand value. Can't have it both ways. I would imagine the PS3 (and I presume it's soon to be replacement) will buoy them a bit though. Isn't there one of those coming out soon?

[Chris D]

My big things with those two companies are my PS3 and all associated games (my PS3 is still my primary BD player, even after all these years) and I absolutely love Panny projectors.

[Hdale85]

Jason end of next year the new PS and Xbox will be out.

[aud19]

Still a year away! Holy..

[Face]

Sony supports RIAA, enough said.

[Lex]

Because Sony is always so proud of their stuff, (higher prices) and on average, poor quality since they were "Japan electronics", I will say that Panasonic is my personal favorite of the two brands, except for PlayStation 3. I am not a big gamer, but I do like it and xbox 360 every once in a long while.

[Hdale85]

Well what Sony makes in Japan vs what they make in the US market are completely different. They have some VERY nice stuff in Japan. Panasonic certainly has much nicer quality products in their US market then Sony does though.

[impala454]

Probably because people are willing to pay more over there. Just a guess.

[Hdale85]

Yeah, the american mentality on price to quality is quite skewed. It's why our cars have had such crappy interiors for so long. It's starting to slowly change.

[impala454]

Is ours skewed or is theirs? It's all about point of view.

[Hdale85]

I would say ours, we are unwilling to pay for quality products, I mean I am but most Americans are not they are only looking for the cheapest possible solution to their needs. So I wouldn't say it's about point of view really, but it's certainly the reason it's hard for us to get some of the stuff that they can get over seas as it just doesn't sell here.

[impala454]

Dougie, the problem is your definition of "cheap" or "quality" vs someone else's. It's most certainly a point of view. I may be not ok with a $8 pair of bottom tier jeans, fine with my $18 wrangler jeans, and then think that the $75 Levi's are too expensive. Someone else may consider the Levi's cheap garbage and me a hobo for even considering wranglers. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the exact Japanese people you refer to who are buying all this "quality" electronics are wearing $2 jeans made by some chinese kids.

[Lex]

you can buy jeans for $8.00? LOL

I did buy some lounging pajama bottoms for 12 and 16.00 each recently, one was actually Polo though. I also bought a nice Izod windbreaker for $40.00, I mean really a nice lightweight shell. Got to take that back though, I think they forgot to give me my 25% discount. Hey, that's $10.00! I am pretty sure it should have applied too.

I think people are more and more unwilling to pay big prices for clothing. I have noticed stuff sitting at local stores until deep discounts take effect. I saw some Polo sweatshirts, $89.00 each! They just sat there. Finally, they cut them to $59.99, and then are running a friends and family sale with 25% off that. Now they will begin to sell as quality sweatshirts. I guess you can still get some at Target or Walmart for $9-12.00 though. That's not my style personally.

[aud19]

Yeah...I consider myself to be a cheap SOB (ok...frugal) but $8 jeans is CHEAP :lol:

[impala454]

Well ok, maybe not $8, but you know what I meant :P

During my year or so of dramatic weight loss I kept buying jeans at the Salvation Army Store, then redonating them back later. Saved me a ton of cash as I dropped from a size 50" to around 38". Still need to lose a couple more inches though.