@xman

Those features are nice, but 2 weeks ago this TV ( http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010100739&catid=23249 ) was on sale for $800. Certainly, the Sony TV is a much better TV but is the improvement justified by a $1300 or 160% higher price?

This is (essentially) what the article is arguing, most people don't care about the fancy features Sony is producing and charging a priemium for and (therefore) Sony is not the dominant company they once were. Much like the $600 PS3 was a (technically) nicer console than the $250 Wii, if the added features are not worth the added cost to the consumer your product will never be able to sell well (or be as dominant) as the less expensive system.

I think part of the problem is consumer ignorance. This past Feb, I bought a 55" SONY SXRD A3000 series rear projection for under $1,800. According to reviews, the picture quality rivaled mid-quality plasmas and LCD's. The SXRD was the best HD rear projection televisions at the time at a very reasonable price, but guess what? SONY had to discontinue the productline. Guess why. It was because people jumped on the flat panel bandwagon. And most mid to high end SONY products are not sold at retailers such as Wal-Mart and target. So consumers mostly see the lower end of the electronics while not checking out the specs of HDTV's such as the KDS-55A3000.

I am a bit of a TV snob and spent months researching the best 52 inch tv and mist web sights stated the sony and samsung are the best! The tv you mention above is Junk. Let me ask you is there a difference betwee a ford focus and a BMW3 servies

the focus is 18k the BMW is 38K are you saying the are the same you are just paying for the BMW name?

Sadly, this is why Pioneer had to cut back on their plasma lines when they made the best plasmas.  Trust me when I say this when it comes to A/V equipment, it's generally true that you get for what you pay for, and you can never really know the quality of the equipment until it effect the senses.

Yeah its amazing there are 50 inch $800.00 LCd and there are $3000.00 52 inch LCD there are HUGE differences.  If you put that $800.00 one next to my sony I guarentee everyone could pick out the better picture.

I researched TV's for months before making my purchase and $2100.00 for the one I got was a deal

...I'm thirsty now. I'm gonna go get some Kool-Aid.

No, I'm saying that when you have a company (like Sony) who charges a priemium over other high quality products when most of the market is looking for "economy" products they shouldn't expect to become a market leader with their product.

I know what you are saying but on the TV front they are not I was looking at buying a samsung (as mentioned before both samsung and sony are currently the best LCD on the market) when I got to best buy and did the comparison the sony with the same stats was cheaper so I went Sony.

I do agree they dont make a budget version of the LCD but thats because they want to be known as the best and wont strip everything out to make a $800.00 LCD tv you can say thats not smart but I agree with Sony.

I am older (check my profile) and I have owned in my life time 4 sony Tvs, 2 panasonic, 2 mitsubishi, 1 Oevia.  

In the house is a sony 32inch XBR flat screen CRT 10 years old, 40inch XBR flat screen CRT 6 years old, New XBR 52 inch LCD 20 inch Sharp LCD and one 37 inc Oleveia LCD.  The sony TVs are by far trhe nicest

Bought my kids a 37 inch LCD Olevia for $500.00 bought my 52inch sony $21000.00 my son comes down 10 years old last week and says to me why does your picture look so much better than mine, I laughed and said mine is a sony.  

You get what you pay for and Sony is known for the best in TV's has been for 15 years

The argument here isn't how poor Sony is doing in general, it's how poor Sony is doing compared to how they should be doing.

Some people in this thread want to act like all is peaches and cream at Sony, when they just cut their profit forcast in half. They were the industry leader at one point, in pretty much everything.

A strategy change is needed. Sony should fire their CEO, to be honest.

Thanks...  And let me add that I don't think many of us knew that the economy was going to tank.  And I don't think A/V equipment is high on most people's financial priorities.  Looks like no Kool-Aid here... unless it's grape flavored.  Just an economy turning south.