◆ Japan's Gen-8 and Gen-10 panel plants have ceased production entirely due to the impact of the earthquake. However, the shutdown of the panel plants will not affect the final retail prices of televisions.
>； Related reports: Original panels in high demand as Sharp aims to break the five-thousand-yuan barrier for LCD TVs; Sharp halts production at two LCD panel factories with plans to resume in May; Reports suggest Sharp has paused production at its Gen-8 and Gen-10 LCD panel factories.
However, for the industry’s current buzzword "smart" TV, Nobuyuki Sugano poured some "cold water" on the trend, stating that there is still no unified concept of what constitutes a smart TV. "I don’t think simply installing an Android operating system on a television makes it a smart TV. Until the concept is unified, Sharp will not launch such a similar product."
Not Currently Considering "Industrial Transfer"
Nobuyuki Sugano (photo by Liu Xinyu)
◆ The prototype of the internet TV developed through cooperation between Sharp and BesTV has been submitted to the State Administration of Radio and Television (SART). It is expected to receive approval and clearance this month.
The Southern Daily News (reporter: Liu Xinyu) - Yesterday in Guangzhou, Nobuyuki Sugano, Chairman of Sharp China, confirmed to our reporter that the company’s Gen-8 and Gen-10 panel plants in Japan have ceased production entirely due to the impact of the earthquake. "We expect production to resume after Labor Day," said Sugano, adding that the shutdown of the panel plants will not affect the retail price of televisions.
Sugano stated yesterday: "In Japan, we originally had very high expectations for sales in March, but due to the earthquake, the terminal market was impacted, and Sharp has accumulated some panels and finished products." Sugano explained that out of inventory control considerations, Sharp decided to halt production at the panel plants.
It is worth noting that the long-standing ban on foreign enterprises entering the internet TV market may change this month. Sugano revealed that the prototype of the internet TV developed in collaboration with BesTV has already been submitted to the SART. "We believe it will receive approval and clearance from the SART this month," indicating that Sharp's internet TV could become the first foreign brand to gain approval from the SART.
Internet TV Poised to Receive "Birth Certificate"
Sugano emphasized that the production halt will not affect Sharp's sales in China, nor will there be significant fluctuations in the price of whole units akin to the volatility seen in panel prices. Regarding the much-discussed topic of "industrial transfer," Sugano pointed out that Sharp already has manufacturing bases in China for televisions, copiers, and white goods. There are currently no plans to add more factories.
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