Pioneer TVs are back - well, sort of...
"Sharp To Sell TVs Under Pioneer Upscale Brand In N America
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Sharp Corp. plans to begin North American sales of LCD televisions under Pioneer Corp.'s Elite brand in a move aimed at gaining quick access to audio specialty stores, where the luxury line is a big name.
To cultivate the large-TV market, Sharp will also seek to expand sales of its own Aquos sets at electronics volume retailers.
At audio specialty stores, Sharp will sell 60- and 70-inch Elite TVs. Existing Elite offerings include amplifiers and Blu-ray Disc players.
Sharp plans to introduce the world's largest 70-inch Aquos in North America this May for 700,000 yen to 800,000 yen*. The Elite TVs will have different designs and specifications from Aquos sets, as well as fetch 20% higher prices. Sharp will pay Pioneer royalties for using the brand.
For Pioneer, which has had no TVs in its lineup since pulling out of the plasma television market, the Elite products will round out its home theater offerings.
Sharp has a 9% stake in Pioneer under a capital tie-up formed in 2007. While the firms have cooperated on production of Blu-ray recorders through a joint venture, Sharp has never before sold TVs under another company's brand."
*$8500-$9650, £5300-£6050
EDITED BY MODS - House Rules
So this is simply a case of brand cachet, then? The Pioneer brand obviously curries greater favour in videophile circles than Sharp...
Yes, that's what the story says.
about time - had expected this in 2008
I thought i read about a Kuro branded lcd a while back
all this just to view sharps magic yellow pixel better 
There were short-lived Kuro LCDs: they were launched at the 2008 CEATEC show in Japan, and used Sharp panels. In return, Pioneer developed sound systems for some upmarket Sharp TVs.
Covered in my show reports at the time.
by name only.
Just been reading abit more on this, so they are just going to be called "Elite" and looks like they are going to be concentrating on picture and sound, interesting they mention sound as well, seeing as most tvs now do not seem to give any attention to that.
Do you think we will see these soon here as well then?
Cheers
Strong brand name "Elite" so if that's the name for the American market then if they decided to bring it to Europe then you would think they may go with "Kuro" , unless they decide to bring "Elite" to Europe. Either way a European Elite or Kuro would be a more than welcome edition to TV land. I for one would like to see this happen over here.
Pioneer has been using the 'Elite' name since the 1980s (for higher-end hi-fi then AV) in the US, so this is just an extension of that naming heritage.
Worth also going back to Andrew's original post in this thread to be reminded that these are re-branded Sharp LCD TVs. Not Kuro plasmas.
Hi,
Not really an 'extension of a naming heritage' nor a return to the TV market by Pioneer - nothing within the TV is Pioneer tech/screen etc?
Sticking a prancing horse on your kit car does not a Ferrari make...
Cheers,
Cofnchtr.
So Pioneer are just money grabbing then , they will be quite happy to have thier brand mark "Elite" and or maybe "Kuro" later put on a TV that does not live up the name ?. It is still a collaboration is it or is it just the name being bought ?
The Kuro link is being brought up elsewhere i'm not linking due to house rules.
"Sharp will pay Pioneer royalties for using the brand", but then "Sharp has a 9% stake in Pioneer"
OK , Sharp make decent TV's , Pioneer did do LCD Kuro's , It's still could potentially be a decent edition to TV world. I suppose it just depends how serious Sharp are at making a world class TV or just taking a short cut by buying the pioneer names and if Pioneer are in financial difficulty that they will just sell a name. Time will tell no doubt one to watch though.
v1c:Pioneer did do LCD Kuro's
...which used Sharp panels
v1c:just taking a
short cut by buying the pioneer names and if Pioneer are in financial
difficulty that they will just sell a name. Time will tell no doubt one
to watch though.
Sharp has a substantial stake in Pioneer, and the two have a business alliance making optical technologies. And let's not forget that Sharp is also Japan's biggest manufacturer of LCDs.
So it makes perfect sense for Sharp to use the Pioneer name on these high-end TVs in the States: the Pioneer Elite name has good brand-recognition, it gives Pioneer dealers TVs to sell alongside other Pioneer products, and it gets Sharp-made products into more upscale outlet.
The Elite sub-brand has real history in the States, as Clare has already mentioned. By contrast, the Kuro project lasted less than two years from its announcement to the company's decision to pull the plugs.
Interesting, thanks
Panasonic 50GT50, Pioneer Bdp-lx71, Pioneer Vsx-lx70, B&W FPM Series & B&W PV1.