LG shuts doors on A1 plasma manufacturing plant

While some may have balked at Sony taking an early exit from the PDP market, LG is becoming the fourth major player to reevaluate its investment in plasma after Philips was caught claiming that LCD TVs would likely shape its strategy and Hitachi began to look intently overseas for buyers. Reportedly, LG is closing the doors of its oldest plasma manufacturing plant in Gumi, South Korea as it hopes to "increase operational efficiency and reduce costs." The removal of the A1 plant will drop its plasma capacity from 430,000 to 360,000 panels this year, and it should save the company somewhere between "$22 million and $32 million per year." Notably, LG currently sits in second place in quantity of PDPs shipped worldwide, but considering the perpetual nosedive of HDTV prices over the past year or so, we can't say that Life looks too Good in the PDP arena right now.

[Via PCMag]