On November 27, 2007 at 22:59, NuVision Mike said...
Yes, I firmly believe that Sony would have key components
outsourced. You may have been aware that NEC was providing
Sony their 42" glass back when they were still in the
plasma business. I would consider the glass to be a key
component as well.
It was Fujitsu's ALIS panel for the first several years... The ones with the SONY at an angle in the bottom so it would look just as Stoopid horizontal or vertical.
It was somewhat of a coup for Fujitsu to be making the greater part of Sony's product, as Sony generally never outsourced larger parts of their video products at that time.
Sony was well know for being stubborn about making their own direct view CRTs in each size they competed in, as well as their 3-guns CRT front projectors.
In the era when Mits had them beat with the 35" tube (and provided glass to Toshiba, Hitachi and others), Sony decided NOT to use Mits as an OE for a quick release of a new large model SKU, and to hold pat with their 32" model for a few more YEARS until they could develop their own big glass.
Sony's Trinitron and the semi-exclusive XBR series drove dealers to offer Mits and/or Toshiba to have access to that big tube category... And since those companies' RPTVs were a better value, they displaced a lot of Sony RP SKUs in a lot of large accounts as well as many specialist dealers.
All over the decision not to allow an OE arrangement on one SKU.
