Panasonic to Cease Production of Tube Televisions

We all knew this would be coming–companies ceasing production of tube televisions one by one, in favor of sleek flat-panels. The curtains are slowly closing on the big, boxy monsters many of us grew up with, and Panasonic is the latest to end its production, after 55 years of being in the CRT business.

Though it ceased domestic production several years ago, Panasonic’s joint venture Beijing Matsushita Color CRT continued selling CRTs in China and Southeast Asia. But even consumers in these developing nations are discovering how much it blows to haul a 32-inch CRT set up three flights of stairs. They’ve moved over to shopping the flat panel market, and demand for CRTs is dwindling worldwide. As such, Panasonic intends to sell off its share in the venture and focus solely on flat panels.

Though flat panels are clearly a superior product, we can’t help but have a certain nostalgia for the CRT. Anyone born before the turn of the millenium grew up sitting around one day after day, watching reruns of Perfect Strangers with terrible horizontal bars rising up the screen every so often. Like a best friend, the CRT watched us grow up and saw us off to college–even after having to lug the 100-lb. beast balanced between the groin and chest on the hottest week of August, it served valiantly.

Soon, the CRT will disappear from the landscape entirely and even the term “boob tube” will need to be officially retired. So, while Panasonic’s decision is clearly right for the company, it’s a sad day for those of us that still admire the antiquated beauty of the CRT. [via Crunch Gear] [Photo: Elsie esq.]