Dell’s Plan to Sell Plasma TVs to Japanese Consumers

United States-based electronics specialist Dell is broadening its horizons by offering plasma TVs and other flat panel displays such as LCDs (liquid crystal displays) to customers in Japan. According to Dell chief executive officer Kevin Rollins, reported in Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the company is likely to market products such as 42-inch plasma TVs and 30-inch LCD televisions through the Internet and by telephone.

A 42-inch plasma TV was sold through the company’s web site to a Japanese customer for 300,000 yen (US$2,699). Compare this price with that of plasma TVs offered by major manufacturers at retail stores in Japan: 400,000 to 500,000 yen.

Dell is known as the top computer manufacturer in the world, but the company has been strengthening its foothold in the flat screen television market as well. Although it is believed to hold less than five percent of the U.S. sector of that market, it is nevertheless recognized as one of the industry’s movers and shakers. And with the increasing popularity of plasma TVs and similar products, the downward trend of prices and the prospect of more high-definition (HD) programming, things are looking positive indeed for Dell.