Because they’re done. As in Panasonic is done making them.
After fifty five years of making televisions involving tubes, Panasonic is now selling all its interest in CRT-based ventures to focus solely on flat panel models.
Frankly, this is a move that was a long time coming and, in a way, I’m almost surprised it took this long. LCD TV prices are falling with every passing day. It’s now entirely possible to get a 1080p thirty two inch LCD for under five hundred bucks. CRT-based televisions no longer offer the significant cost advantages of their predecessors, and they’re much harder to move and transport, making them a tough prospect for just about anyone even considering buying a new TV to think of.
Why buy a tube TV when LCD sets cost about as much and look so much better? There’ s just no sense in it! And that’s exactly the conclusion Panasonic reached.