Sanyo is switching to Sharp LCD panels for its HDTV sets, the former company has announced. While Sanyo is well-known as a brand in general, its TVs have not been able to compete against the likes of those from Samsung and Sony. The Japanese electronics market has been consolidating as whole, and has forced the adoption of strategies similar to Sanyo’s on the part of companies like Pioneer. In Sanyo’s case its consumer electronics division has done poorly, and Reuters notes that on Thursday, the corporation announced its first profits in four years.Sanyo says that by turning to Sharp it is hoping to revitalize its consumer electronics, even as it invests more heavily into technologies such as solar cells and rechargeable batteries. Its relationship with Sharp may even deepen, as the companies are said to be mulling joint development of kitchen appliances.
