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China has seized Sony’s television halo
The television industry is a lens to view what has happened to global manufacturing. The rise of TCL also underscores the power of reputations.
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Sony’s plan to put its television and home audio brands into a joint venture in which TCL would hold a 51 per cent stake is that it had little choice but to adapt, says the writer.
PHOTO: SONY ELECTRONICS
John Gapper
When Sony announced in January that it intended to pass control of its home entertainment division, including the Bravia television brand, to the Chinese group TCL Electronics
The question can be asked the other way round: When did TCL, which was founded 45 years ago as an audio tape manufacturer in Guangdong province, turn into a credible joint venture partner for Sony? Along with Hisense, it has established a pretty good reputation for making budget LCD televisions, but Bravia’s high-end halo has been in place for two decades.
