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Industry Rumors: Coronavirus can be final blow for camera industry
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  • Chuck Schumer said the bill will "ban stock buybacks for the term of the government assistance plus 1 year on any company receiving a government loan from the bill."

    Bad news for many companies.

  • Foxconn and Wistron are shut down from tomorrow in India. So Apple can't make iPhones and other stuff and can't relocate to very badly working Chinese factories. Vietnam can follow soon.

    Ecpect Apple manufacturing to drop 60-80%, sales up to 70%.

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  • Sony statement

    Sony extends its condolences to the families of those who have passed away as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ("COVID-19"), and extends its sympathies to all those who have been infected. The Sony Group is primarily focused on ensuring the safety of its employees and their families, as well as its customers and other stakeholders, in addition to preventing the further spread of the virus. Sony is also striving to answer the needs of society and its customers to the best of its ability, and to minimize the impact of the virus on its business. To accomplish these objectives, Sony is working to gather information and swiftly carry out the necessary actions.

    The following is a statement regarding the current impact of the spread of COVID-19 on the Sony Group.

    Conditions at Sony's Offices

    • In accordance with mandates from national and local governments, Sony has closed a portion of its offices, mainly in Europe and the U.S., where employees are now working from home. Additionally, at Sony's offices in Japan and other areas, employees must work from home, excluding a small number of essential employees.
    • Sony has four manufacturing plants located in China (two in Shanghai, one in Wuxi, Jiangsu, and one in Huizhou, Guangdong). All of these plants were shut down in accordance with government mandates, from the beginning of the spring holidays on January 24, 2020, until February 9. From February 10, all four plants have re-started operations in increments. Supply chain issues remain, but operations are returning to the level they were before the spread of the virus.
    • In accordance with a mandate by the local government, Sony has shut down both of its manufacturing plants in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Penang) for the period between March 18 and April 14 (planned).
    • Sony has also shut down its manufacturing plant in the U.K. (Wales) for the period between March 26 and April 20 (planned) in accordance with a mandate from the local government.
    • Business has been impacted by factors such as restrictions on movement of people across national borders, making it difficult for Sony to send engineers to manufacturing hubs such as China and countries in Southeast Asia for the purpose of helping with new product launches or giving instructions on manufacturing.

    Impact on Sony's Businesses

    Currently, the key impacts on each of Sony's businesses are as follows.

    Fame & Network Services Segment

    • Sony estimates that there will be no material impact on this business for the current fiscal year.
    • Although no issues have emerged so far, Sony is carefully monitoring the risk of delays in production schedules for game software titles at both its first-party studios and partner studios, primarily in Europe and the U.S.

    Music Segment

    • Especially outside of Japan, the business has started to be affected by delays in new music releases, interruptions in supply chains for CDs and other physical music media, and a decrease in music licensing resulting from both lower advertising activity and delays in production for motion pictures and television productions. Concerts and other live events around the world are being cancelled or postponed, including all Sony-sponsored performances and events in Japan.

    Pictures Segment

    • The motion pictures business as a whole is being affected by shutdowns of movie theaters around the world and various restrictions on people's movement, leading to circumstances including early termination of theatrical runs and delays in release dates.
    • Additionally, in alignment with the entire industry, Sony has temporarily shut down all of its film and television production, resulting in future changes in theatrical release dates for some titles.

    Electronics Products & Solutions Segment

    • In addition to the shutdown of Sony's manufacturing plants in Malaysia, the flow of resources from suppliers in Asia has become unstable, having a wide-ranging impact on the manufacturing of goods in this segment.
    • Sales of Sony's products are also being affected by lockdowns around the world and retailer closings.

    Imaging & Sensing Solutions Segment

    • At this time, there has been no material impact on the production of CMOS image sensors, including any impact on the procurement of materials. However, Sony's primary customers in this segment are smartphone makers who rely on supply chains in China, and although recovery in these supply chains has led to sales gradually returning to normal levels, there is a risk that going forward sales could be impacted by a slowdown in the smartphone market.

    Financial Services Segment

    • There has been no material impact on the business at this time. However, it is possible that, as has occurred in the past, fluctuations in the financial market could impact the financial results of this segment.

    Impact on Sony's Consolidated Financial Results

    In Sony's Consolidated Financial Results for the Third Quarter of the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2020 announced on February 4, 2020, Sony upwardly revised its consolidated results forecast for the fiscal year, but explained at the Earnings Announcement held on the same day that the impact of the spread of infection from COVID-19 was not included in that forecast, and stated that depending on how the situation evolved, that impact could be large enough to eliminate the entire amount of the upward revision. Sony is continuing to evaluate the impact on its financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, but currently expects that the scale of the impact will be in line with the above statement. Sony expects that its consolidated financial results will continue to be impacted by the spread of infection from COVID-19 in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, which begins in April this year.

    Sony plans to announce its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 on April 30, 2020. However, it is possible that the spread of COVID-19 could lead to delays in account closing procedures and other operations, making it difficult for Sony to proceed with this announcement as planned.

    This press release discusses the key impacts of the spread of COVID-19 on the Sony Group based on Sony's current knowledge. Any possible future impact is not limited to the scope of the information contained in this release. Going forward, Sony will announce any material updates in a timely manner.

  • Computer shipments from China to the US dropped 64 percent in the first two weeks of March, according to a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Monitor and TV imports dropped 66 percent, against a broader 45 percent drop in total Chinese imports.

    Finally it is no deficit. Virus as total solution.

  • Around 80% of all small wedding and ad related businesses won't make it past this.

    Around 50% of ad agencies and studios will be closed and reoriented to other business.

    It is expected that cameras sales drop will reach 90% in most world areas in April.

    Lot of bloggers and similar people will start to look for low qualified job soon.

  • I believe you are right. As a small wedding and commercial film company, I think we have had our time. Maybe I need to go back to my old job now, if that is even an option

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  • China’s TCL, world’s second-biggest TV maker, confident of 2020 growth as US sales grow amid Covid-19 social-distancing measures

    The company based in Guangdong province saw year-on-year growth in TV sales in the US in the past three weeks, as more people stuck at home turned to the small screen for entertainment

    TCL believes its cheaper models make it more attractive to American consumers with less money to burn amid rising unemployment and lower wages, lifting sales even as the wider industry takes a hit from slowing business activity and travel restrictions.

    TCL’s upbeat forecast runs contrary to a gloomy industry consensus on the outlook for the global TV market among market research firms. Global TV shipments could decline by 8 per cent this year to 212 million units, compared with 4 per cent growth last year, Counterpoint Research predicted in a report last week. Meanwhile, TrendForce forecast shipments could drop 6 per cent this year.

    The company occupies 13 per cent of the global TV market in terms of shipments, trailing only behind South Korea’s Samsung, according to industry data provider Sigmaintell Consulting
  • @jleo

    I am sure that TCL can use some cheap models for Africa to sell in US now. As income will be pretty much compatible.

  • Yes, maybe 720p TVs for lower quality netflix :) plus US is giving everyone $1,200 stimulus money, people will rush out and buy a big TV . Make America Third World Again.

  • @jleo

    Actually Netflix now streams SD as main resolution in many regions, all other resolutions have bitrate reduced by 1.5-2 times.

  • Netflix now streams SD

    I'm watching a 360p dvd rip on 4K TV right now with uprez, still not bad :) just a little fuzzy in details!

  • The Domestic Box office (movie theaters) brought in a whopping $5,179 for the week of Mar 20-26. Down 100% from $204,193,406 the same week a year ago...

    Expect cameras and acessories market to follow, many niches will be down up to 98%.

  • One industry seems to be already on the werge of collapse

    “I’m hearing 40% to 60% drops in revenue over the last 30 days,” Dean Ridings, chief executive officer of the national trade association America’s Newspapers, said. “The advertisers are the local mom and pops, the retailers, the restaurants, who are understandably canceling their advertisements.”

  • BCNranking already anticipates the March sales were they see a full 50% sales drop on the Japanese market.

    And Japan is least affected and almost without lockdowns.

  • https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3079126/japan-pay-firms-leave-china-relocate-production-elsewhere-part

    "Japan to pay firms to leave China, relocate production elsewhere as part of coronavirus stimulus"

  • $2.2 billions is tiny money for this

  • Sony Takes $400 Million Stake in Chinese Streaming Site Bilibili

    Apr 10, 2020 07:45 AM

    Chinese video streaming platform Bilibili received a $400 million equity investment from Sony Corp. as the two entertainment companies seek to further collaborate in anime and video games, Bilibili said Thursday. Sony, through its wholly owned subsidiary Sony Corp. America, will subscribe for 17,310,696 newly issued Class Z ordinary shares of Bilibili at $23.1071 a share, Bilibili said. Upon closing, Sony will beneficially own about 4.98% of Bilibili’s total issued shares, with a lock-up period of six months.

    Sony’s investment will “further align our goals to bring best-in-class content offerings and services to our users as we increase our domestic stronghold in animation and mobile gaming,” said Bilibili Chief Executive Chen Rui. Established in 2009, Bilibili is backed by Tencent and Alibaba. The platform is particularly popular among China’s post-millennial Generation Z for its anime, comics and games, attracting more than 130 million monthly active users.
  • Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, interview:

    Mr. Yamaki, I last spoke to you two weeks ago, which feels like a year ago. What has changed in those two weeks?

    Two weeks ago I was mainly concerned about the production system, and the supply chain. We make all of our products in Japan and make most of the parts by ourselves or by Japanese local suppliers, but some parts such as electronics are supplied from China, therefore, I was concerned about the supply of parts. But in fact, up to now we haven’t had a serious problem with that. Some parts have been delayed due to confusion in the supply chain but it hasn't been serious, and we’ve been able to adjust our production planning.

    Production and delivery systems in China are starting to normalize So on the production side, we haven’t had a serious problem. And we don’t expect to have problems in the future, because production and delivery systems in China are starting to normalize.

    I was also really concerned about sales in China. At the beginning of March, my worst-case scenario was a halving of sales compared to last year. But in fact our business in China is quite stable, and not too bad, which is a big relief. Sales in China are still doing OK because there’s a very strong online business. Right now the biggest concern is the market situation in Europe and the USA. I had never imagined such a crisis in Europe and America.

    How are things in Japan?

    It’s not a crisis situation, like in some parts of the US or in Europe. People are walking in the streets, and coming back to stores. It’s not as bad as it is in other countries. But for the photo industry it’s really bad. Since the beginning of March, we're seeing a decline in sales in the Japanese market, but we will have to wait for a while to get a picture of the full situation.

    https://www.dpreview.com/interviews/2134621161/sigma-interview-smaller-high-quality-lenses-coming-in-the-near-future

  • Coresight Research predicts that 15,000 U.S. stores will permanently close this year, setting a new record and nearly doubling its earlier forecast of 8,000 store closings.

    ‘Retail has hung a closed sign on the door literally and metaphorically,’ Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, said.

    Around 90% of photo cameras offline retail will shut down in 2020, we can expect no more than 10% of it to survive and even them will be in very bad shape.

  • Use a phone camera...the best since sliced bread!

  • Bad rumors circilating in the industry.

    If lockdown persist till July we can have up to 3 brands going out of cameras market. Before this happens you will cut of all remaining marketing and repairs related personell (around 2-3 weeks before announcements).

  • Cinegear new dates

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