Samsung's display division has become the latest to pull out of plasma TV production, all but signalling an end to the visually stunning yet expensive display panel technology in favour of cheaper LCD TVs.

According to a report from the Reuters news agency, Samsung SDI released a statement confirming the decline in overall demand for plasma display panel televisions meant it was no longer financially viable to keep making them. It will end all plasma display operations by the 30th of November. Although it said the company remains " committed to providing consumers with products that meet their needs", it would instead focus on 4K UHD and Curved TVs rather than plasma.

Samsung didn't release any new plasma models in 2014, making last year's F8500 the last chance customers will have to get their hands on a Samsung plasma TV. How long it will remain on sale for, and how many units actually made their way to the UK, remains to be seen - a quick Google search didn't reveal any being sold from the usual retailers online.

The announcement follows a similar move by Japanese rival Panasonic, which announced it would be halting all plasma production in November last year. Panasonic was widely seen as the market leader in plasma TV technology before the announcement, a title it won from Pioneer and its legendary Kuro range when the latter company decided to ditch the TV market altogether. Apparently making a 4K plasma TV simply wasn't cost effective, and with the television industry progressively moving from 1080p to UHD resolutions it simply wasn't viable to keep plasma production going.

LG is now the sole manufacturer of commercial plasma TVs, although according to another report it may not be in the business for long. The Yonhap news agency said that LG was looking to discontinue its PDP production in the near future, having already converted one of its manufacturing lines from plasma panels to making solar batteries.