Two venerable names in cine tech are bowing out almost simultaneously. France’s Transvideo has permanently closed, and UK-based PAG will enter a “controlled shutdown”, ceasing manufacturing and selling batteries to the film and TV market. Beyond the sadness, their exits spotlight a harsher competitive landscape, post-strike demand volatility, and rising compliance costs that are reshaping who survives in our industry. Transvideo’s website now opens with a simple line in French and English: the company is “permanently closed.” The announcement arrived only months after celebrating 40 years in business and recalling an Academy Scientific and Engineering Award in 2009 for contributions to on-board monitoring. As displayed on their website, Transvideo is out of business. Screenshot from website. PAG’s owners published a candid note explaining that lower-cost imports have saturated the market while demand in their traditional broadcast and cine segments has contracted. The family has therefore opted for a controlled shutdown of its film/TV battery business, while emphasizing that the company remains solvent and will honor product warranties. Coverage elsewhere echoed the same wording. Message from the PAG owners regarding the closure. Screenshot from website. What Transvideo represented Transvideo was never a volume player. It catered to a demanding tier of assistants, focus pullers, Steadicam and gimbal operators with rugged on-board monitors such as CineMonitorHD/UHD, StarliteHD and specialized wireless and metadata tools like LensReader. The brand’s reputation for longevity was part of its value proposition, with many units reportedly running after decades of daily use. That craft pedigree, and its recognition by...
Published By: CineD - Yesterday