Why hasnt a turntable manufacturer produced a table with automatic tonearm return/shutoff?

I worked at a well-known U.S. turntable manufacturer for a few years.   (A) there was shockingly little demand/ask for it, (2) and for those that wanted it, we’d add an AudioTechnica 6006 or Tru-Lift or similar add-on unit.   We even carried them at the factory.    I can count (maybe on one hand) the number of them I sold with new tables in a few years’ time.   And, that’s just the “lift” — no auto-shutoff.   So, from an engineering perspective, near-zero demand = a feature that’s not worth the effort (as far as being integral to the table).  It’s really just that simple.   It’s always been a staple of the Japanese tables (and some others) but never truly caught on with U.S. audiophiles.    I literally had the privilege of speaking at length with thousands of audiophiles about their analog systems, and it was ever-so-rare that anyone would ever bring it up.   
 

Jim 

The old record players played a stack of records automatically. I had a 45 rpm record player in my hot rod that played a stack too , only skipped on big bumps. Later on I got a Thorens player with a Rabco arm which was some improvement. The first time I heard a c.d. I sold the record player and never looked back. Nowadays I have a high end SACD one bit player. In my opinion no record can hold a candle to it. I don't get the record thing but whatever floats your boat.

It was always my understanding that any type of additional mechanation or masses added to the tone arm would/could bring additional methods for coupling noise and possibly affecting proper tracking.

@soundman406 

any type of additional mechanation or masses added to the tone arm would/could bring additional methods for coupling noise

Would that argument not also apply to lowering devices, which are attached to the arm base?

Surely end-of-side can be detected in a non-contact way, for example by interrupting a light beam.  These days, even toasters have little motors to raise the crumpets!

I sometimes wish I had something that just raised the arm from the run-out groove.  If a stylus has say 400 hours life, I'd rather keep it for playing music.  Happy for the table to still run

I took one look at the Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4004 in 1978 and knew I had to own it.  I loved the appearance and I loved the tangential tracking tonearm.   But through all the years I owned it I was subtly reminded that it wasn’t an audiophile’s turntable..  So in 2013 I succumbed to the subtle pressure of my fellow audiophiles and I bought a Rega RP40 Anniversary Edition Turntable and an Audio Note phono stage and I had to get used to carefully putting down the tonearm and getting up to lift it when the recording had finished.   I guess you could say I was completely spoiled because I so hated having to do that.  In 2022 I brought out my old Beogram. 4004 and had it completely restored by Beolover and I’m back to being happy playing vinyl again.  And I sold my Rega and Audio Note with zero regrets.