Flat Panel TV Prices Set To Dive

[FeuerFrei]

Link to AP report.

NEW YORK (AP) ? A combination of weak consumer spending and a peak in manufacturing capacity will push prices for flat-panel TVs down to unprecedented lows this holiday season, according to analysts.

David Barnes, analyst at NPD Group's DisplaySearch unit, said prices look set to decrease rapidly starting on "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving, and lasting through next year.

It's even possible that 32-inch LCD TV sets, which now usually cost $600 to $700, will go as low as $350 in stores. That's a significant level: It's close to the long-run average price for a TV in the U.S., Barnes said Tuesday.

He believes these smaller sets will be the big sellers this year, as consumers, and possibly also credit-card companies that had fueled big-ticket spending, tighten their belts.

"We're about at the point where the 32-inch set will be the commodity," Barnes said Tuesday.

Larger 40- or 42-inch sets are already dipping below the $1,000 level, another important psychological barrier.

Barnes' colleague Paul Gagnon said the industry is coming out of a period of rather tight supplies of LCD panels, but more factories are now coming on line.

One factor that could boost sales is the impending shutdown of the analog TV broadcasting network in February, which means that older TVs that receive TV over the air will need a converter box. That will drive people to the stores to figure out their options, Gagnon pointed out. New TVs can receive the digital signals that are replacing analog.

But it's still not certain that abundant and cheap flat panels will lure consumers who have seen their home values and 401(k) funds decline.

"There's a lot of conflicting pressure on the consumer," Gagnon said. "It will be interesting to see which factor wins out this holiday season."

I'm not in the market myself, but no doubt some of you are.

 

[Wuzup101]

I want to get my younger brother a 40" set for xmas time. I would love to see some good deals, but quite frankly, the current Samsung set that is comparable to the 4065F that I bought last Nov-Dec is already $400 less than I paid on Amazon (around 1k vs 1400). That's already a huge drop... and quite honestly I still have no regrets (expect for not having money for a 52" at the time...).

 

[agathodaimon]

next summer, I will be looking at a 50" plasma (preferrably plasma)... Wonder what prices will be like then... I'd have been saving for a year by that time.

 

[sivart]

I bought a 42" Plasma at the beginning of 2007 for $999. ...they are just now getting below the $1000 point...is this article 2 years old?

You can currently get a 32" Plasma at Wally-world for $518....less than $700??

 

[Genx87]

Sub 2K 67 " DLPs this holiday season. Cant wait.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: sivart
I bought a 42" Plasma at the beginning of 2007 for $999. ...they are just now getting below the $1000 point...is this article 2 years old?

You can currently get a 32" Plasma at Wally-world for $518....less than $700??

I think junk flat panels brands will see a good price drop (see Wal-mart TVs), while quality sets will see a modest price drops and the high end sets will see very little drop.

 

[erwos]

They've been saying that since May.

 

[techwanabe]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: sivart
I bought a 42" Plasma at the beginning of 2007 for $999. ...they are just now getting below the $1000 point...is this article 2 years old?

You can currently get a 32" Plasma at Wally-world for $518....less than $700??

I think junk flat panels brands will see a good price drop (see Wal-mart TVs), while quality sets will see a modest price drops and the high end sets will see very little drop.

That sounds about right.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: techwanabe

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: sivart
I bought a 42" Plasma at the beginning of 2007 for $999. ...they are just now getting below the $1000 point...is this article 2 years old?

You can currently get a 32" Plasma at Wally-world for $518....less than $700??

I think junk flat panels brands will see a good price drop (see Wal-mart TVs), while quality sets will see a modest price drops and the high end sets will see very little drop.

That sounds about right.

Hey, whatever makes a Samsung ToC TV cheaper is ok with me.

 

[SlickSnake]

your-new-disposable-flat-panel-hdtv

While this link has not been updated recently, the same rule of thumb still applies. If it is an off brand, you might want to consider that 3 or 5 year warranty for when, not if, it breaks. If you can't get parts for a repair in or out of warranty, it is disposable. So it might be better to buy a name brand in that case and just shell out a few hundred more for whatever your size range is.

And I doubt the name brand flat panels sporting 1080p and 120hz will drop in price that much. They are already getting slim markups at retailers as it is on those. You will see the cheaper off brand 720p flat panels dropping the most in price on Black Friday and pre xmas. The name brand flat panels are in short supply at most retailers, so dropping the price is not needed to move those high quality displays.

 

[chris2112617]

OK i am ready to buy a big screen HD TV for about 2k i will be going on black friday. What are some good brands. I am not looking for Plasma tv.

 

[techwanabe]

Originally posted by: techwanabe

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: sivart
I bought a 42" Plasma at the beginning of 2007 for $999. ...they are just now getting below the $1000 point...is this article 2 years old?

You can currently get a 32" Plasma at Wally-world for $518....less than $700??

I think junk flat panels brands will see a good price drop (see Wal-mart TVs), while quality sets will see a modest price drops and the high end sets will see very little drop.

That sounds about right.

I just checked the Amazon prices for my LN46A650 46-inch TOC HDTV LCD and the price was around $156x or there abouts. That means it has come down another $130 or so since I purchased several months ago for $1699. It had been bouncing around $1699 to $1850 or so back and forth.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: chris2112617
OK i am ready to buy a big screen HD TV for about 2k i will be going on black friday. What are some good brands. I am not looking for Plasma tv.

Hey, your loss. But for $2K, you can get a 52" Samsung LN52A650 LCD right now at Amazon. No tax, and free shipping. This is THE best LCD you can get for $2K right now, and most likely on Black Friday.